There was chronic understaffing when I was in. Speaking with a colleague who finished his time about two years ago it was no better when he left. Add to that, he was being f*****d about by the powers that be (probably because of the lack of staff) and he was more than glad to leave. The UK has had female ATOs for some years now but I'm not certain whether there are female ATs. Still the trade does not have enough people at the right level. The rank structure, by numbers, was not a pyramid shape. There were more posts for SGT, SSGT & WO2 than there were for LCPL & CPL and in those formative years the work can be fairly much like in a factory, opening boxes, inspecting / modifying ammo and doing all the supporting paperwork. It is only when people get to SGT rank and beyond that the work gets more varied and interesting, although as a junior rank it was interesting to see lots of different ammo types. I remember a mind-numbing task that lasted for at least 18 months - 25 Pr deplug / refuze and a senior CPL remarking that he felt like one of those crabs with one small claw and one huge claw, battling with the luting on the threads of the fuze as he screwed in each one.
