RM parent needs advice please...........

[matt2206]

First of all i would like to say thanks, to everyone on this site, especially the moderators. I have been following these forums for the past year, i've found them to be a valuable source of information. once again many thanks.

Right advice please.......

My son recently passed out at CTCRM (very proud moment for us all). He has gone on to his unit (up north) . he's just been pinged as a clerk, and is not very happy at all........ (talking all sorts of shit about quitting, mumbling something like "didnt join for this.......**!!"). now one of his oppos has been pinged for sigs, but doesnt want to go (been up north a year, safe to say there's a girl involved). The two lads have talked and decided between themselves that they would each prefer to have the others duty.

My son asked his company boss, and he said it was OK with him, but his oppo's boss has flatly refused.

Now I dont want to stir up any shit, and my son would kill me if he knew i was on here asking such a question, but my question is what are his options, he's a quiet lad, when pinged on tuesday had to do a company change, now in a grot with nobody else and sounding very dejected on the phone.

All advice warmly appreciated

[Paratrooper01]

Im also in sigs which is a gash job in my opinion. I want to be out there on the ground...its what i joined for.

However im going to have to bite my tongue and get on with it for a while until i have done atleast a year and a half. At that point i think its right to ask to move on to another part of your unit, beit recce, snipers, anti-tanks etc etc. Until i have done the time i am going to volunteer for anything good that comes my way and hopefully keep on the right side of my boss and platoon NCO's so that when i want to move on they will let me.

Maybe your son just needs to be patient. But i have to agree...clerk is quite a dicking

[Dogwatch]

Square pegs and round holes come to mind. It sounds as though his company Commander is approachable, but it will be best if goes through the chain of command, ie Troop Sgt, Company Sgt Major route, in order to formally apply to be restreamed.

Somebody on here should be able to give up to date advice. Just remind him that he has just obtained his Green Beret, not every one who joined did that.

Tell him to enjoy himself regardless for the time being.

[druadan]

This is what is known as a 'Swap Draft,' and is perfectly legitimate. Unless one of the two has undergone specific training already for the job they're going to do that the other hasn't, or one is not qualified by whatever means for the other's job, there should be no reason they cannot exchange places. Get him on the stripey's case, failing that the Sgt Maj. As far as I'm aware they have no right to refuse a request like that where it makes no difference whatsoever which bloke does which course.

Very unusual to get pinged for a clerk straight out of training...

[Artist]

course.

Very unusual to get pinged for a clerk straight out of training...

Has your son got perfect vision or does he wear glasses? If he's a fully fit Bootneck it does seem odd as Druadan has said. Blokes got pinged for stuff like signals courses but I've never heard of people being forced to do the Clerks course.

It may be that the Branch is so short of numbers that the old names into a hat routine has been used and your son was one of the blokes chosen to join the branch. As it is if he does do the course I think he can apply after two years in the job to change his SQ/TQ to one more in line with what he wants to do. Some of the blokes still in can tell you better what the routine is nowadays ref this.

The Branch itself had very good promotion prospects compared to a lot of other SQ/TQ's when I was serving. So he could end up with two stripes within three years or less. It used to annoy quite a lot of blokes (me included) to see Clerks who seemed to be still wet behind the ears going to CTCRM to do their JCC whilst they had to wait sometimes years to get on a JCC.

The Telecommunication Technician Branch had a terrible reputation for the old Dead mans Shoes syndrome as it was such a small branch within the Corp it had only a limited amount of NCO billets available. In fact Blokes would do their JCC and later their SCC, pass it and then have to wait sometimes years for someone to be promoted or someone to leave the Corp before they got their stripes/stripe up. Hence the term Dead Mans Shoes. The same could be said of the VM's branch and the Illustrators branch.

So take note all you wannerbies. Choose your branch with care if you want to climb the promotion ladder relatively quickly.

Note:
JCC (Junior Command Course, Cpls Course)
SCC (Senior Command Course, Sgts Course)

Artist

[matt2206]

Thanks, all for your views and advice.

Talked to my lad yesterday evening, and upon some reflection on his part, and a chat with his boss, he has decided to stick it out.

He sounds much happier now, apparently he can pick all sorts of courses to go on whilst on this duty, and also still gets to go operational in October, Afghanistan. He's also chuffed, it seems after this duty he can pretty much pick his next specialisation and be guarenteed to get it, (He wants anti-tanks).

As to why he got pinged for clerk, He did the 30 miler with a fractured foot and seems to think its because hes not been signed off by the Doc yet.

So panic over........

Thanks again

[druadan]

If he's been medically downgraded for a while that could explain it. There is a minimal amount of ping-age for Drives and Sigs, but nearly all blokes now get a GD draft unless they request otherwise out of training; the gaps are filled by lads who've made the mistake of trying to stick out more than one GD draft without putting their chit in for an SQ

Under the Direct Specialisation Scheme (which is what he'll be in) after two years they have to let you out of the branch you were pinged for, most lads will do a GD draft at this point as they didn't get the chance straight out of training. I believe you also get priority on the branch of your choice and get to queue jump, which is the same deal they're offering to anyone who'll volunteer for a two year draft as a chef Don't quote me on that bit tho...but if it's right, all well and good for your son, the waiting list for Tanks was over two years last I heard, so he'll be on it quicker than the GD blokes putting their chits in for it.

[harry hackedoff]

I have heard of similar things in the past, Branches were short so men were "pressed" into them, sometimes with an up-front promise of a free choice for the next draft. It has happened in combat clerks branch before Ste, but Sigs or Chefs was a fave.

CGRMs inspection, usual bone questions, usual bone answers(how long have you been in the Royal Marines? All day Sir!)
CGRM to Mne Smiff,
"What`s your role in the Royal Marines, Smiff"
"Oi is a sheff Zor"
"A Chef Man! A bloody chef? We don`t have Chefs in the Royal Marines Man! You`re a bloody Cook. What are you?
"A Cook, Zor
CG moves to next man,
"Ahh, Mne Bloggins, haven`t seen you since Four Two. What are you up to these days, Bloggers?"
"I`m a Cook Sir!"
"Really! A Cook, hey? And how long have you been a Cook?"
"Bout fifteen farking seconds, Sir!"

[Si Capon]

I got "pinged" for my DL`s course. Came top on both my 2's and 1's course.

Loved every minute of it.

You never know till you try it!

[harry hackedoff]

Came top on both my 2's and 1's course.

See Artist, I told you it can`t be that hard being a DL

And that is never thirty inches

[Si Capon]

Lucky you`re so far away, otherwise there`d be some extra drill for you my lad!

[harry hackedoff]

Cheers mate, I could do with a spot of remedial
Are we biking it this weekend Si?
Down yer, we`s mostly drinking
Went out with his nibs haring through the bush on the pushbikes just before dusk today. Usual routine, green parrots everywhere and the biggest gang of roos I`ve ever seen. Wet stop and I`m eating raisins when I catches a small lizard, "Ere, Jack mate, watch this" I says as I pretends to bite Lizzy`s head off and spat the raisen at Jack.
"Mum said you were like that" he says
At least I`m not a DL hey mate Haven`t seen yer man for a while. Spoke a week ago and they`s settleing in just fine. Though why the farq anyone would want to live up there is well beyond me
Take it easy mate, and I`ll give meself an extra parade tonight

[COMMANDO]

Know the feeling i was pinged for the drivers branch. I feel his pain , problem is now days if you swop your branch you loose your seniority if any gained , including a shot at juniors if your in line as its done through your branch seniority and the basis of your work quality. At least that was the crack a year a go.
He could bang his 12 months in, i have known guys to do this and have been given the world. Tell your lad to speak to the RM careers advisor see if he can help. If he goes the way of submitting notice i bet you a pound to a piece of shit something will get done eventually.
Now the thing that cracks me up is they want retention in the corps then they pull this kind of number part of the reason i left. There are up sides to the clerk branch you do get out what you put in and at least he will understand his pay statement (i never did) while he is still super fit and he is interested bang in the selection chit (the way ahead ) it will give him a goal poss time off to train then he can tell em to ram it.

[druadan]

Except for the small matter of requiring to serve 3 years and 1 month before you can put your chit in

And as for selection, what, when you're medically downgraded

Apart from that, yeah, threaders, but use it as time to sort out what he wants to do, he will have a mega advantage over most lads in that he'll know exactly how to go about getting gucci drafts and as much money as possible out of the Corps by the time he's done his two years as a clerk