Service Lifestyles in 2015

[Kryten]

Having just gotten back from 2 weeks on the motorbike riding around Britain, eating generally pretty badly and drinking enough to float a small ocean going liner, it got me thinking - I would never have gotten away with this if I were still in.

I used to remember guys in our section who would hit the NAAFI or Rugby Club as soon as they finished, whereby they would drink until they could drink no more, eat very little, and many of them were heavy smokers....

This was in the early 90s, before the RAFFT began to be used as a weapon of mass departure....so for all of you who are still in, how would you rate your lifestyle now? Has being in today's RAF meant that you are in the gym every night, with the odd pint of shandy on a Friday, or is there a hard core cadre of drinkers still in the Service..

Excuse me, while I just pop out for a mineral water.....

 

[Witty_Banter]

Interesting question!

I've noticed that a lot of the guys we've been hiring these last few years are already exremely athletic - runners, cyclists, swimmers etc - whereas a few decades ago, those who liked their fitness were predominanly the jogger / bodybuilder type - able to run the beep test or 1.5 mile to the required standard, but more focussed on muscle mass than marathon running. We also used to have an abundance of sports players, whereas now we're seeing an influx of marathon / triathalon runners (SJAR related perhaps?). And this is because the new RAFFT is a light / dark blue max effort jobbie, and is tracked better than it ever was before. This has also resulted in a lot of the older lot becoming the older broken lot, especially those who have to try and compete for promotion against the 'new breed'. We've got a hell of a lot more broken personnel than we've ever had before.

As for the eating / drinking thing, that's a bit more complicated. Old married farts like myself can't really blame anyone else for us not eating healthily if we're eating in our own homes. Singlies can only blame their choices in the Mess on themselves, unless their Unit has a particularly rubbish selection (or if they prefer McDonalds, etc).

I don't think the drinking culture has changed that much, but I think there are a lot more people drinking spirits instead of beer than there used to be. When I actually used to get to go out drinking with the lads (ie before I got married and had kids) it was a 10 pint-night for all of us. I think the younger generation hit the beer less and the vodka more!

 

[Sniffer]

There are a few different elements at play these days. First off, beer chits do not stretch as far as they used to. In some places it is cheaper to go into town than it is to stay in the CRL bar on camp. The days of the NAAFI "not for profit" are long gone.

Secondly, and this is just an observation and I have no hard facts to back this up, but it appears that people are joining later in life, so your young singlies joining up in the 70's, 80's and 90's who could go out on the lash every night no longer exist in the numbers they used to. We now have folks in their mid 20's with wives/girlfriends and kids and other priorities.

Finally things people would have gotten away with due to feeling shabby the next day are long gone and I'm not just referring to aviation safety issues. Newer SNCOs are unfamiliar with the concept that they are a Line Manager and as such they can apply a bit of common sense rather than thinking everything has to be done by the book. The playing/permitting the use of a joker card is a rare occurance these days and would probably result in an MMA.

 

[Sniffer]

Oh and one last thing. I'm hardly the picture of health. Im several stone overweight. I no longer smoke but when I did it was 20 a day and I do enjoy a good drink (although for the reasons I states in my last post, I don't do it as often as I used to). Ive never been a gym bunny and dont think I ever will be, I hate the place..... But I pass my fitness test and do my job, Its not exactly difficult.

 

[Kryten]

There are a few different elements at play these days. First off, beer chits do not stretch as far as they used to. In some places it is cheaper to go into town than it is to stay in the CRL bar on camp. The days of the NAAFI "not for profit" are long gone.

Secondly, and this is just an observation and I have no hard facts to back this up, but it appears that people are joining later in life, so your young singlies joining up in the 70's, 80's and 90's who could go out on the lash every night no longer exist in the numbers they used to. We now have folks in their mid 20's with wives/girlfriends and kids and other priorities.

Finally things people would have gotten away with due to feeling shabby the next day are long gone and I'm not just referring to aviation safety issues. Newer SNCOs are unfamiliar with the concept that they are a Line Manager and as such they can apply a bit of common sense rather than thinking everything has to be done by the book. The playing/permitting the use of a joker card is a rare occurance these days and would probably result in an MMA.

Interesting response there; I guess the RAF changes for every generation that serves and drinking in the NAAFI or whatever it is these days is probably not as popular as it used to be. If I were to hazard a guess I would say that the closure of NAAFI, the introduction of a smoking ban, and the greater emphasis on physical fitness as well as the points you raise have all conspired to change RAF social habits......

 

[Witty_Banter]

A simple truth is that the RAF will never be what it used to be for any of us. I shudder to think what it's going to be like over the next decade or so, and what the young, single gym bunnies of today will be wingeing about then. That's if the RAF even makes it another decade or so. The 'spit and absorb' discussion has raised it's head several times over the past 10 years, with increasing regularity - won't be long before it becomes a serious topic for those with the power to balls it all up.

 

[propersplitbrainme]

People are certainly fitter these days, especially the younger generation. But from what I witnessed at Flag last year, people still have a good time!

Quite so. The lads and lasses coming through training are more aware of the need to retain their fitness but if there's been any change in their drinking habits I'd say it was that they drink less tea and coffee, and more energy drinks during the day. They certainly know how to sink a bevvy when they want; try teaching them the morning after DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[norfolkred1]

I get the impression it's more like a M-F 0800-1700 job nowadays. Has the Thursday night bop gone along with Friday POETS day Beer calls. Sqn and Christmas do's in the Airmen's Mess were almost at an end back in 2008 when I left.

 

[Kryten]

I get the impression it's more like a M-F 0800-1700 job nowadays. Has the Thursday night bop gone along with Friday POETS day Beer calls. Sqn and Christmas do's in the Airmen's Mess were almost at an end back in 2008 when I left.

God that is depressing - some of the greatest socials I recall were around Christmas Do's - especially as a JR and attending the Christmas dinner in the JRM....and for those based at the top secret airfield in north Norfolk, who can forget the Thursday and Saturday Love Bus into Kings Lynn?

 

[Witty_Banter]

The social side is collapsing for various reasons. I've heard tell from the SNEC's Messes that people just don't want to get involved any more these days, as the rules imposed (when combined with work requirements) are incompatible with family life. The Jnrs don't even have the luxury of a 'club' to belong to - JRMs are basically a food hall and a separate (rigidly controlled, expensive) pub - and people would rather just do their own thing. We don't have the manpower to sustain things like clubs and messes any more - at least not in the way that the older generation would remember. I certainly wouldn't be 'down the mess' every night, as a Jnr or a Snr, as I've a mrs and 2 kids that also require my attention.

And while a lot of jobs have certainly gone 8-5 / M-F, there's still shift work that needs doing but not enough bodies to share round, which means the guys doing all the extra-curricular stuff are either a nobby-no-mates or a thrusting career-kid (soon to be nobby-no-mates).

Give us 20,000 more personnel and a massive wedge of cash, and I'm sure everything will go back to normal...

 

[muttywhitedog]

God that is depressing - some of the greatest socials I recall were around Christmas Do's - especially as a JR and attending the Christmas dinner in the JRM.

In Dec 2011, three months after PAYD was introduced, Wittering had FOUR people sign up for the JR Christmas Meal, which was going to cost them around £4.50

Unsurprisingly, it was cancelled!

 

[Kryten]

MWD, that is probably the saddest thing I have read all day.......

 

[Witty_Banter]

The same thing has been seen in the last 2 or 3 units I've been to - minimal sign up for xmas parties, summer balls, and station organised events in general. Thing is, you have to WANT to socialise with the people you see on a daily basis - not easy if - for example - you don't like your boss, or one of the guys you work with is a cnut. Especially so in our shrunken work environments, where people's workloads are doubling because posts are being gapped, etc.

Sign of the times, gentlemen!

 

[Kryten]

The same thing has been seen in the last 2 or 3 units I've been to - minimal sign up for xmas parties, summer balls, and station organised events in general. Thing is, you have to WANT to socialise with the people you see on a daily basis - not easy if - for example - you don't like your boss, or one of the guys you work with is a cnut. Especially so in our shrunken work environments, where people's workloads are doubling because posts are being gapped, etc.

Sign of the times, gentlemen!

Which goes back to my original post - from what has been said thus far the number of times people actually want to go out and socialise seems to be tailing off considerably......and with the emphasis on fitness and more people preferring online conversations to actual ones, would it be correct to say that the day of the Beer Call, the Bop and the Sqn Do are all but over...?

 

[justintime129]

Those of us who are now civvies, how m as by of us actually socialise with our work colleagues. Why should being in the forces be any different.

Let's rewind to the 70s how many of us had a car or could even afford one. So we made our own entertainment usually on Base.

If I was in now I'd live off camp and treat the mob as a 8-5 mon fri job with the occasional weekend working.

 

[Witty_Banter]

No, it's not over, it's just different.

For example, in my 15ish years, i've worked on large 20-man shifts, small 8 man shifts, as a day worker in an office of 30, day worker in an office of 2 and lots of variations in between. for every work type, there are problems when organising a function.

Trying to organise Sqn doo's of more than 2 shift patterns is a nightmare, because someone is always going to have to cover if you're on 24hr ops. There's a traditional tendancy to do things mid-week or on a Thursday night, which can't be done by some people because they live out and have to drive so can't drink anyway, or they go home for weekends, etc. People generally can't turn up for work a bit rough any more, some because of driving to work, some because some muppet will MAA / AGAI them just to further their own standing or career (especially if you're RAF working for an Army CoC) - though this doesn't seem to matter if you're OF3 or above...

HOWEVER,

I now work in an office with just 3 other people. Every month we go out for a meal; we bring partners, and have even started bringing the kids. And every time we go, we all have a great time. I think this is because the people I work with now are genuinely good people - work oriented, but have common sense and don't have a high-and-mighty attitude, and because my family feel included in my 'other life'.

The big difference in my view is that what we are doing is involving the everyone, bringing my individual family into the environment of my 'RAF family' and everyone accepts the others' presence end all is good with the world.

This is not the case with formal Mess Functions, Station Organised events etc - can you imagine bringing your kids to your OC's Dining Out!? - and because Singlies don't want their fun night out spoiled by some slack parents' annoying kids.

So because of the Military's inability to move with the times and shift from tradition, and because you can't please everyone all the time, the old ways WILL die out.

 

[jti]

I saw the biggest change when AMM's came on the scene; they hardly come to the Sqn bar, which was populated with the 'old sweats'. A lot did hit the gym, and I guess the play station generation may of had an influence but I imagine it's down to wanting to drink.
Now days I have a wife and kids so I don't want to spend all my time drinking in the mess, and when I'm away I don't always want a drink, compared to my single life as an Armourer where the bar was my 2nd home!

 

[Rigga]

Some ten years after laeving the RAF I got a Job as a manager in a deeepest northern norfolk secret base.
Apart from having to decipher the new americanised army-styled gobbledygook spoken by RAF types, the amount of fitness training that was evident every working day even encouraged the likes of me to take up MAMIL-ing again.
No-one was more shocked than Mrs R who thought Id been stalking again.

 

[Obi Wan]

OK I had to look it up: -

Oh the shame of being married to a MAMIL (that's a Middle Aged Man In Lycra)

Courtesy of the Daily Mail