The Student Room Group

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Reply 1
Kquishir
is there much racism in the Army?

Life is one big race, although it's not always best to be first.
Reply 2
nope. the army doesn't tolerate any form of racial hatred.You could start reading 'Future Force' as a confidence booster,if you really need it. However you should know that in every organisation, there will be a few tossers,so the army is no exception.I'm not in the army, but from my experience of army run-course and anecdotes from service friends, there seems to be no racism in the army. the only bad comments i heard was regarding Iraqs( and i guess they meant the resistance). Even an asian guy was amongst the commentors.
What race are you?,if you dont mind me asking.im black and theres loads of black soldiers at Woolwich barracks.probably loads of asians as well.
It something they are working very hard to eradicate. It would be foolish to say that there was absolutely none, there are bad apples in every barrel, but accusations of racism are treated very seriously and anyone found guilty of racist abuse would probably find themselves with a very short future in the military. There are coloured officers in the highest ranks of all three Services I think, certainly in the RAF.

Certainly, if you look back over the last few years, you could make a case that the Armed Forces were slow to get a grip of racism and stop it happening, so there have been cases in the press, but in recent years they have made real progress.

There have also been other developments that have helped though, society has become more multicultural, so people are more tolerant of all sorts of differences. Plus, as technology develops, people are better trained and educated, and the focus is more and more on whether the person can do the job, rather than skin colour or religion etc. There is certainly no 'institutional' racism - the Services are too professional for that, but that's not to say that some pr*t might not say something stupid to you in a crew room occasionaly - they would be hammered for it though.


Sexism on the other hand ....... :frown:
Reply 4
threeportdrift
There are coloured officers in the highest ranks of all three Services I think, certainly in the RAF.

Did you not get the latest ammendment to the PC PAM1?
Lol, nope, but as I wrote I did wonder if it was both approved terminology and a PC thing to say anyway!
Reply 6
threeportdrift



Sexism on the other hand ....... :frown:


I was about to ask about this. It seems abundant in the ranks of the Army. One swift look around the depths of aarse is enough to put any woman off joining the Army.
Reply 7
BlackHawk
I was about to ask about this. It seems abundant in the ranks of the Army. One swift look around the depths of aarse is enough to put any woman off joining the Army.

That's because we don't need split arrses or lumpy jumpers in the inf (God's own) :biggrin:
T0M
That's because we don't need split arrses or lumpy jumpers in the inf (God's own) :biggrin:


Of course, you'd know, because you are there right?

Care to list your military experience?

That's the source of the problems of racism, sexism and most of the pc problems that happen in the Services, airheads who engage the mouth before the brain gets in gear. And the problem is that no-one gives the insignificant little tw*ts the shoeing they deserve to stop them doing it. All one can say is that nowdays, people who voice these sort of opinions don't go far at all.
Reply 9
threeportdrift
Of course, you'd know, because you are there right?

Care to list your military experience?

That's the source of the problems of racism, sexism and most of the pc problems that happen in the Services, airheads who engage the mouth before the brain gets in gear. And the problem is that no-one gives the insignificant little tw*ts the shoeing they deserve to stop them doing it. All one can say is that nowdays, people who voice these sort of opinions don't go far at all.

ROFL now THAT was a bite!
All the forces are full of racism, there's a lot anti-welsh stuff flying about, but mostly in good humour.
T0M
ROFL now THAT was a bite!


Well you can call it a bite if you like, but here are the facts.

I responded to the OPs question as accurately and honestly as I could, based on 17 years experience in the RAF. As a WSO with 2,500 hours on TacAT, bags of operational experience (including with PWRR), a lot of tri-service experience, in the field, afloat, overseas, Combined experience with the UN, US Forces, the French etc, been Flight Commander, worked in RAF and Army HQs, several commendations, medals yaddah yaddah yaddah. I have proved my credentials in the military and one might hope that I could be afforded some professional and personal respect based on that alone, and that my gender was irrelevant.

You are what? a 20 year old TA grunt with no real service, no operational experience, just a few adventure training exercises under your belt. Perhaps one day you will be CDS, but all that has nothing to do with the fact that you think it is fine to refer to me, in public, as a split arse or a lumpy jumper.

But the difference between the position from which our comments come is only a fraction of the problem here. What is worse is that it wasn't just a personal statement aimed at me, it was a blanket comment about the value you perceive women to have.

Can you explain to me why you think it is OK to use those terms? I presume you wouldn't call me a paki or a raghead in the same way - but what is the difference?

Do you think that it shows the Infantry that you are so proud of, in the best light, and what does it say about you?

BTW, sop response is to claim that I am being hysterical, making a mountain out of a molehill, or can't take banter. I've heard those replies so many times before that it won't bother me, but hopefully more enlightened readers can see the point that I am making, and you have highlighted so eloquently for me.

In reply to the OP and Blackhawk - T0M would never call me a paki or a raghead in public, he knows the military would 'lynch' him ie racism is being eradicated. However, he feels, as do very many in the military, no problem with using the equivalent sexist language quite openly.
Reply 12
threeportdrift
Well you can call it a bite if you like, but here are the facts.

I responded to the OPs question as accurately and honestly as I could, based on 17 years experience in the RAF. As a WSO with 2,500 hours on TacAT, bags of operational experience (including with PWRR), a lot of tri-service experience, in the field, afloat, overseas, Combined experience with the UN, US Forces, the French etc, been Flight Commander, worked in RAF and Army HQs, several commendations, medals yaddah yaddah yaddah. I have proved my credentials in the military and one might hope that I could be afforded some professional and personal respect based on that alone, and that my gender was irrelevant.

You are what? a 20 year old TA grunt with no real service, no operational experience, just a few adventure training exercises under your belt. Perhaps one day you will be CDS, but all that has nothing to do with the fact that you think it is fine to refer to me, in public, as a split arse or a lumpy jumper.

But the difference between the position from which our comments come is only a fraction of the problem here. What is worse is that it wasn't just a personal statement aimed at me, it was a blanket comment about the value you perceive women to have.

Can you explain to me why you think it is OK to use those terms? I presume you wouldn't call me a paki or a raghead in the same way - but what is the difference?

Do you think that it shows the Infantry that you are so proud of, in the best light, and what does it say about you?

BTW, sop response is to claim that I am being hysterical, making a mountain out of a molehill, or can't take banter. I've heard those replies so many times before that it won't bother me, but hopefully more enlightened readers can see the point that I am making, and you have highlighted so eloquently for me.

In reply to the OP and Blackhawk - T0M would never call me a paki or a raghead in public, he knows the military would 'lynch' him ie racism is being eradicated. However, he feels, as do very many in the military, no problem with using the equivalent sexist language quite openly.

Gleaming.

I love you TPD xXx
threeportdrift
Well you can call it a bite if you like, but here are the facts.

I responded to the OPs question as accurately and honestly as I could, based on 17 years experience in the RAF. As a WSO with 2,500 hours on TacAT, bags of operational experience (including with PWRR), a lot of tri-service experience, in the field, afloat, overseas, Combined experience with the UN, US Forces, the French etc, been Flight Commander, worked in RAF and Army HQs, several commendations, medals yaddah yaddah yaddah. I have proved my credentials in the military and one might hope that I could be afforded some professional and personal respect based on that alone, and that my gender was irrelevant.

You are what? a 20 year old TA grunt with no real service, no operational experience, just a few adventure training exercises under your belt. Perhaps one day you will be CDS, but all that has nothing to do with the fact that you think it is fine to refer to me, in public, as a split arse or a lumpy jumper.

But the difference between the position from which our comments come is only a fraction of the problem here. What is worse is that it wasn't just a personal statement aimed at me, it was a blanket comment about the value you perceive women to have.

Can you explain to me why you think it is OK to use those terms? I presume you wouldn't call me a paki or a raghead in the same way - but what is the difference?

Do you think that it shows the Infantry that you are so proud of, in the best light, and what does it say about you?

BTW, sop response is to claim that I am being hysterical, making a mountain out of a molehill, or can't take banter. I've heard those replies so many times before that it won't bother me, but hopefully more enlightened readers can see the point that I am making, and you have highlighted so eloquently for me.

In reply to the OP and Blackhawk - T0M would never call me a paki or a raghead in public, he knows the military would 'lynch' him ie racism is being eradicated. However, he feels, as do very many in the military, no problem with using the equivalent sexist language quite openly.

Why can jokes be made about the welsh but not about women?
Reply 14
Cymru_am_byth
Why can jokes be made about the welsh but not about women?

www.theyworkforyou.com

Get scribbling!
Reply 15
I have, in all honesty, never encountered any particularly overt sexism in the flying world. I know it exists; I've heard plenty of stories about Nimrod siggies and the suchlike, but I've not really seen any of it in the fast jet stream. I've never encountered any racism at all, to be honest. I've seen friendly banter directed at people for being Scottish, being female, being Muslim, being public school educated, having crap A levels, being overweight, having big ears, whatever; but never any of the genuinely malicious proper racism or sexism discussed so far. I know it's friendly banter because it was always amongst mates and never upset anyone.

Regarding sexism, I have seen a little bit of evidence that it exists in the Army. Chatting to Army mates about it, it seems to be built around the fact that the real "teeth" job in the Army; shooting people with guns; is for men only. The attitude persists that the pretty little girls are there to be stewards, AGC people, int officers, and the big strong men are there to do the "proper" job. That results in your impressionable 18 year old private thinking that he's a lot better than women because they can't do what he does. I've seen quite a nasty undercurrent of aggressive sexism in some Army people. I'm sure it's not necessarily fully institutionalised, but I've been disgusted at the behaviour and attitudes of some Army guys.

From my experience in the RAF, you can't sit there thinking you're better than women when you share a crewroom with a girl wearing a Harrier patch and a TLP patch... or if she's the STANEVAL pilot checking you, or the QWI doing your strafe check. There's the occasional bit of "lumpy jumper syndrome," but it's got a limit; while you might go through flying training with a girl who seemed to get a few extra breaks from the instructors, it can't be taken to the extreme. If she can't lead a four ship around, then she won't get her four ship lead tick, after all.
Reply 16
Sexual orientation will always be a favourite though.
Reply 17
BlackHawk
I was about to ask about this. It seems abundant in the ranks of the Army. One swift look around the depths of aarse is enough to put any woman off joining the Army.


When I was over in germany, I only met two woman over there that was serving, all the rest where blokes, so you can imagine, at the wedding 90% blokes there
It's a shame really, we're all meant to be proffessional and work as one bit unit but in the end people are still human, it's not just in the job predjudices, it's the ones folks have had all their life in their upbringing.
It's easy enough to stamp out racism, it's a very black and white area. I imagine sexism is a little more suspect.
Personally, I know that women can be just as vicious as men when it comes to fighting. Used to know a girl that was going into the army, had a mean streak a mile long and bowled someone over a wall once.... Lovely girl. :P
Reply 19
threeportdrift
Of course, you'd know, because you are there right?

Care to list your military experience?

That's the source of the problems of racism, sexism and most of the pc problems that happen in the Services, airheads who engage the mouth before the brain gets in gear. And the problem is that no-one gives the insignificant little tw*ts the shoeing they deserve to stop them doing it. All one can say is that nowdays, people who voice these sort of opinions don't go far at all.

The brain actually gets in gear?? :confused: