Comments
Short notice deployment (less than 10 day notice) for a 6 month detachment, missing son’s birthday, daughter’s birthday, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s day, Wedding Anniversary and Wife’s birthday.
When I joined up 13 years ago I felt my job was incredibly safe. Now with all the cuts to the forces I feel that it is not that secure. Also the pension was good - you felt like you would be looked after when you left the services, now our pension has been changed (without being given the choice) and it feels like when I do leave I am just kicked into touch. It used to be people would do 22 years to get the pension as it was so good but now people who are 3 years from their pension are leaving because it is not good enough. On the cuts to numbers, my trade is 87% manned at my rank but there is still talk of cuts. At this rate we will always be working and have no time for leave, my section is already looking at working over Xmas and New Year without leave because we are that short man power. How do you explain to your family you can’t get time off because there is no one available to cover you? The forces life has gone downhill in my 13 years.
Commuting to work - MMA, doesn’t cover your journey to and from work - Fuel/Wear & Tear on your private car.
If you have a school age family or a professionally trained/professionally employed spouse, RAF life can cause great problems for them.
Ruins families, can’t settle anywhere, basically have no say in where you are posted (choices get ignored!)
I’ve calculated that I’ve been paid in the region of £800,000 pounds in my career, yet the service and MOD scrimps and saves in its allowances package to the point that it is a driving factor to leave the service. The MOD stands to lose out on the major investment it has made in salaries and training costs. I don’t seek to make a profit, but cite the additional costs of moving and returning from overseas. I also get told I am constantly over my removals allowance whenever I get posted and the excess charge will be 1000s of pounds, yet my SFA (an officer’s SFA) is relatively empty. This causes constant heartache for my family. Furthermore, the quality of SFA and the ineffectiveness of DIO and CarillionAmey are the major reason I am considering leaving the Service. Every quarter I have lived in has had major issues, and little appears to change. As an ‘Executive Stream’ officer I move frequently, yet can’t afford to keep buying and selling homes for my family.
My 2 children had their Mum only, due to Dad serving 3hrs away - he was posted to same area as Mum to allow her to be sent to the Falklands. Mum is now posted 3 and a half hours away Sun - Fri and Dad has had no choice but to PVR as his line management would not assist him in allowing him to work days in order to look after the children. Annual Leave cannot be taken as quality time off with the family, it is used for days that husband has to cover shifts, courses and interviews.
My children hardly ever see their Dad due to his long working hours. However there are people in the same trade who work 9-5 and receive the same wage as my husband who does in excess of 50 hours a week.
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www.raf-ff.org.uk
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