Recognising Unmarried Couples


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If we are to ask the MoD to consider redefining the family, perhaps as part of the work being undertaken by the New Employment Model (NEM) teams, some parameters have to be set and we therefore asked families to consider which factors they thought should be taken into account.


The first issue might naturally be how long a couple had been in a relationship. As in previous years, the majority of voters told us they would only consider a relationship to be long-term if it has lasted for more than two years. That said, it is interesting to note the difference in perceptions between the genders when asked this question!


8 www.raf-ff.org.uk


“I have served for 22 years and have a 2 year old... my partner is also a Sgt… he currently does a 150 mile round journey daily so that we can be a family. I have now been posted but until we can sell our house this means that my partner is only able to live with me in SFA for 3 nights a week. We have been together for 7 years and now at 17 weeks pregnant, I face the prospect of my partner only staying at weekends, which leaves us in a worse situation than we were in... So much for a better family life.”


“I have only been with my girlfriend for 3 years. I only want to get married once, forever, and I want to be certain before I commit.”


“The RAF does not allow unmarried couples to live together which would have meant that I would rarely have seen my now husband so our decision as to when to marry was brought forward (we got engaged after 7 months and married after 15 months).”


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