Clearance from units - Post JPA

[Scrufty Bear]

Hi,

Have just found out I'm posted, yay!! Luckily it's to the unit where I already live in qtrs so don't have the removals faff etc. However, I rang my unit admin the other day and enquired about clearing from the unit. The response was "no, you don't have to clear. It's up to your own integrity if you owe money to accts etc to go and sort it." Still confused at this point and then was told that I didn't even have to go in to PSF at all, just let them know my posting date and they would sort everything out.

Now, showing my age, but I'd rather have the old clearance form where you run round like an idiot for a couple of days, going backwards and forwards to the same office because no-one will sign the card out of the right order!! At least you knew that you were properly cleared and there was no come back.

Can anyone please explain clearance procedures (or pm me if necessary), as I don't know if this is a general way to do it now or if it's just my unit being a bit strange!!

Cheers T.

[Reformed Scribbly]

It is unwise for a unit not to still have a clearance procedure in place, as we all know JPA is far from perfect and there are still many aspects that it does not cover. It's good housekeeping sense to still go through a form of clearance as having to chase individuals for information/funds/property can often be a fruitless and thankless task.

[roverboy]

There was an entry in Leuchars SRO's stating that "Although there is no longer the need to clear from the Station because of JPA, personnel still need to go to Clothing Stores". When I went to hand in my car pass on leaving the unit, I was told I should have cleared from them as well. You can't win!!

[MrMasher]

You can't bin clearing!!!
That's for wasting away your last week, doing naff all and claiming, when asked to do a job, that you are just about to go back to such and such an office as they asked you to come back at such and such a time to clear!!
Oh, and the more unscrupulous of characters will probably do one when they owe money or didnt sort something they should have upon leaving!

Clearing = a persons fundamental right to skive in the last week prior to posting.:PDT_Xtremez_28:

[Humble Scribe]

Essentially, its up to the Unit what the clearance procedure is; I've spent the last 6 years trying to reduce ours only for sections to ring up and insist that they're put on the chit! If you're unit don't want you to clear that's up to them but as Reformed Scribbly says, its a risky game!

[JetLaverick]

Having been out for ten yrs don't know the JPA but if no clearing procedure what happens with Inventory holders?
Sounds a bit dross to me!

[Scrufty Bear]

Thanks for all your replys. I'm on a tiny tri-service unit in the south west, so dont know if that has anything to do with it or not. I'm not an inventory holder or such like, but have a good mind to go to all section and do it anyway.

If anyone else can still shed light on things, any info would be cool.

cheers T.

[PSF Angel]

At Leuchars there is no need for formal clearance as every single assigment order is put onto a movements roll for all to see on the Leuchars PSF webpage. If the section wants them to clear then it's the section who can do the chasing. Once the posting date comes around they then email all the relevant sections and let them know that they have gone and ask them to make sure any docs are sent on to the new unit.

However, personnel who are discharged still do a full and thorough clearance.

[roverboy]

At Leuchars there is no need for formal clearance as every single assigment order is put onto a movements roll for all to see on the Leuchars PSF webpage. If the section wants them to clear then it's the section who can do the chasing. Once the posting date comes around they then email all the relevant sections and let them know that they have gone and ask them to make sure any docs are sent on to the new unit.

However, personnel who are discharged still do a full and thorough clearance.

Yeh, but as I said in POST#4, Passes and Permits had a go because I didn't clear from them!!!

[ForgottenName]

Yeh, but as I said in POST#4, Passes and Permits had a go because I didn't clear from them!!!

You still have to clear, or visit, the appropriate areas of the station before you depart. It is just that PSF, or most PSFs these days, are not going to check up that you did; it is now your responsibility. For example, if you don't sort out your inventory before you go, a bill will follow you shortly thereafter.

So for those who thought that they were going to loose the right, or need, to wander round the unit for 2 days (or in some cases 2 weeks) then you are OK.

[Boarderlyne]

At Leuchars there is no need for formal clearance as every single assigment order is put onto a movements roll for all to see on the Leuchars PSF webpage. If the section wants them to clear then it's the section who can do the chasing. Once the posting date comes around they then email all the relevant sections and let them know that they have gone and ask them to make sure any docs are sent on to the new unit.

However, personnel who are discharged still do a full and thorough clearance.

Not wishing to sound cynical, but I will. Every section will duly view the webpage daily for the first month or so then after that, you will be lucky if they view the page once a week. And then when people Foxtrot Oscar leaving bills, Inventories, missing kit, etc, it will be the PD Clk/Unit Admin Clk who is at fault for allowing these alleged 'reprobates' to leave the Unit without clearing their mess up behind them.

Easy to catch the odd SAC or Cpl but how many clerks are going to shaft themselves over a strong-willed Wg Cdr leaving a Unit on promotion?

[ForgottenName]

Not wishing to sound cynical, but I will. Every section will duly view the webpage daily for the first month or so then after that, you will be lucky if they view the page once a week. And then when people Foxtrot Oscar leaving bills, Inventories, missing kit, etc, it will be the PD Clk/Unit Admin Clk who is at fault for allowing these alleged 'reprobates' to leave the Unit without clearing their mess up behind them.

Easy to catch the odd SAC or Cpl but how many clerks are going to shaft themselves over a strong-willed Wg Cdr leaving a Unit on promotion?

But that used to happen anyway. You would be suprised at how many people used to forge signatures on the old clearance card. If the Chf Clk is worth his salt, it will not be the PD Clk who gets it in the neck - I remember someone issuing a sqn ldr with a bill for £480 for some APs (not that he needed them as he had been posted from one aircraft type to another) that he self certified he'd returned. Funny old thing, the APs came back shortly after.

[True Blue Jack]

But that used to happen anyway. You would be suprised at how many people used to forge signatures on the old clearance card. If the Chf Clk is worth his salt, it will not be the PD Clk who gets it in the neck - I remember someone issuing a sqn ldr with a bill for £480 for some APs (not that he needed them as he had been posted from one aircraft type to another) that he self certified he'd returned. Funny old thing, the APs came back shortly after.

There is no-one better at forging signatures than a PD clerk, and we can almost always spot them on a clearance chit. If we like you we feign ignorance, otherwise the clearance chitty goes in the shredder and we make you do it again. I did that to a prima donna test pilot once. Bar steward went back around the station and did it properly, though.

At my present unit we still have a clearance chit. We are forever trying to cut sections out of it, only for them to whinge that it is essential they see people before they leave. Well, the bicycle store is important don't you know?

[ForgottenName]

There is no-one better at forging signatures than a PD clerk, and we can almost always spot them on a clearance chit. If we like you we feign ignorance, otherwise the clearance chitty goes in the shredder and we make you do it again. I did that to a prima donna test pilot once. Bar steward went back around the station and did it properly, though.

At my present unit we still have a clearance chit. We are forever trying to cut sections out of it, only for them to whinge that it is essential they see people before they leave. Well, the bicycle store is important don't you know?

Spot them! I can tell you a funny story about that. The CMC of a Sgts Mess was sat in the Mess Office one day when a Sgt walked in. After a discussion with the civilian Mess Manager as to why the MM would not sign the card because he owed a significant mess bill, he stormed out of the office uttering the words "fcuk you, I will sign it myself". Imagine his horror when he pitched up at PSF and the CMC (WOPSF) was sat behind the PD Clk.

It now gets me that people can be trusted to work on aircraft and have peoples lives in their hands, or deal with multi million pounds worth of kit. However, getting them to take responsibility for their own life causes such a fuss. Just like JPA, it is a cultural change, one that people will have to get used to as we become a smaller airforce.

[pomp101]

Ive just cleared from my current unit... the clearance chit comprised of 4 signatures required! took me a whole 30minutes and that included "borrowing" some boxes from supply!

I was looking forward to at least 1 day out of the office :PDT_Xtremez_35:

[woollymouse]

Forged signatures isn't the only problem with clearances. I did a full clearance from my last unit (including SCAF as I was an inventory holder) so I know everything was in order on my chit when I passed to my PD clerk.

Why was it then that when my hubby tired to clear from the same Unit about 4 month's later he was told he hadn't cleared his inventory and the SAC in SCAF wouldn't sign his card. Que one ****ed off hubby who promptly pointed out to the SAC he did not have an inventory and what was the initials and service number of the inventory holder on record. It seems that the SCAF records had not been updated to reflect that the said inventory had been closed and the stuff on it either transferred or written off (it was my old inventory), thankfully there were at least two people in the office who knew about the inventory and soon put the SAC in his place.

[Boarderlyne]

Spot them! I can tell you a funny story about that. The CMC of a Sgts Mess was sat in the Mess Office one day when a Sgt walked in. After a discussion with the civilian Mess Manager as to why the MM would not sign the card because he owed a significant mess bill, he stormed out of the office uttering the words "fcuk you, I will sign it myself". Imagine his horror when he pitched up at PSF and the CMC (WOPSF) was sat behind the PD Clk..

10/10 for the humour. I can relate to stories like that. A good mate often used to advise me of officers that tried to buck the system and the officers usually found themselves on the wrong end of a one-way chat with the AOC. :PDT_Xtremez_28:

[wgaf]

Spot them! I can tell you a funny story about that. The CMC of a Sgts Mess was sat in the Mess Office one day when a Sgt walked in. After a discussion with the civilian Mess Manager as to why the MM would not sign the card because he owed a significant mess bill, he stormed out of the office uttering the words "fcuk you, I will sign it myself". Imagine his horror when he pitched up at PSF and the CMC (WOPSF) was sat behind the PD Clk.

It now gets me that people can be trusted to work on aircraft and have peoples lives in their hands, or deal with multi million pounds worth of kit. However, getting them to take responsibility for their own life causes such a fuss. Just like JPA, it is a cultural change, one that people will have to get used to as we become a smaller airforce.

Why should we when we minions like you to do stuff for us? We have much more important things to do.

[ForgottenName]

Spot them! I can tell you a funny story about that. The CMC of a Sgts Mess was sat in the Mess Office one day when a Sgt walked in. After a discussion with the civilian Mess Manager as to why the MM would not sign the card because he owed a significant mess bill, he stormed out of the office uttering the words "fcuk you, I will sign it myself". Imagine his horror when he pitched up at PSF and the CMC (WOPSF) was sat behind the PD Clk.

It now gets me that people can be trusted to work on aircraft and have peoples lives in their hands, or deal with multi million pounds worth of kit. However, getting them to take responsibility for their own life causes such a fuss. Just like JPA, it is a cultural change, one that people will have to get used to as we become a smaller airforce.

Why should we when we minions like you to do stuff for us? We have much more important things to do.

I am sure that the Chf Clk at your Unit can produce a dedicated clearance card just for you when you get posted, with sections that have to be visited and signatures gained in strict order, A suggestion maybe, Regt Sect, MT Training and Licencing, DE(HD), Air Publications Store, Main Guardroom, etc.

[busbyboy]

Yeh, but as I said in POST#4, Passes and Permits had a go because I didn't clear from them!!!

As was made clear in the previous post, it is up to any Section who has a "business need" to arrange for the individual to contact them and undertake whatever procedures they require. PSF (aka Unit Admin) have neither the staff nor a "business need" for anyone to clear other than from them.

[Boarderlyne]

Off Topic Off Topic Why should we when we minions like you to do stuff for us? We have much more important things to do.

I keep forgetting that TG17 has nothing better to do than clearing up after everybody. Silly me. Must do 1000 lines of JPAC is much better than TG17 in doing admin.

Everybody in the RAF today is at stretch as soon as they take up a post and silly comments like WGAF's just does my head in. While I agree that we have more than a few numpties in TG17, it means that the switched on cookies have more than enough to do trying to make sure that any messes made are caught in time so that the rest of the guys get the right pay, the right allowances, the right quarter (but that's down to DHE now) et al.

While I don't mind banter about shineys being jack etc, our trade, like all others, is shrinking faster than the taskings, so think before you post. This type of comment is more appropriate to the crew room or the Pig's Bar. Off Topic Off Topic

As to clearances, it has always been the bane of everyone's life as people either think that they are far too important to pass over their inventory, to hand in that car pass, to pay off their last mess bill, etc or can't understand why they have to clear from Families Flt when their family has never been at the Unit. (Families Flt! Feck, my age is showing!:PDT_Xtremez_42: ) I have always tried to ease the pain on my customers and oppos (Professionalism is defined as being as helpful to the c*cks as you are to your mates) by getting rid of as many sections as possible, but when it comes to money and kit, you cant be too careful as it is not only your career that you are messing about with but the bods that are on the other side of the desk. And that is what admin is down to mostly. We aren't being anal for the sake of it, but trying to help people get through the crap that the Airships throw at us and making sure that they stay as squeaky clean as possible.

[ForgottenName]

[quote=Boarderlyne;104109]Off Topic Off Topic

I keep forgetting that TG17 has nothing better to do than clearing up after everybody. Silly me. Must do 1000 lines of JPAC is much better than TG17 in doing admin.

Yes, but I think that wgaf must be made a special case and be made to clear from every section at his Unit, just in case he misses out on something. That is of course after the drafter (currently still TG17 I believe) has posted him to his negative area of choice.