Responsibility for the Brize Norton security fiasco lies with one person, the Station Commander. She must be court martialled for her lack of diligence to expose the MOD's Blob.
Tragic but airfield security has always been slightly dodgy!
In December 1984 I was out hunting with the Christchurch and Farley Hill Beagles when our quarry escaped under the perimeter fence of Upper Heyford (a US military base in Oxfordshire). Our pack of 21 couple of beagles followed on the line of the hare as did we ( the master of hounds, scion of a celebrated Norfolk family, myself and two other whippers in, clad in green hunting hackets and clutching whips. We were soon surrounded by bemused US airforce personnel, taken in high dudgeon to see the commander of the airforce base, and having pleaded our case, escorted off the airbase with our 42 beagles in tow.
We subsequently learned that Russian President Gorbachev and his wife Raisa were due to touch down on the airfield an hour later on his first and only visit to meet Margaret Thatcher!
Magisterial and throughly right. I wonder the intruders weren't shot at, as I think they would have been in the Fifties. If refuelling planes had been sabotaged during the Falklands war...
Looking at the announcements, it does seem there are an awfully large number of commanders for an ever diminishing force. Is the constant shuffling pure job creation?
As you mention, cull some elements of the 'leadership roles' and put the funds into the mainstream army, Royal Navy and RAF.
Tragic but airfield security has always been slightly dodgy!
In December 1984 I was out hunting with the Christchurch and Farley Hill Beagles when our quarry escaped under the perimeter fence of Upper Heyford (a US military base in Oxfordshire). Our pack of 21 couple of beagles followed on the line of the hare as did we ( the master of hounds, scion of a celebrated Norfolk family, myself and two other whippers in, clad in green hunting hackets and clutching whips. We were soon surrounded by bemused US airforce personnel, taken in high dudgeon to see the commander of the airforce base, and having pleaded our case, escorted off the airbase with our 42 beagles in tow.
We subsequently learned that Russian President Gorbachev and his wife Raisa were due to touch down on the airfield an hour later on his first and only visit to meet Margaret Thatcher!
Magisterial and throughly right. I wonder the intruders weren't shot at, as I think they would have been in the Fifties. If refuelling planes had been sabotaged during the Falklands war...
Group Captain Louise Henton, Brize Norton station commander, 27th July 2024 to date.
Group Captain Claire O’Grady, Brize Norton station commander, 29th July 2022 to 26th July 2024. RAF Gender Network Champion.
These seem to be relatively short postings. Is this typical? If so, why?
Usual military posting is 2 to 3 years
Looking at the announcements, it does seem there are an awfully large number of commanders for an ever diminishing force. Is the constant shuffling pure job creation?
As you mention, cull some elements of the 'leadership roles' and put the funds into the mainstream army, Royal Navy and RAF.
Shuffling every 2 to 3 years necessary as careers develop.
Excessive senor officers and headquarters is a whole separate thing, but it's symptomatic of a fighting force turning into a bureaucracy
It affexall the armed forces and probably much of governement as well
EVERYTHING has descended into woke, incompetent chaos. Socialism has turned a world leader into a failed state. It's beyond embarrassing.