RAF and AACC

[dooher]

Can anyone tell me if RAF Regiment and RAF Regiment reservists are able to take part in the All Arms Commando Course or is it just Army and Navy personnel.

Cheers

[RAF Reginald]

I know RAF Regiment regulars who have done it, don't know about the reservists though.

[Artist]

I know RAF Regiment regulars who have done it, don't know about the reservists though.

I don't! The only Commando trained Crabfat I ever met was a Flt Lt Rutter who was with 3 CDOBDERM as one of the FAC (Forward Air Controller) officers the other FAC being a RM Lt. Rutter was a fully fledged harrier Pilot. The Corp has no use or requirement for RAF Regt personel. So just why would they let them do the AACC?

Maybe in these times some RAF Regt guys join the SBS and to do that they have to do the Commando Course first.

Artist

[RAF Reginald]

Could be mistaken. There was a Regiment officer at Honington who had his dagger. May have been an ex-booty though.

[TJD]

You can volunteer for the All Arms cse no matter what branch/trade of the RAF you are in. Of course there is a priority system so a cook would probably have less of a priority than RAF Regt. I have also seen various RAF Regt and Aircrew bods (mainly SF AT and Heli) wear the dagger

[RobT]

Most blokes would rather become winged (Rangers, 2Sqn), you can Gen App for it though.

[Artist]

You can volunteer for the All Arms cse no matter what branch/trade of the RAF you are in. Of course there is a priority system so a cook would probably have less of a priority than RAF Regt. I have also seen various RAF Regt and Aircrew bods (mainly SF AT and Heli) wear the dagger

Very true but the Corp has no need for RAF Regt blokes so they won't get the course. It's not a "Jollie" for bored RAF Regt or Army people the AACC. It costs to put a bloke though Commando training so they are very selective about who does it. A lot of foreign countries pay to have members of there armed forces allloted places on each AACC that goes though. But the majority of the British guys are in a Regt or Corp that is needed by 3 CDOBDERM. Or are Royal Navy medics and other trades once more required by the Bde. To my knowledge RAF Regt blokes are not required by the Corp so they don't get on the course except, as I said before they have applied to go SBS.

Maybe now with all the Helos being put into one basket a few bods do do the AACC. I'm a civvy now and left the Corp 16 yearsa go and it's all changed. But I doubt it. Back in the Seventies we had a few RAF Regt Bods do the RM snipers course as it was the only sniper course run by any British Force back then. But they didnt do the AACC thats for sure.

Artist

[TJD]

Artist - it has changed a tad since you left. You are right there is no real requirement for RAF Regt to do the All Arms cse, except of course those who will be on the TACP/Fwd Air Control Parties which are RAF Regt dominated/populated.

In terms of getting on it, in the main you are correct, however, It only takes a recommendation from the individuals Wg Cdr (Lt Col) equivalent and he is pretty much gauranteed a place - I think they use the interoperability in a joint environment buzz phrase - having said that not many do actually do it to be honest.

So can you do it - yes
BUT
You need a reason

[Artist]

TJD

Fair one mate. I just get a Tad annoyed sometimes when people work on the SWAG princible. Scientific Wild Arsed Guess!

As to FAC's. Both 3 CDOBDERM FAC's were manned by Royal save for one RAF Pilot. Normally a Flt Lt as I said earlier. But, Things change.

Do the RAF Regt still man the Firetrucks? I ask this as I was a service Bratt with me Pop serving in the RAF as a PTI. As a kid my next door neighbour at, I think RAF Marham near Kings Lynn was a CPL RAF Regt bod who's job was to man the firetender.

Artist

[TJD]

Artist - wow that is going back a few years. To be honest I have no idea when the Regt lost that sort of duty. I can only think it would be because of the cold war posture at Marham at that time. Basically, anyone not flying planes or fixing them was involved in the defence of the base. Could safely assume that the fire engine driver duties were related to a 'defence/recuperation of the unit' war role. In the current climate we man fire trucks for OP FRESCO when the 20 job firefighters go on strike.

As for the FACs - I believe it is manned predominantly by RAF Regt now, unsure to be honest, but I know that they do in the Air Asslt Bde. I think Aircrew lost the FAC role some time ago (possibly early 90's) when we started running out of them so had to start using them for what they were designed for!!

[rawli]

There was a Regiment officer at Honington who had his dagger. May have been an ex-booty though.

There is definitly one at Honington at the moment who is an ex-marine sergeant and another ex-sergeant on 34 SQN. The las RAF bod to go through the AACC was a Wg Cdr Jag Pilot who did it to prove that he could. He had no operational requirement to go on the course but it was probably pushed through as a PR thing for the RAF.

[Artist]

Cheers rawli

Owd Flt Lt Rutter was a good un. Loved being attached to us Eijuts so he did. When he left we dragged him down to the Barbican Wine Lodge in Guz (Plymouth) and force fed him Blue Nun Wine the entire night.

Artist