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Basic Gunner Course

Discussions about the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.
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dooher
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Basic Gunner Course

Post by dooher »

Hi, just got my date through to start the basic gunner course with 603 Squadron(Edinburgh). 6th -20th May. If anyone has completed/attended this course i would be greatful for any insight into it and whats entailed etc etc. Ive researched it alot so i know the basics but a more in depth view would be appreciated.

Cheers
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RAF Reginald
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Re: Basic Gunner Course

Post by RAF Reginald »

Could give you plenty of advice on the REAL Basic Gunner Course, if you fancy actually earning the right to wear those mudguards!
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dooher
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Post by dooher »

Would you have the same advice and smart ass reply if i was called up to serve alongside you and i just happened to save your arse...doubt it. Reserve forces are now a huge part of the UKs military manpower wether you like it or not and if someone joining the reserves cant ask a regular some advice then its a sad case
Boney_Gildroy
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Post by Boney_Gildroy »

What the main sad case is, your sense of humour :o
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RAF Reginald
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Post by RAF Reginald »

KODAK!!!

Soz dooher, perhaps i should have put a 'smilie' at the end to make it more clear to you civvies what the nature of my reply was.
However, in response to your comments, yes, the reserve forces are becoming a more and more important part of our armoury. But why? Because the government have over-cut the regulars and its cheaper to use you guys. So why i appreciate you wanting to do your bit, i'd rather have five extra regs' deploy with me than ten 'fully qualified Regiment Gunners' (Quote; an RAF Auxillary website) who have done a two week gunner course then swan round wearing their 'hard earned mudguards' (Quote; Honington Herald)!
Beret of blue, worn by many, earned by few!
dooher
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Post by dooher »

Apologies for taking it to heart, just heard the same reaction a few times from people i have spoke to. I take your point and fully agree with it when you say reservists are only gettin used more and more now as its so much cheaper for the government. Your view on the reservists getting there "hard earned mudguards" after two weeks is definately correct and I understand why you would question this as the time it takes for regulars is so much longer and training much more intense.

Reasons im joining reserves is that im not fully convinced wether i want a career as a regular, and my plan, like alot of people is to sample military life this way enabling me to get an insight into the RAF and then decide if i want this way of life. Im aware that joining the reserves wont even give me 50% of an idea but its alot more than i would have otherwise.

Cheers
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RAF Reginald
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Post by RAF Reginald »

Sounds like a good plan to me, mate. Best of luck.
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dooher
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Post by dooher »

Thanks again
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Post by Rockape »

Playing Devils' Advocate here and setting the record straight on a couple of points.

On 603 Sqn, the troops going through the 2-week Basic Course are not awarded their mudguards at the end. They have to complete further training, which usually takes another 3-4 months to complete. You'll probably find that most other RAuxAF sqns do something similar. Any sqn which claims to train a Gunner in 2 weeks, with no other pre-training, is likely to be 'cuffing' the whole thing.

At present, all RAuxAF Gunners going on operations are integrated into their respective sqns at the start of the pre-deployment trg package. This means the sqn gets the opportunity to observe/train the Reservists and make a decision on who is suitable to deploy. Most do deploy, not many are RTU'd.

RAuxAF Regt Gunners give up 2 hours a week and one weekend a month to train, plus a 2-week annual camp, so it would be naive to think that they are constantly held at the same standard as a regular. The aim of the Reservists in the past was to backfill the holes in the RAF for large scale warfighting, however current operations and manning gaps mean that they are now required for ongoing operations. As long as the 'system' gives the Auxiliaries sufficient pre-deployment trg, then they will continue to add value. We will need them to sustain operations for the next couple of years at least.

For the record, I am a regular attached to a RAuxAF unit.
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dooher
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Post by dooher »

Thanks Rockape your information is very much appreciated.
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Post by grim »

Bit of an old thread... but I'm bored so thought I'd chip in... Dooher, you're probably through RauxAF basic, and into the TG bit now... sadly you'll never get away from the "ferkin auggies !" attitiude... just take it with a pinch of salt. There's always going to be resentment, especially now that more and more regular posts are being filled with FTRS guys. Regulars who can't get signed on or promoted because the vacancies have gone to FTRS will rightly feel p**sed off... that anger gets directed at the auggies instead of the MoD :roll:

I was a supplier on 2623 Sqn for five years at Honington... we used to get all kinds of shit in the mess... usually from regular TG's... just laughed at 'em... the fact that most of us had been in the forces (regulars) when these lads were a twinkle in the eye is by the by.

Just smile and wave... smile and wave... :drinking:
Doesn't matter how bad things get... there's no reason to slum it
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Post by Q »

From what i know a large percentage of R aux AF Regiment Sqn's are made up of ex Rocks and other ex forces personnel. When i was in the TA many many moons ago, before my Regiment time, our Platoon had around 50% of it's manpower made up of ex forces.
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