FEDERATION
Bringing RAF Reserves into the FAMILIES FEDERATION
R
AF Reserve forces are key to the future RAF and an integral part of the RAF’s Whole Force Concept. So when our contract was renewed in June last year, it was not really a surprise when we were
tasked to engage specifically with Reserve personnel and their families. We started building an engagement plan and quickly realised that we needed someone special to manage the whole process… someone suave, debonair and a thoroughly good egg. We struggled – and instead had to give the job to Todd Fellows… sorry, only joking, Todd! Here we explain what we have done so far and our plans for the future on this important aspect of our role.
We first really needed to find out what we were taking on: We have plenty of RAF experience in the Team but no one with particular experience of Reserve service, so we were very grateful when Warrant Officer Dave Commander, WO Reserves Support at HQ Air, came to our aid with a comprehensive briefing that equipped us with a much better understanding of the differences between Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS), Additional Duties Commitment (ADC) Reserves, Part Time Voluntary Reserves (PTVR)… and so the list goes on. We had no idea that there are so many types of Reserve service. Lesson One!
Having established the basics, we then briefed the RAuxAF Sqn Cdrs conference at Cranwell to sow the seeds of intent, while Todd
began to put together a series of visits and the Evidence Team designed a survey to put on our website and take on the road with us, in order to help identify the good and less good bits about life as a Reserve in the RAF.
By last autumn, we were ready to make our first visit – to talk to some of the Reserve personnel serving at RAF Waddington and to trial our survey
Todd Fellows
questions with them. Now, normally our
workshops take around 40 to 50 minutes but, from the very outset, it was obvious that this would not be the case on this occasion! Almost 2 hours later, personnel were still giving us evidence of their experiences and their views as to what questions we should ask their colleagues in the visits to come. It would be fair to say that we found the audience extremely enthusiastic, committed and dedicated to their role… and with a lot to say!
Royal Air Force Reservists from 606 (Chiltern) Squadron based at RAF Benson are pictured taking part in a training weekend at the base. Source RAF. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
18 Envoy Spring 2015
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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