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Chaps,

I am not sure what I've written (some years ago) will provide any entertainment whatsoever, and may not meet Hans-Hermann's criteria at all, so Robin, please remove if you see fit.

The content does not cover much derring-do at all, after all, I was not in a Combat Arm - but clerical - well, someone's got to do the Army's paperwork, but during my nearly 45 years of service I saw and learned a lot.

The British Army used to have a manning system called "Junior Leaders" whereby youngsters could joint the Army at age 15, undertake training for 2 and a half years then hit adult service fully qualified, bright-eyed and busy-tailed with an aim of providing the Army's SNCOs and Warrant Officers. By and large, the system worked with many going on to commissioned rank up to, in some cases, full Colonel.

I attempted over a span of around 8 years or so, to recall my memories of my training; it was written for a specific website of ex-members so is crafted in a particular vein.

It is not that inspiring a read perhaps and I claim no great ability in the written art, but some may find it interesting even if only to see how other parts of the British Army operated its training regime in the late 60s/early 70s for junior soldiers. Anyway, for what it's worth (and it does go on a fair bit) see:

http://www.juniorleadersraoc.co.uk/Members/memories_brain_stoddart.htm

I should just stress that most Corps of the British Army operated the junior leaders system - from Combat Arms to Support Arms.

For those not that familiar with British Army nomenclature and abbreviations:

ACE - Army Certificate of Education
AEC - Army Education Centre
Blanco - a paste designed to preserve/colour webbing material
CSM - Company Sergeant Major
GCE O Level - General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (a higher education qualification)

KF - Khaki Flannel
OC - Officer Commanding (of a sub-unit eg a Company)
OS - Ordnance Survey - national surveyor/printer of maps
No 2 Dress - best uniform
PT - Physical Training
Pl - Platoon
RSM - Regimental Sergeant Major
RPC - Regimental Proficiency Certificate
2iC - Second in Command
SLR - Self Loading Rifle - of FN design in 7.62 calibre
WRVS - Women's Royal Voluntary Service - a welfare organization

Brian

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In the Royal Engineers, our JLs were nicknmamed 'FREDs' or, Future Royal Engineer Disasters.

They were universally loathed, especially by Trg Regt staff. The FREDs would turn up at RSME from Dover having already served for about 18 months and thought they were the dog's lipsticks. The NCOs used to take great delight in thrashing them to the point of exhaustion and PVR...

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I can only really quote authoritatively re my own capbadge ....... perhaps it was because in a way we were indoctrinated and exceptionally keen. Hitler Jugend anyone?

Brian

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Chaps,

I am not sure what I've written (some years ago) will provide any entertainment whatsoever, and may not meet Hans-Hermann's criteria at all, so Robin, please remove if you see fit.

The content does not cover much derring-do at all, after all, I was not in a Combat Arm - but clerical - well, someone's got to do the Army's paperwork, but during my nearly 45 years of service I saw and learned a lot.

The British Army used to have a manning system called "Junior Leaders" whereby youngsters could joint the Army at age 15, undertake training for 2 and a half years then hit adult service fully qualified, bright-eyed and busy-tailed with an aim of providing the Army's SNCOs and Warrant Officers. By and large, the system worked with many going on to commissioned rank up to, in some cases, full Colonel.

I attempted over a span of around 8 years or so, to recall my memories of my training; it was written for a specific website of ex-members so is crafted in a particular vein.

It is not that inspiring a read perhaps and I claim no great ability in the written art, but some may find it interesting even if only to see how other parts of the British Army operated its training regime in the late 60s/early 70s for junior soldiers. Anyway, for what it's worth (and it does go on a fair bit) see:

http://www.juniorleadersraoc.co.uk/Members/memories_brain_stoddart.htm

I should just stress that most Corps of the British Army operated the junior leaders system - from Combat Arms to Support Arms.

For those not that familiar with British Army nomenclature and abbreviations:

ACE - Army Certificate of Education
AEC - Army Education Centre
Blanco - a paste designed to preserve/colour webbing material
CSM - Company Sergeant Major
GCE O Level - General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (a higher education qualification)

KF - Khaki Flannel
OC - Officer Commanding (of a sub-unit eg a Company)
OS - Ordnance Survey - national surveyor/printer of maps
No 2 Dress - best uniform
PT - Physical Training
Pl - Platoon
RSM - Regimental Sergeant Major
RPC - Regimental Proficiency Certificate
2iC - Second in Command
SLR - Self Loading Rifle - of FN design in 7.62 calibre
WRVS - Women's Royal Voluntary Service - a welfare organization

Brian

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In the Royal Engineers, our JLs were nicknmamed 'FREDs' or, Future Royal Engineer Disasters.

They were universally loathed, especially by Trg Regt staff. The FREDs would turn up at RSME from Dover having already served for about 18 months and thought they were the dog's lipsticks. The NCOs used to take great delight in thrashing them to the point of exhaustion and PVR...

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I can only really quote authoritatively re my own capbadge ....... perhaps it was because in a way we were indoctrinated and exceptionally keen. Hitler Jugend anyone?

Brian

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Ah... 'The pen is mightier than the sword'.

One of the best nuggets I was ever given was from Colonel Bob Howard when I graduated the Q course (Special Forces Qualification Course) as a young private. He was our commandant during Phase I, and arguably THE most decorated SF soldier ever. He said "You're in an elite community now. There are unfortunately those who would try to make their candles shine brighter by snuffing out the candles of others. Beware them."
I was twenty. I've never forgotten that.
Plus, Colonel Howard personally saved me from getting released from the course after Phase I (the most grueling phase in which we lost 2/3 of the candidates) was almost complete. I failed the Bowline knot not once, but twice, and was told to get on the Blue Bird to happiness to go back to Ft. Bragg. Only his intervention saved me and a handful of other dudes. The instructor who graded us was looking at the appearance of the knot, not how it was actually tied. Turns out our knots were perfect. Just reversed, as we were all left handed. That instructor had some private counseling with then Major Howard right after that...

Come to think of it, I've seen the candle snuffing thing here more than once...

Hers' one of many over a 23 1/2 year carreer...

During the invasion of Iraq in '03, we expected the Iraqi's to use chemical weapons against us as we approached Baghdad. We planned for this and drilled on it before going north out of Kuwait. At every stop, we placed M22 Chemical Monitors around our battery position, were in MOPP 2 (JSLIST chem suit and boots worn) all the way up, had M9 Chemical Monitoring Paper on every vehicle, etc., etc...

On the night of April 2 (my 31st birthday) we were outside Baghdad in what was known as Objective Peach and began firing MLRS rockets at the Saddam International Airport in prep of the manauver guys assaulting it in the morning. Around midnight, all the M22 alarms start going off. Our Chemo (Chemical Officer) freeks out and we all go to MOPP 4, full chem gear including mask, and gloves. As we continue to fire and work in stifling MOPP 4, the Chemo starts doing her checks and calling DIVARTY to figure out what we are getting hit with and what to do next. About an hour goes by and we get the "All Clear" signal to come out of MOPP 4 back down to MOPP 2. All is well again. A couple hours later, my driver comes up to me still in MOPP 4 with a bewildered look on his face and asks me if it is safe to take his mask off. I tell him yes, it is safe as we got the all clear a couple hours ago. He was sleeping and missed it. Apparently, he woke to the alarms and commotion and putt his mask on, then went back to sleep and missed the all clear. We gave him crap for that for a while. He could sleep through anything.

To top the story off, there was no chem attack. It turned out that all the M22s had their batteries installed at about the same time and all the batteries ran low at about the same time and the alarms were for a low batteries, not a chem attack.

I may have been near you on April 2nd. MLRS snuck up on us and unleashed a volley like we've never seen without warning.

.....

I may have been near you on April 2nd. MLRS snuck up on us and unleashed a volley like we've never seen without warning. A few of us were on top of our Bradley and jump off and head for a ditch!

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Hers' one of many over a 23 1/2 year carreer...

During the invasion of Iraq in '03, we expected the Iraqi's to use chemical weapons against us as we approached Baghdad. We planned for this and drilled on it before going north out of Kuwait. At every stop, we placed M22 Chemical Monitors around our battery position, were in MOPP 2 (JSLIST chem suit and boots worn) all the way up, had M9 Chemical Monitoring Paper on every vehicle, etc., etc...

On the night of April 2 (my 31st birthday) we were outside Baghdad in what was known as Objective Peach and began firing MLRS rockets at the Saddam International Airport in prep of the manauver guys assaulting it in the morning. Around midnight, all the M22 alarms start going off. Our Chemo (Chemical Officer) freeks out and we all go to MOPP 4, full chem gear including mask, and gloves. As we continue to fire and work in stifling MOPP 4, the Chemo starts doing her checks and calling DIVARTY to figure out what we are getting hit with and what to do next. About an hour goes by and we get the "All Clear" signal to come out of MOPP 4 back down to MOPP 2. All is well again. A couple hours later, my driver comes up to me still in MOPP 4 with a bewildered look on his face and asks me if it is safe to take his mask off. I tell him yes, it is safe as we got the all clear a couple hours ago. He was sleeping and missed it. Apparently, he woke to the alarms and commotion and putt his mask on, then went back to sleep and missed the all clear. We gave him crap for that for a while. He could sleep through anything.

To top the story off, there was no chem attack. It turned out that all the M22s had their batteries installed at about the same time and all the batteries ran low at about the same time and the alarms were for a low batteries, not a chem attack.

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Gino,

This happened to my unit (2nd BDE, 3rd ID) the day before we crossed the berm. A Scud (we later found it)was fired at us but landed far enough away we could not see the smoke but it sounded like it was on top of us! All of a sudden our NBC detectors start going off and everyone is fearing the worst. I couldn't get my JSLIST jacket zipped up and I start panicking! Luckily, I was the security for the company XO and NBC sergeant and he was able to zip it up for me. The problem was my jacket was too big for me and I only needed to pull the jacket down to zip it up. The most scared I've ever been.

I may have been near you on April 2nd. MLRS snuck up on us and unleashed a volley like we've never seen without warning. A few of us were on top of our Bradley and jump off and head for a ditch!

Sadly 90% of the stuff I did was classified but the remaining 10% that's not was interesting to say the least.