YOU AND THE RAF
apartments available and rent is cheap in light of factors such as location. Some properties have shared pool facilities and estates are secure, with access via security gates offering a degree of reassurance.
The Parcos are some considerable distance from the JSU so a family definitely requires a second car and the non-serving partner needs to be able to drive or risk long hours stuck at home. If you can’t drive, those security fences could well start to look more like prison fences! Driving standards and the quality of the roads are woeful and insurance costs correspondingly high. In the winter, the access roads between the accommodation and the JSU can flood, making it impossible for serving personnel and families to transit between the two.
Maintenance of the accommodation can be challenging and depends to a large extent on the quality of the local landlord. DIO staffs have responsibility for delivering response maintenance if the landlord does not deliver but the quality of local tradesmen varies and some problems can take many months to resolve, causing huge frustrations to families, particularly if there is a health and safety concern.
The main issue with the housing is the isolation – some of the estates are literally in the middle of nowhere, and there are serious issues with crime and rubbish. It is a common sight to see piles of uncollected refuse at the side of the roads as the local councils fail to do any rubbish collections for months on end. This results in piles of stinking rubbish, which locals will often set on fire as one of the only ways to reduce the problem.
Rats and stray dogs are an unpleasant consequence. Crime, too, is prevalent, with drug-dealers operating in broad daylight and the roads lined with prostitutes touting for business. Lone females out for a walk will be propositioned as a matter of course and the partners and dependents of serving personnel are therefore limited in terms of their ability to go for a short walk in the local area – it’s simply not possible.
Impact of Operations A proportion of the serving personnel in Naples have been assigned to support Op ELLAMY and this has had a dramatic impact on their working hours and family life. Whilst not physically deployed from Italy, some staff have been working relentless hours since March and there is currently no end in sight, particularly for specialist staff in digital posts.
www.raf-ff.org.uk
The augmentees who have been deployed to Naples to support the operation as NFU staffs are physically leaving the UK to undertake a formal operational deployment, with a known time frame, perhaps as long as six months, but entitled to the operational welfare package, R&R as appropriate and credits on the DWR harmony rosters. Whilst in-theatre staff are tracking the duties via JPA, both serving personnel and the families are feeling the strain and need relief if they are not to break mentally or physically under the pressure.
All serving personnel affected by this said they would prefer to be deployed and focus on ops and the families echoed this, saying it was impossible and hugely stressful trying to balance family life in a foreign environment with operational hours. The lack of support to the families owing to the distance from home was cited as creating real challenges, with some saying if the operation continued at it’s current tempo, they would seriously consider returning to the UK.
Employment of non-serving partners In comparison to some overseas theatres, opportunities for family members to work are reasonable, with some Civil Service posts on the JSU and teaching/teaching support opportunities in the school. However, with the restructuring of NATO posts likely to reduce the footprint across Europe, such opportunities may reduce in future. Working in the local community relies on a good command of Italian and a willingness to work within a culture which is markedly different to the UK. Childcare is also an issue so, for those seeking work,
access to childcare could create challenges for those with very young children.
Healthcare Whilst there is a military Doctor in theatre and access to good local hospitals, Health visitor, midwife and psychiatric support services are limited. If a family is considering a tour in Naples and any family member has an ongoing medical condition, they would be well advised to liaise with the local military GP to assess if the appropriate medical support would be available in Italy. If not, don’t go!
The Positives Whilst Naples is a unique location within Italy and there are serious issues with the environment and culture, only ninety minutes drive takes families into some incredibly beautiful regions with beaches and skiing opportunities available within a day’s drive. The opportunity to experience a different lifestyle is something many families welcome, and many liked the idea of their younger children learning the language and experiencing a different culture.
Families described their experience of Naples as a ‘love hate’ relationship but few said they would opt to come back to the UK if given the choice. However, many said they would have welcomed far more information about the lifestyle in Naples before they committed to the assignment and it is hoped that an article such as this will help families considering a tour in Naples to make an informed choice.
Readers wanting more information can visit the website: britannia-in-italia.
co.uk where there is lots to help families. The local HIVE can also help and I would strongly recommend personnel speak with someone serving in Naples to get a balanced perspective. From my very limited exposure to the lifestyle, I would say that much depends on the family’s attitude to the tour and that whilst some are undoubtedly facing challenges which are beyond their control and therefore limit their ability to make the most of the opportunities available, others are really making the most of the chance to serve outside of the UK.
As with all overseas tours, individual family circumstances will dictate whether Naples is a viable option but if you do the research, have realistic expectations of the lifestyle on offer and don’t arrive in theatre with known problems (health, education, etc) that local support staffs simply cannot address, there is no reason why Naples might not feature on a future assignment preference.
Envoy Autumn 2011 39
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