UKC

Just had my jab. Administered by an RAF officer. I couldn't work out his rank because the different coloured blue stripes on his shoulder bars are so complicated. Naval symbols of rank are so easy to understand. Does anyone know why the RAF ones are so difficult?  (In my humble opinion that is)

The Navy, gold and scrambled egg on the hat, chop off a quick salute.  The other two, you only realise when you’re being glared at or shouted at while you’re still trying to read the blue bar code or work out how many rabbit droppings they have on their shoulder 😂😂😂

Called the senior service for a reason 😉

I’m going to hide now😂😂😂😂😂

Toby

Here you go:

https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/raf-ranks/

Al

If you think that’s  confusing try army Warrant officers.

Dress like officers, get called sir or ma’am (or whatever the correct term is these days)  but don’t get saluted, except by mistake.

The Royal Navy Charge Chief rank used to confuse the hell out of me. Wore the exact same uniform and insignia as a Chief Petty Officer but we're actually one rank above and got addressed as Charge as apposed to Chief but you had no way of knowing this unless you know them personally. 

If the rabbit droppings are on the shoulder then they are an officer and you salute. If they have stripes on the arm then they're an NCO and you don't salute, simple!

Except this only applies to dress uniform (no. 1/no. 2 etc). In working dress everyone has their rank on their chest. Means it's easy to see, but the downside is that a Sgt Major has a large crown (NCO so no saluting) and a Major has a smal crown (officer, so salute). Every now again you come across a medium sized crown and have to take a guess... 

Thanks for link. Looks like I got my jab from a Squadron Leader or a Wing Commander, can't decide. They must think  I am a very important person !😉

......the truth is that the officer just took my info. The jab was administered by the RAF equivalent of a squaddie. 

just think yourself lucky it wasn't a Rock Ape.....

RAF squaddie = RAF regiment 

Snr ranking officer = probably a doctor and so automatically an officer

There should be a phone app so you can scan the officer and get an instant reading of their rank. 

"ah Wing Commander, apparently you are half price with a meal deal..."

Actually, nurses are also officers.

Squadron Leaders and Wing Commanders (OF3 and OF4, same as Major and LtCol) are just your run of the mill doctors. Their rank structure starts at a higher level.

Both have three rings. SqnLdr has a half ring in the middle (like a LtCdr). If the rings looked complicated then it was probably a SqnLdr since with the rings, half-ring, border colours and spaces it ends up looking quite a muddle. If it looked quite regular then more likely a WgCdr.

Not necessarily

Looks to me from 2min on Wikipedia they have a bit less than 50 squadrons yet they have *seven* levels of hierarchy above Squadron Leader.   

The rank name (eg Squadron Leader) is no longer linked to role. Confusingly, a Squadron is now commanded by a Wing Commander...a Group is commanded by an Air Vice Marshall rather than a Group Captain.

Only flying squadrons are commanded by a WgCdr. This evolved from fighter squadrons with 12 aircrew being a SqnLdr job and bomber squadrons with about a hundred aircrew being a WgCdr job. That distinction became blurred and then the 'strike' concept came along and it has ended up how it is now. A Regiment squadron is still commanded by a SqnLdr and a Force Protection WIng by a WgCdr. 

Propellerperson, I believe is the correct term.

Your reply made me think of the time when I was a Fockin PO at Mons in 1953, The notorious Sgt-Major Ronald Brittain made the situation clear. "You calls me Sir and I calls you Sir. The only difference being you means it!" [How may on UKC can go back that far?]