“Just a phone call each week to check you are ok, or a knock on door to check on you. It can be very lonely when your partner is away and it feels like you are forgotten.”
“Please, please don’t limit the number of dependent children in the quarter to under 18s. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Our eldest son would be homeless if we were unable to house him as he’s just left school and is contemplating university, but not yet. He has a part-time job and is very much part of our family, finding his feet.”
“I love living in military houses, being surrounded by other RAF families is great. It’s great that neighbours say hello to each without knowing each other. Be a great shame when and if the military gets rid of such accommodation and encourage people to buy property in civvie street.”
“I think that the welfare services on camp are very good but as soon as your husband is in a staff job the support and contact from the RAF is non-existent. I think the more senior your husband becomes the less people (RAF and civilian) think you need support, however it is as you get older that parents become ill and if you have a problem with your child’s health this can all become very difficult without support. It is more and more isolating the higher your husband is promoted.”
“There seems to be a shortage of quarters throughout the RAF bases. I know some families that have been living apart for 5 months and are still not together. This puts a lot of strain on the strongest of marriages, emotionally and financially. If this is a known problem why is more not being done to solve the housing issue? We now live in a lovely house in a lovely area, but I would much rather be amongst the rest of the wives, which to be fair are the ones we turn to more than our own families.”
“Although I believe there are many systems of support in place, when it comes to prep for deployment I feel that the management neglect to focus on this, instead focusing solely on the operational requirements of the deployment. I am due to go away for 4 months on my first deployment in 7 weeks’ time and not once have I been asked about my family or told about any support available for them.”
“There seems to be so many different ‘support’ websites that they lose their impact/use. Most people including my wife would probably not like to admit they need ‘support’ whilst I’m away, so wouldn’t go looking for it on a website.”
“I am shocked at the amount of support available and the fact I haven’t had any information about it.”
“It doesn’t have to all go through computer or phones. It’s nice to meet up.”
“Unless your serving partner puts things in place, you are pretty much left to it. In 15 years I have never had a visit when he has been detached, unless I have requested it!”
“I think every person deals differently and you can’t suit all. Just perhaps make these things known to the dependants.”
“I became much more aware of these services because we have recently returned from a tour at RAF Akrotiri and these services are a big part of the community, more so than in UK.”
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