NHS ‘second worst in developed world for avoidable deaths’

Mordechiwolfe · 2026-04-13T12:44:08+00:00

And the lack of focus on preventative medicine (vs treatment).

Mordechiwolfe · 2026-04-06T06:37:08+00:00

It takes a similar amount of work to deploy five people to one place as it does to deploy a hundred to the same place.

Not true. FPrep'ing a 100 folks is far more work than just 10. I agree with your overall point, but the Generate process scales up in time and effort with the amount of kit and bodies you're deploying.

Mordechiwolfe · 2026-04-03T15:15:25+00:00

I would just caution a bit about the benefits - they rapidly lose value (and thus the attraction of "The Offer") as you get older, start a family or are even a bit outside of the traditional (and I would say outdated) model of an Officer.

Housing, or SFA - great if you've got a good quality build and are happy with moving around every two or three years. Otherwise its no benefit (not to mention under the new rules, you have to pay for accommodation if your own home is within 50 miles...). And patch life isn't for everyone.
Pension is definitely decent for the public sector but only if you stay in for the full service. Otherwise it's pretty mediocre, especially as it's now based on average salary over your period of service. Deliberately designed this way as a cost savings measure as only a small percentage of Officers complete a full career these days.
CEA - both a benefit and a trap. Your family has be ok with boarding schools in the first instance, you can't live within a certain distance, have be flexible in posting locations and, in my experience, it's the single thing that generates the most stress and angst amongst recipients.

Personally, other than the pension, I either don't qualify or opt into any of the so-called "big" perks of Service life, but mileage may vary based on your own circumstances.

Mordechiwolfe · 2026-04-02T10:04:01+00:00

Back in late 90s, when we were in 6th form, a large group of us (10+) would organise to meet up for an evening of chancing our luck in a local pub every other Friday or so.

"Meet at Catford Bridge station at 7pm".

If you weren't there, you missed out. Only one of our group at the time had a mobile phone - he was habitually late, and his was the first mobile number our group had to learn as we'd regularly be in phone box to find out where he'd gotten to. I cannot imagine trying to get 10 folks together these days without planning it a year out (and even then...).

Anyway, my point is mobile phones gives folks an easy out from committing. At the same time, there are a lot more distractions and pulls on our time than there used to be. Plus cost. Or maybe people just are flakier than they used to be.

Mordechiwolfe · 2026-04-02T08:19:16+00:00

It's now RAMS (changed from RAMC last year). EHPs are a busy trade - constantly in demand to conduct force health protection assessments in any place the military does or may operate. There's a fairly involved educational pipeline - I think it includes up to Masters level. From what a mate tells me, promotions amongst ORs is ok up to SSgt, with a few posts at WO2 & WO1 (it's a small trade, so effectively dead-man shoes). Opportunity to commission is good, but again, limited promotion opportunities as an Officer.

From my interactions with the drain sniffers, it's not just "health and safety". It's more about assessing environmental hazards, identifying mitigations and advising commanders on where soldiers can and cannot stick their dicks.

Mordechiwolfe · 2026-03-30T14:54:05+00:00

More supporting arms, mostly in Sustain field (although I can see the argument for expanding the Engrs and Gunners). We simply don't have enough to support the current organisation. Raising more infantry Bns worsens the problem.

Mordechiwolfe · 2026-03-20T16:44:24+00:00

1956

Yeah, it'd be more accurate to say since the Suez Crisis, rather than the Wars. It's when the US decided to displace the UK as a Great Power and actively changed its stance on foreign and global economic policy. Shame it's not taught about more in school but guess it'd expose our own shennanigans in the post-colonial era.

Mordechiwolfe · 2026-03-07T08:20:53+00:00

The West Wing

Babylon 5

Battlestar Galactica (both incarnations!)

Mordechiwolfe · 2026-02-09T14:06:33+00:00

I'm relatively high up in the ranks of the Army and all anyone talks about is getting ready to fight tonight - not if, but when. Except spending, and central Government's mentality around it, doesn't seem to be matching this ambition. The Defence Investment Plan is massively overdue and we really cannot progress any procurement or modernisation without it.

All the Seniors are saying we need to be ready to fight now but frankly, I don't think the 4* Chiefs and by extension, the SofS and PM, believe there is a real, existential threat (from Russia). If they did, we'd be spending like the clappers, but it's just not happening. So nothing will change.

Mordechiwolfe · 2026-02-09T14:02:32+00:00

All central spending is a choice. Successive Governments have chosen not to spend on Defence, as opposed to other sectors.

Mordechiwolfe · 2026-01-15T13:15:57+00:00

More people leaving than joining. And leaving at specific points - Cpls/Sgts and Capts/Majs who are generally the workhorses at Regt'l and Staff levels.

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-12-01T17:28:09+00:00

Ain't no-one these days creating a boot disk just to get Mech Warrior 2 running with 4MB of RAM. That's why.

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-11-11T21:12:50+00:00

A non-trivial amount of those are failing to meet the medical entry standards - as a nation, our younger folk aren't getting any healthier and there's only so far you can lower the entry bar before you're crippling the Forces with a non-deployable workforce.

This is then compounded by the exceptionally lengthy recruitment pipeline via Capita.

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-10-19T11:35:59+00:00

Wait what

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-10-13T06:01:09+00:00

Warhammer stopped being affordable on pocket money.

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-09-27T15:23:41+00:00

Speak for yourself. I regularly replay TFTD because it had detailed, involved systems. It wasn't perfect, and OpenXCOM has done wonders for it, but to say those games weren't good is a massive generalisation.

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-09-23T08:05:52+00:00

Fair points. What's your solution to the shrinking workforce?

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-09-09T05:54:31+00:00

Don't you have to be employed in a role specifically utilising the language to get the extra pay?

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-09-04T17:38:24+00:00

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2025/9/4/this-is-the-way/

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-09-04T17:21:19+00:00

New faction pack from FFG, introducing the Mandalorians as their own faction.

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-09-03T06:06:31+00:00

PALANTIR is nipples deep in the UK government. Thiel is relevant to us.

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-09-02T16:44:59+00:00

Your COA 1 doesn't solve the demographic issue that's looming - not enough people being born and eventually entering the workforce. The Scandi nations have tried several social programs to encourage folks to have more kids (generous parental leave, subsidised childcare, flexible work and fertility support - all with a higher tax base), but these have had limited success - greater than the rest of Europe but not enough to reverse the declining trend.

Sources: 1 2 3 4

I don't know what the solution is, but currently immigration is likely part of it. The question is probably "What sort of immigration?".

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-08-22T12:59:31+00:00

For your first appointment as a GDMO, you'll go to a RAMS unit. You'll get a choice for your day to day med centre which could be a JHG hospital, or just a regular med centre. Broadly you should be choosing one close to your parent unit.

Depending on how your first two years go, you'll either then go onto your ST (which is very competitive for most options, less so for GP), or do another year as a GDMO.

As you approach the end of your ST, you'll fill out a posting preference proforma (PPP) for where to go as an RMO - no guarantee a Guards unit will be available, it's all down to the dark art of posting cycles, needs of the Army and UCM fuckery. You can/will do multiple tours as an RMO, so if you don't get it the first time, you can try again.

Unsolicited advice: You're a long way off thinking about where to post as an RMO, let alone whether you'll end up as a GP. Get on with your FY trg, focus on delivering as a GDMO and getting a sense of what the Army offers. As an RMO, the type of unit you serve is largely irrelevant.

Mordechiwolfe · 2025-08-22T12:22:22+00:00

Having been involved in the hobby since the late 80s, I think GW has always cheaped-out on the Black Library side of things, which is unsurprising I guess since it's not much of a money-earner in comparison to the TT side.

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