YOU AND THE RAF
GRITTY, CRAZY, BEAUTIFUL
‘ N
aples’ sounds exotic, charming and attractive, but the city itself has little to offer and has been
likened to some of the worst parts of Africa in terms of its infrastructure and quality of life. Italians themselves, other than the Neopolitans, are dismissive of this part of their country, so RAF families considering a tour in this location would be well advised to research it in depth in order to make an informed choice as to whether or not it would suit your particular family circumstances.
Popular belief is that a NATO tour is an easy option, a sunshine tour with great allowances. The reality is somewhat different. Yes, the sun does shine (although it rained for most of my brief visit!), but NATO posts, especially for native English speakers, are now much more demanding, and the impact of Operation ELLAMY (the UK contribution to operations in Libya) has created significant challenges for this small support unit.
Recent changes to the allowances package have also moved the goal posts considerably and had a significant impact on many families’ income. In this brief synopsis, I attempt to provide an insight into life for families serving in Naples but I caveat this by saying it can only provide a snapshot based on less than 48 hours in theatre, and clearly hugely influenced by current operations and the views and experiences of those families I met during my visit.
Isolation There is no doubt that Naples is an isolated location, albeit surrounded by beautiful countryside and the Mediterranean sea. A two hour, fifteen minute flight from Stansted may not seem too bad, but a privately arranged passage to drive a family to or from the unit can take two days. Families with elderly parents or other UK-based caring responsibilities would need to take account of this isolation because trips home do not come cheap or easily.
38 Envoy Autumn 2011 NAPLES
Dawn McCafferty, Chairman of the Federation, accepted an invitation to visit RAF personnel and their families serving at the Joint Support Unit in Naples. Here, she gives her impressions of life in this part of the world and the particular challenges faced by families.
Flight costs also vary enormously and many families commented adversely on the recent loss of entitlements to fly older children home from college/university, which has added pressure to budgets already under strain from the recent, significant reductions in Local Overseas Allowance. Families felt very strongly that they had made an informed choice based on the package on offer at the time of the assignment and budgeted accordingly. Through no fault of their own, the goal posts have moved, leaving many significantly worse off than predicted, requiring some partners to return to work (if possible) to redress the balance. There was a strong feeling that ‘grandfather’s rights’ should have protected those who were already in theatre and committed to the lifestyle choices they had already made in good faith.
Schooling The Service Children’s Education Service recently decided that the secondary education being provided in theatre was not up to the required standard beyond the age of 14. Parents of children of this age or children who would reach 14 during an assignment in Naples therefore need to be aware of this restriction and
plan accordingly. Funding children beyond age 14 in theatre could cost approx $22k per annum in the local American High School. Whilst many families have children in UK boarding schools, this would not suit all children and recent changes to entitlement and the ongoing Review of the allowance have made some understandably nervous of committing to this path.
The local Primary School has a good reputation and received a good OFSTED report recently. The building is brand new and is better than almost any other school I have seen in terms of facilities and staff ratios. However, support to pupils with special needs can be challenging as there is limited specialist support in theatre. Nursery provision is limited at present owing to a lack of suitably qualified staff and, as the wife who runs the facility is returning to the UK with her husband, this problem may be exacerbated as there is no one else qualified to take over from her.
Housing There are no SFA as such so local DIO staff procure rented accommodation at various Parcos. The size of the housing is impressive, with some really wonderful
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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