F o r e w o r d
FOREWORD BY VICE ADMIRAL
PETER WILKINSON DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE STAFF (PERSONNEL)
M
y family was watching the early evening news on the day that the Service Personnel Command Paper was published and, as the reporter was explaining the proposal to be
able to transfer from one waiting list to another if a Service family had to move, my elder daughter said, in all seriousness: “Does that mean that I would be able to get into Brownies now?”.
I have to admit that I don’t think we covered that particular aspect of military mobility as we were working on the Command Paper earlier this year; perhaps we should have spoken to children’s and voluntary organisations to see if they would be prepared to help in a similar way to the commitments that the Government has made in the Command Paper. However, I wouldn’t want you to feel too much sympathy for my daughter (who is now 19, at University, was in the Girls Brigade for a number of years and I don’t think is too badly scarred by never having been a Brownie!)
Actually a number of you may have missed the announcement about the Paper back in July; it didn’t receive a great deal of coverage, as it was seen essentially as a ‘good news story’ – and to my mind that was quite correct. I am also well aware, however, that publication was only really the end of the beginning – the true measure of success for my staff, for the Government and for RAF families, is to make sure that the promises stick, for both now and the future. Your Chairman played a key role as a member of the external reference group that met several times in the MOD as the Paper was being put together. Furthermore, just about the time you are reading this article, we will be holding the first round of Cabinet Office and MOD meetings to review progress across the range of
activities headlined in it. I’m sure Dawn will report to you when she can.
And it is work such as this that leaves me in no doubt as to the importance of your Families Federation. Not just to represent the views of families within the RAF, but to help me do my job. Working closely with Air Marshal Steve Dalton, (the Air Member for Personnel) and his equivalents in the Army and Royal Navy, my job is to provide the Chief of the Defence Staff with sufficient, capable and motivated people to enable the Armed Forces to carry out the Government’s undertakings. I am well aware that we are only able to do that if our people have the support of their families – it is therefore very important that I have an understanding of issues that are of concern to RAF families – and, importantly, what can be done about them.
It’s really good to see how the RAF FF has matured so rapidly into an organisation that is both confident and responsible – prepared to work with the RAF and the MOD – but always acting in the best interests of RAF families. I particularly enjoyed my visit to the FF offices at Wittering in May, which gave me the opportunity to meet all the staff and to be able to discuss with them how we can best work together. I’ve also had other opportunities to speak to a number of ‘new’ RAF families on Graduation Parade days at Halton and Honington. They are always so thrilled and proud to have become part of the RAF community and I am certain that the Federation has a key role to play in welcoming them in and helping them through some of the difficult times that will undoubtedly lie ahead. I am hugely grateful to you all for your support of RAF personnel and look forward to hearing your views and opinions as to how we can help families in all three Services in the future –perhaps we’ll even be able to get more young children into Brownies and Cubs!
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The magazine is one way of communicating our activities to those it serves and is a good source of information on aspects of RAF life likely to impinge on you or your family.
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With your support we will make a difference. Winter 2008 3
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