Federations Fly to the Falklands
Chairman of the RAF FF and Chief Exec of the AFF have been on a fact-finding mission to the Falklands to establish just what life is like for those deployed 8,000 miles from home.
W
ith the kind permission of staffs at PJHQ and the Commander British Forces South Atlantic,
the first joint Families Federation visit to the Falklands took place in January. Dawn McCafferty of the RAF FF and Julie McCarthy of the AFF were interested in all Service personnel serving on the Islands, be they on a 3, 4 or 6-month unaccompanied deployment or on an accompanied continuity tour of anything up to 18 months.
The visit took place during a particularly interesting period, with media coverage of reported oil developments and the increasing agitation of the Argentine Government adding particular relevance to the unit’s operational role and its isolation from the UK.
Travelling for twenty-two hours each way, Dawn described the trip as ‘worth every minute’ as her understanding of the challenges faced by personnel and their families affected by a tour in the South Atlantic has improved immeasurably. The chance to see thousands of penguins in their natural habitat was a welcome bonus!
Short stop at Ascension The visit included a very short visit to
12 Envoy Spring 2012
Ascension Island, where the two visitors were hosted by the Unit Commander, Wg Cdr Stuart Andrews, and enjoyed breakfast with some of the staff and families serving on this tiny island in the middle of nowhere. Having completed a six-month tour there herself in the mid-80s, Dawn was delighted to return to the Island and have the chance to talk to family members.
Even in a short space of time, families highlighted issues such as childcare for lone parents, support to family members with special needs, and the isolation of being deployed to such a remote location, where facilities are very limited, even if the weather is usually great.
Full on fact finding The Falkland Islands visit programme was ‘full on’, with just about every minute packed with opportunities to view facilities and meet serving personnel and family members. The Federation representatives were able to tour all types of accommodation, visit the welfare facilities, sample food in the Mess and even visit the pool for a pre-breakfast swim (Okay, the AFF actually stayed in bed!).
A trip to Stanley revealed just how difficult access to shops and the local secondary school could be during winter months, and
whilst shopping facilities were better than expected, many items of food and clothing were extremely expensive and the choice very limited. Car maintenance appeared a particular challenge and the need for accompanying wives to be able to drive with confidence along difficult road surfaces (if there were any!) was highlighted.
The Federation team welcomed the chance to brief an audience of serving and non-serving family members on their role and were delighted that the Brigadier himself attended, underlining the importance he attached to the visit. They saw current work to upgrade the Single Living Accommodation for junior ranks and were impressed by the new-look facilities. They could only hope that funds are available to continue the upgrade programme across all accommodation, since much of it is very basic and in need of a face-lift.
The Welfare Hub and NAAFI outlets were clearly welcome, although there were supply challenges for the Families Shop and Bulk Store, creating particular shortages of fresh fruit and vegetables and seasonal goods. The Cinema and Bowling Alley add to the fantastic gym facilities at Mount Pleasant and, all in all, opportunities for serving personnel and families to make the most of some great welfare facilities were a definite plus.
www.raf-ff.org.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56