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Grey_Man
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What do the Spook community think of Super Plotters? - Discuss.
Grey_Man
Grey_Man
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Chuffybum
Guest
Being a non-spook....what's a super plotter?
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Inch High PI
Guest
Don't see the problem with them. It was a good idea that upset some people when it was first introduced. Its slowed down SAC-Cpl promotion and lets be honest that was a good thing.
At the end of the day as long as they can pass the course and do the job thats all that counts and they have quite rightly been bumped up to the high payband.
At the end of the day as long as they can pass the course and do the job thats all that counts and they have quite rightly been bumped up to the high payband.
Contact Zero
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That'll be one of those "need to know things then!" ;-)
SAC Int An (I) are known as Plotters, a super-plotter is an SAC who has passed the UK Imagery Analysis Cse.
Not a bad thing gives people the chance to get some experiance in before they actually have to take control...slowed the promotion down a bit as well which is a really good thing.
Retreads are a mixed bunch, some are really good and some are really bad, the problem is the bad ones give the rest a bad name....can think of several ex-photogs (plus other trades) that are a total waste of space and only jumped across for the promotion prospects...
DT_Xtremez_25:
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Grey_Man
Guest
Super Plotters
Super plotters are the guys and girls who join the new amalgamated Int trade rather than people who pass the specialist IA course. They will probably end up being Station Int or Squintos bitches because although they are aware of the various Int disciplines, they don't have the specialist training to work in those areas. Jacks (& Jills) of all trades & masters of none in my humble opinion. (Going by my own experiences of them). They are all capable people and I'm not criticising them. I just think the Spook hierarchy may be shocked when the trade knowledge is diluted and they don't get the same kind of quality Int that they're used to backed up by years and years of specialist trade experience.
Grey_Man
Super plotters are the guys and girls who join the new amalgamated Int trade rather than people who pass the specialist IA course. They will probably end up being Station Int or Squintos bitches because although they are aware of the various Int disciplines, they don't have the specialist training to work in those areas. Jacks (& Jills) of all trades & masters of none in my humble opinion. (Going by my own experiences of them). They are all capable people and I'm not criticising them. I just think the Spook hierarchy may be shocked when the trade knowledge is diluted and they don't get the same kind of quality Int that they're used to backed up by years and years of specialist trade experience.
Grey_Man
First post in the 12 months since you joined and thats the best you can do?
That'll be a reply from a smart@rsed dickhead then
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Grey Man
give them a chance. From what I hear they should be coming out of the onion factory more capable than many who have come before them.
The course appears more structured to what is needed in theatre and gives people the confidence needed. Yes you still get the odd biff now again and will continue to do so.
What cannot be taught is the need to hit the ground running. There is much more required and expected of them now. There will be some who will be their first OOA within months of getting their SAC up.
The guys who could find it more difficult are the C's coming across and filling Station Int duties. There is as yet no amalgamation course for them and all learning is done on the job. But again there will some capable guys out there and some biffs.
I am sure though that with the courses at the place of onions being new, any shortfalls can be accomodated. All it needs is feedback, something that can be extremely rare in this trade of ours.
A note for the guys at the Arc Welding College. When are you going to update the trade page on your website? There is a distinct lack of workers postings and whereabouts on there. Even the vaunted upper echelons are out of date.DT_Xtremez_28:
give them a chance. From what I hear they should be coming out of the onion factory more capable than many who have come before them.
The course appears more structured to what is needed in theatre and gives people the confidence needed. Yes you still get the odd biff now again and will continue to do so.
What cannot be taught is the need to hit the ground running. There is much more required and expected of them now. There will be some who will be their first OOA within months of getting their SAC up.
The guys who could find it more difficult are the C's coming across and filling Station Int duties. There is as yet no amalgamation course for them and all learning is done on the job. But again there will some capable guys out there and some biffs.
I am sure though that with the courses at the place of onions being new, any shortfalls can be accomodated. All it needs is feedback, something that can be extremely rare in this trade of ours.
A note for the guys at the Arc Welding College. When are you going to update the trade page on your website? There is a distinct lack of workers postings and whereabouts on there. Even the vaunted upper echelons are out of date.
DT_Xtremez_28:
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Grey_Man
Guest
T-E-S,
I'm not criticising the Super plotters abilities at all. From what I've seen, their course is well designed to fit their needs providing they go to Station Int and the Super Plotter I work with is very switched on.
The problem I forsee in the future is a diluting of skills caused by guys and girls shifting jobs between Photos and Bleeps every tour. I can understand the use for super plotters but I think there should still be seperate trades for Imagery and Comms to keep the skill level and experience levels as high as possible.
I was curious to know what fellow Spook Goaters thought. It is not a malicious dig at the new guys coming through the system at all. (Although they're not getting a fablon biff chit to get them off **** taking)
Grey_Man
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Inch High PI
Guest
I get what your saying about people switching jobs between Comms and Imagery. My last tour and this tour have had very little to do with Imagery and after 5 years at the big J it was a welcome break.
After this tour I am trying to get myself onto a Comms course so I can have a bash at that. After all we are now Int Ans, and the more experience you get in all the Int " Disciplines" can only make you a better analyst. I certainly don't beleive it will make me a jack of all trades and a master of none. I am confident If I was posted back to an IAs post I would have no problem getting back into it.
The Super Plotter I work with at the land of dogging and onions is very switched on and the course seems to have prepared her well, and after less than a year in she will be off on her first Op Tour and I am pretty certain she won't feel out of her depth working with an experienced bunch on joint service spooks.
Contact Zero
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I agree with Inch High. I have just had a hot and sandy holiday and was the only blue suit in an office of green slime and civvies, most of who had a background/trade in wiggly amps theory. I am sure I was in the post because we are now 'Int An' as opposed to (I), (C), IA or PI or whatever we were called at the moment you signed on the line.
If I had done a wiggly amps course I would have been able to understand a bit more of the task in hand.
P.S. didn't super plotters used to refer to SAC's who had completed the UKIAC?
If I had done a wiggly amps course I would have been able to understand a bit more of the task in hand.
P.S. didn't super plotters used to refer to SAC's who had completed the UKIAC?
Yep, although it seems to have been diluted to those that aren't really plotter qualified now, although can't say as haven't seen the new course or even had the delight of working with one of the new SAC's!
DT_Xtremez_31:Cartmell101
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New SAC's
New SAC's
I haven't had the pleasure of working with any 'fresh out of the box' INT AN's however everyone that i've spoken to that got issued one has nothing but good things to say, whatever their background. I've also seen the training they are receiving and its more relevant than some of the training I received in the early stages.
New SAC's
I haven't had the pleasure of working with any 'fresh out of the box' INT AN's however everyone that i've spoken to that got issued one has nothing but good things to say, whatever their background. I've also seen the training they are receiving and its more relevant than some of the training I received in the early stages.
What you mean they are actually being given relevant training.....that'll be a first!
DT_Xtremez_15: I look forward to being issued one soon....well when I leave my current tour as we don't have any SAC's here.
Cartmell101
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I know it seems to be too good to be true
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DoesMyBumLookBigInThis?
Guest
Having had a good look into the cse program and a good chat with the cse FS - the training these guys and girls are getting is excellent. Its a 16(?) week course and follows a similar thread to the Officers Course. They graduate with a fantastic level of knowledge and gen int basis - trained to prepare and deliver briefings, write reports etc. I have graduate inbound next month and I am looking forward to their arrival and believe that at the Stn level at least they will be an awesome asset!
Contact Zero
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Yeah but will they be any good with an ink pen, tracing paper and a scalpel?
Yeah but will they be any good with an ink pen, tracing paper and a scalpel?
Isn't that what the new Typhoon precision-guided munition is made from?
Yeah but will they be any good with an ink pen, tracing paper and a scalpel?
Doubt it, I think that was dropped from the plotters course in 98, mine did some in 97 but a lot was done on PC's....oh the fun of trying to refill the pens without getting the ink all over your uniform, failed miserably every time!
DT_Xtremez_21:- Status