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Subject: SANDF just another rag-tag bunch of threadbare ruffians?
rylan76    7/13/2004 4:34:56 PM
I am thinking about what the perception is of the SANDF internationally? If there even is anybody that cares... but for interest sake. I served myself from 1995-1996 in the SANDF but had exposure to it in its old form as the SADF. I got out mostly due to the changes that are now vaunted as making it a "representational force" i. e. lowering of standards, ranks handed out like sweets, ancient and truely obsolete equipment, low pay etc. etc. Nowadays as far as I can discern it is even worse - AIDS ridden troops, private soldiers who have an average age of 30+, and the highest ration of officers to privates in the world. IMHO the old SADF was feared throughout the continent, but the SANDF is not even a shell of what the SADF was. Comments?
 
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Afri-Poke    Hugo   2/8/2006 12:49:57 PM
I was a simple observer and (most recently) I was allowed to present some lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan. It is not clear if I will work in that region again or not.
 
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Hugo    RE:Hugo   2/8/2006 2:06:58 PM
What nationality are you and for what organisation were you working for? I'd be interested in knowing a little more about your observations - were they solely to do with the SANDF?
 
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Afri-Poke    RE:Hugo   2/9/2006 9:29:09 AM
I am US. I did not work solely with the SANDF. The BDF, NDF, and several other militaries in West Africa. email at [email protected] to discuss further.
 
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Kwagga    SANDF = VIP charter company combined with a charity case.   11/7/2006 11:55:20 AM
  I served the SANDF (SAAF, South African Air Force) from 1998 to 2006 and well what can I say!

 

I enjoyed it really a lot but as I got older a few problems occurred.

 

Firstly due to the political situation incompetent ppl are forced to the top ranks (what they call fast tracking) and that make the whole chain to fall apart. At the end the juniors do tasks on own discretion. The real experienced personnel are placed at positions without promotion where they are not needed. (All their knowledge and experience goes to waist)

 

Secondly there is a bunch of personnel (I call them the eight to ten workers) they will come to work at eight and leave at ten.

 

Thirdly there are a lot of personnel trying to keep the boat afloat. Those usually don’t get promotion; it is usually the eight to ten workers who get the promotion and that mean a salary increase. So the personnel working very hard to get their part done and then the three other guys (eight to ten workers only filling a post, doing nothing at all)  part which they do as well don’t get promotion and remains on the same salary scale for years. At some stage they start looking for another job and hopefully get it. So now four peoples work gets behind until some poor competent guy are the lucky winner doing his job, the three eight to ten workers jobs and now get another two to four guys work to do and the chain get worse and worse.
The SANDF are buying so many military vehicles and aircrafts now but who will be left to operate these crafts, the eight to ten workers?

 

Well I did my part and loved it until I realized that it is a no win situation due to politics. I dearly hope that all the competent workers out there get what they deserve.

 

In my eyes the SANDF (SAAF, South African Air Force) is only a VIP charter company combined with a charity company!!!  
 
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