RASS

Taking a look at the 'What's New' bit of the site I spied a piece on the Rhine Army Summer Show! Not a big fan only went to one in the whole time I served in BAOR/BFG (23 years). IMHO a complete waste of time and man hours especially if you just so happened to be stationed in Paderborn area! Now I just know this will probably provoke some debate and I just wonder what other peoples opinions are! ISTR some wifey complaining one year on BFBS that there weren't enough facilities for dogs ie water bowls......................WTF!!!

I agree, I spent four years in Paderborn and loved it, it was a great town but each year we (and other local units) would be "volunteered" to do the donkey work for the RASS, it was a right pain in the arse that we didn't look forward to.

I got collared to be a marshal for the 'Horsey Crowd' when i was with the RSDG. Got told to make sure that riders had the correct spurs. As i dont know the first thing about horses, i let someone in the arena with plastic spurs and got a rollicking from a idiot of an officer. As i explained to him, spurs to me are the ones that you see in Westerns and if someone had turneed up with them on i would have let them ride.

Did a Bungy jump one year. Didnt find it exciting as i had skydived from 15,000ft over the same area many times before.

We always got spammed to put a recovery vehicle on there for a static display, bit crap when you had to take it in turns all day to help kids on and off the bloody things, it was ok later on though when you could have a beer or 10.

From my experience the RASS was a great hit with the servicemans family.I know my wife and kids always went when possible,I always seemed to be clobbered for duties at the time!
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Don

RASS 1986 as it got really commercialised - showmen were on to a good thing - all profit, low electricty bills . . . water delivered by DFS, rubbish collection/removal centralised . .

https://youtu.be/xaiZi00vKAw    - might be one or two  vets on film