RAF Gunner Hostility

[wato212]

I jus got back from Afghan and we didnt stag on any gate once. We were providing a QRF, Mortars on call and patrolling about 12 diff villages like 15 miles out of the front gate day and night. We were doing 18km (Outisde the wire) foot patrols with GPMGs etc. We didnt stag on once... We spent a week up in Helmand going through Lash, Kandahar City, Camp Bastion, Price Barracks etc. We convoyed over 110 miles with the Danes and Canadians. Caught an 8 man Taliban rocket team, secured the downed Nimrod, recovered bodies and recovered kit. We also worked with the SAS. Anyone thinking all we do is stag on gates is much mistaken or just ignorant. We were constantly out the gate trying to capture the t*ats firing rockets into our camp. And saying about infantry standards... The SAS and SBS is made up of RAF Reg, Paras and RM... that should say something, also not forgetting the new Rangers unit...

Thats why everyone hates the raf reg, always thinking that your something your not. I'm sure if the sas or sb had the choice they wouldn't pick use. I spent a little time in kaf, and all I seen the reg do was hang around their WMIK's with the 2 squadron badge sprayed on them (and we all know what that looks like) thinking they were sf, very embarrassing.
Also can someone explain THE BIG 3, heard this a couple of times. Im sorry if this seems a bit personal, well it is. I worked dam hard for my green lid and I'm sure its the same for the para lads, so to have some unit who have done f@#k all compared to us in training anyway say there part of the big 3, well use might aswell spit in my face.
Right glad i got that of my chest.lol.

Wato.

[Airborne Legend]

I see where you're coming from mate, to be honest my only experience of RAF Regt was on some shit Ex once. They wouldn't shut up about how cool it was to be 'sleeping out' lol
I'm sure they must do good work, but end of the day they're only involved in the SFSG because some muppet upstairs has got a wonderful vision of some weird TRI-service future for the forces. When it comes down to it, if UKSF need support (pre-SFSG) SAS get Para Reg and SBS get the Marines. If you want to do green army stuff then join the green army!

[zues78]

Ok this is my first post. Things like this really amuse me, the quality of a unit can only be determined by the men in it. Im curious to know exactly what is it that makes the marines and paras so much better? Yes the training for the marines and paras may be a lot more physical but there is a lot more to soldiering than being superfit.
Anyway, I've been in the marines before and have a huge amount of respect for them all and what they do, and im now in the process of joining the RAF regiment, so hopefully in a while I'll be able to post a no BS comparison for y'all. Cant comment on the paras though.

[Airborne Legend]

Hello mate,

I don't want to get into a who's better than who pointless rant to be honest. But I agree with you that it's the quality of the men that make a unit what it is. My original point was about units pretending to be something they're not or eluding to a standard they are not at.
From my experience what makes the Parachute Regiment special has little to do with fitness (although this obviously helps). The harshness of our training (and I mean more mental harshness), produces an individual capable of enduring and reacting positively to situations that would break others. Whilst the standards of professionalism, skill and aggression are nurtured to the point of a kind of regimental religion
I don't knock the marines, they're good guys with their own standards who are well proven.

[zues78]

Some good points. Obviously I dont have any experience of the RAF regiment yet but I would imagine the same professionalism, skill and aggression are instilled there as it is in the paras and the marines. I would think the only big difference in the training is that each unit has its own area of expertise. I.e I doubt the paras could defend an airfield as well as the regiment, and I doubt the regiment could lead an airbourne assault as well as the paras. The point I was trying to make though is that if you took a soldier from the paras, the marines and the RAF regiment, its not a given which unit will have produced the best soldier. I think in the end it comes down to the individual soldiers that make up the unit.
Also I think it would be better if each unit could appreciate the others instead of trying to make out like those guys aren't worth sh*t like I hear people saying the RAF reg guys did nothing in Iraq except babysit airfields. At the end of the day they are still there, away from their families facing the same threats as everyone else.
Although some inter unit competition is never a bad thing, respect would be nice.

[Airborne Legend]

It's not a matter of respect or not, the RAF regiments job is to defend airfields, that doesn't make them good soldiers. To be honest if you took a random individual from each of the three units the competition would be between maroon and green. How long were you RM for?

[wato212]

Ye good point, how long were you in the marines for? I'm sure the raf reg are good at what they do, but you carn't compare them to royal or the paras its just wrong. At the end of the day there is no different s between the raf reg and a average pongo unit, in terms of soldering anyway.

You say what makes the marines better, Its the fact that we have been through well hell, but we know that even though we are tired,wet,cold,exhausted,depressed ect we can still crack on. thats the different s. And yes you are right its not all physical, for example I would rather do the commando tests again then final ex, for me and alot of other lads this was the hardest part of training 9 days of just been f@#k.
Good luck with the raf reg I do really hope its all you think it is.

[stever]

ive been reading this post for a few days now
so army units dont like the raf regiment
i can live with that thats nothing new
again and again more negative comments about rockapes that are dobbers people have met in the naafi
i agree there is some right eejits out there that wear raf regiment mudguards but eejits come in all shape and sizes wearing all colours of berets rockapes dont have the monopoly ???
as regards "If you want to do green army stuff then join the green army!"
i didnt want to join the army fark that for a game of soldiers
what most of the hostility boils down to is THE RAF REGIMENT IS NOT THE ARMY !!!!
i was quite happy to be based on an air base getting good nosh and decent
accomodation thanks

i dont like the way this is thread is goin
its turning into the bullshit my beret is better than yours crap

[Airborne Legend]

Hello mate,

This is the last time I'm going to post in this thread because I think you're right, it is turning into a load of textbook poo (I did mention earlier in the thread that this wsn't my intention). You're right too that all capbadges have mongs and I'm sure the guy's I've met from the RAF Regt were the few bad eggs.
The most salient point you make though is that the RAF Regt ISN'T the army. This being so it cannot compare itself to the best the army has to offer at doing the army's job . Defending airfields and patroling the surounding area yeah, fine RAF Regt will be the best at this because this is there specialist task and they're proffesional guys.
We do different jobs. My original point was that there is a misunderstanding concerning this. I was suggesting to a guy that if he wanted to do soldiering to the extreme the RAF Regt might not be the best option. However it's possibly the more sensible option because the food is much nicer!!
Right, I'm spent. Not playing anymore.

[GrOgGyRoCk]

Cheers for your posts lads, but I think we all have come to a conclusion now, before this thread turns more into a debate as it seems everyone obviously has their own experiences and opinions.
My personal conclusion to this thread is the most obvious one and that its doesn’t matter what branch your in as its has its has well deserved purpose and traditions what go way back for a number of years, to the best of my knowledge all three services have set the example and other armed forces have learnt from us.

[zues78]

Thanks for all the thoughts. I still stand by my opinion that an individual soldier from any service isnt necessarily better than another from another one. I met some completely dense tits in the marines and wouldnt want to be in a combat situation with them. On the other hand there were some guys in there I am still in awe of to this day.
I guess my final point is this, if you got a load of dense nobbers join the paras and the marines, and a load of top guys join the raf reg, are the nobbers better simply because they are marines/paras?
Oh to answer your question, I was only in for a year, so im no expert but was around long enough to see hwat they were about. And please dont lose sight that I have nothing but respect for the marines, and were I still crazy enough I would be reapplying to go back there and not the reg. Cheers fellas

[zues78]

Thanks for all the thoughts. I still stand by my opinion that an individual soldier from any service isnt necessarily better than another from another one. I met some completely dense tits in the marines and wouldnt want to be in a combat situation with them. On the other hand there were some guys in there I am still in awe of to this day.
I guess my final point is this, if you got a load of dense nobbers join the paras and the marines, and a load of top guys join the raf reg, are the nobbers better simply because they are marines/paras?
Oh to answer your question, I was only in for a year, so im no expert but was around long enough to see hwat they were about. And please dont lose sight that I have nothing but respect for the marines, and were I still crazy enough I would be reapplying to go back there and not the reg. Cheers fellas

[zues78]

Thanks for all the thoughts. I still stand by my opinion that an individual soldier from any service isnt necessarily better than another from another one. I met some completely dense tits in the marines and wouldnt want to be in a combat situation with them. On the other hand there were some guys in there I am still in awe of to this day.
I guess my final point is this, if you got a load of dense nobbers join the paras and the marines, and a load of top guys join the raf reg, are the nobbers better simply because they are marines/paras?
Oh to answer your question, I was only in for a year, so im no expert but was around long enough to see hwat they were about. And please dont lose sight that I have nothing but respect for the marines, and were I still crazy enough I would be reapplying to go back there and not the reg. Cheers fellas

[RAF Reginald]

N.D!!

Computer change lever to 'Repetition', mate!

Best of luck at Honington.

[RAF Reginald]

You say what makes the marines better, Its the fact that we have been through well hell, but we know that even though we are tired,wet,cold,exhausted,depressed ect we can still crack on. thats the different s.

Except on SFSG finals, as per my earlier comments.

As for the 'no better than an average pongo unit'. How to insult both groups at once. I have done a couple of courses with the booty's, both f**king hard work. But none of the RAF Regt guys on them had a problem, thanks, which was more than can be said for others. So, in conclusion and to mirror Zues's point, it's down to the individual. And please, don't confuse our training with that of the blue RAF's. We still do a full combat infantry course, using the same pam's as the Army/Marine infantry.

If we're 'pretending to be something we're not' all the time, it's befcause we feel we're constantly having to answer our numerous critics. Best one I've ever heard; "I hate the RAF Regt because they have really gucci kit and the lads in it all think they're great". So we're shit because our personnel are proud of what they've done/they do and because the Air force spends it's budget on gear for us instead of paintings and port for the officers mess in Knightsbridge.