16 years

[rathebelucky]

I stepped out of an RAF station for the last time as a serviceman today, although I am not finished just yet. Walking in the sunshine around a station at which I spent a few months some time ago I couldn't help think how proud I felt on being accepted and completion of various elements of training. 16 fantastic years, ops, dets and friends. There were rough times, too many lost friends and colleagues. There were a few throbbers, not all of them above me in the chain of command. I will confess to a moment of 'what the fcuk have I done?' However, it's not the service I joined but I suppose it never is for guys at my stage. It's always been evolving, if it's no longer for you then it's time to leave, and so it is for me. Leave it to the young guys and gals coming in, it's their time, the service they have joined. I suppose I'll miss some bits, especially on lousy winter days on a train but only time will tell if I regret leaving. It's been emotional.

[NutLoose]

Good luck in the future, you will find things different on the outside, it is a bit of a culture shock, but you will look back on your time with fondness and a little pride :ok:

[polyglory]

Good luck . Onwards and upwards:)

[WASALOADIE]

Good Luck! it is different on the outside, they dont quite get our banter, but you will cope. Sometime get frustrated at the way they do things and phaff about. No military precision here. Best Wishes

[Shack37]

Welcome to the street. I still remember walking out of the gates for the last time and I'd been a civilian for three days by then. Just couldn't bring myself to do it and felt a little lost. Since then I've had some great jobs that involved even more travel than when I was in. Now well retired but still remember the good times and have regular contact with some mates from back then.

Good luck with whatever course you take and enjoy it.:ok:

[sisemen]

And you'll keep coming on here to maintain some sort of link and, eventually, some spotty git will bad-mouth you for being "out of touch with the real RAF" and call you a "crusty old git". Your blood pressure will reach new heights and, if you are really lucky, the mods will ban you for a while for getting personal.

Then, and only then, you will have successfully made the transition to civilian life.

It's great out here :ok:

[reynoldsno1]

Thoroughly enjoyed my time with the RAF. PVR'd a long time ago, but never looked back - personally I had absolutely no problems 'adjusting' - perhaps because I didn't go on a resettlement course. There is life after the military ...:ok:

[Al R]

Last thing I remember, I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
"Relax, " said the night man,
"We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave! "

I didn't get to do a resettlement either - but perhaps Don Henley & Co weren't so far out after all. The RAF is a fabulous means and Civvy Street is a fabulous end, so have your cake and eat it.

ratherbelucky.. good luck and enjoy.

[Wander00]

It's life after retirement that is the challenge!

[FantomZorbin]

It's life after retirement that is the challenge!

Oh so true!! Especially with a Management like mine!:oh:

[Halton Brat]

Good luck chap, you are streets ahead of the Great Unwashed simply as an ex-serviceman. Take the more positive traits that the RAF gave you, dump the rest & adapt to survive!

I left (after 24yrs) just before you joined up - as Edith Piaf famously said, "Je ne regrette rien" - I would do it all again, but better. I would not have wished to miss the experiences I have had (& continue to have) in civilian life.

Life is a game, play it!

HB

[ShyTorque]

I was in the services for 18 years. I had to leave to get the job I wanted when I was "in".

[Rocket2]

Left after 27 years, thoroughly enjoyed my time but have never looked back for one second nor regretted handing over every last bit of kit that I was forced to store in my loft to a highly disgruntled (civvy) stacker & my chopped up 1250 to a bemused shiny ;)
Good luck in your new life.

[glad rag]

Onwards and upwards

Yep.


Aller Anfang ist schwer.

The first step is always the hardest.

:ok:

[goudie]

I served 20 years in the RAF, good and not so good times but mostly good and sometimes excellent. Stood me in good stead for another 20+ yrs career in civvie life which, although interesting and well paid never had any real highs or lows.
I still recall quite vividly some of my experiences in the RAF but I found my job outside ordinary in comparison, probably just as well!
This excellent forum obviously keeps my memories of the RAF alive too.
Best wishes rathebelucky for your future, whatever you do, your experience in the RAF will be there to guide you.

[sitigeltfel]

It is 33 years since I walked out of my last base. My wife, who had come to collect me, was not even allowed to enter and turn round at the gate as our vehicle pass had been cancelled.
I enjoyed my time in the service, but was glad to be away from the petty prats like the SNCO manning the guardroom that day. He probably got a little thrill from being able to use his authority on someone, whom the previous day, had outranked him.

[jayteeto]

8 years now, loved most of my time in and absolutely loving all of my time out. Neighbours have no idea I was in the mob, I speak to them all but don't know them like I knew my military neighbours on quarters. You have nothing at all to fear once you actually accept that you are 'out'.

[Avtur]

Have been a civvy for 6 months now after 27 years service. I volunteered for traunch 1 redundancy, but still find it hard to let go:

Although I am enjoying civvy life very much, and believe leaving was the right decision, I still think a lot about what is going on "inside", how my friends and ex-colleagues are doing, what stupidity is being implimented this week, and reading pprune.

Flying was money for old rope, despite the dets to places east, and I would certainly do it all again if given a second chance.

I wonder if I will still think about it as much in 6 months from now?

[ratty1]

And you'll keep coming on here to maintain some sort of link

Why would he want to do that? You are all just out of touch boring sods who have nothing better to do with your lives than keep regurgitating the same old guff in the form of threads year in year out.

[5aday]

I retired from full time in 76 and had a load of fun. I carried on in the VR until 94. Still having a load of fun. I retired from civilian flying in 2002. The fun never ceased. I 'm still having loads of fun now 10 years later. I think the attitude to my working life was partly formed from the time in the service. You have the right to expect nothing from civilian life but if you keep your shoulder pushing in the scrum, it's a fact you will pass every body else along the way. Remember - of the ones that you didn't like all that much along the way - sit on the river bank long enough and watch the bodies of your enemies floating by.
There are loads of friends you haven't met yet.

[Union Jack]

And double virtual dose of Warfarin to you too, Ratty!:ok:

Jack

PS And not the medicinal kind .....

[Riskman]

I'm sat here with a glass of red, quietly celebrating the 13th anniversary of my retirement from the RAF after 26 years service. I can't quite believe how the time has flown, but it always does when you're having a good time. :ok:

When one door closes, another one opens.

Good luck Rathebelucky.

R

[Laarbruch72]

Are people really this attached after 16 years? I completed 22 recently and never felt much of a pang, I just saw it as the start of my new civilian career, which I was far more excited about.

[ratty1]

I'm not surprised you were excited. Who would want to be an RAF scuffer by choice. Better off joining the MPGS, at least they are not pretending to be something they're not.

[Laarbruch72]

Ah the forum comedian Ratty with one of his usual sad, pithy little digs. So predictable.

[5aday]

Every website has it's very own turkey. Just ignore them and eventually they get tired out.

[goudie]

Ratty does serve a purpose. He makes one happy to know one doesn't have his jaundiced, anti-social outlook on life!:(

[Whopity]

16 years may seem like a long time but I just realised you hadn't even started when I left after my 27 years. It wasn't the same place that I had joined, but I remember going to RAF At Home days in the 60s and my father saying things were not like this in his day. He claimed you could eat your dinner off the hangar floor in his time, but maybe they didn't have tables then. In the 70s the old hands were telling us it was not as good as it had been 10 years earlier. The hardest thing to find in civvy street is a competent corporal.

[Lima Juliet]

I left last year on a Friday after 22 years, was a Mr for 2 days, then re-joined on the Monday - I've never signed the official secrets act so many times in just 4 days :ugh:

Anyway, enjoy your life on the outside and if you want back in sometime in the future then look at vacancies on the Reserves website. If you google "FTRS Vacancies" then you'll soon find them.

All the best me old

LJ

[Shack37]

Laarbruch72

Are people really this attached after 16 years? I completed 22 recently and never felt much of a pang, I just saw it as the start of my new civilian career, which I was far more excited about.


Apart from Ratty's usual sad reply (you have to feel sorry for him sometimes) there is something a little sad about yours too. For me, anyone who can leave behind 22 years of a career "without much of a pang" indicates 22 wasted years from the point of view of friendships made (possibly none in your case) and experiences shared (pleasant or otherwise)

[BEagle]

Anyway, enjoy your life on the outside and if you want back in sometime in the future then look at vacancies on the Reserves website. If you google "FTRS Vacancies" then you'll soon find them.



Isn't it somewhat immoral, when people have been made compulsorily redundant agains their wishes and when large numbers of youngsters have had their career aspriations dashed under Cameron's cuts, that the RAF is still looking for FTRS employees?

I see Brize is even looking for an FTRS Air Trafficker. How can the RAF's largest base expect to run without a full complement of regular ATCOs?

FTRS was originally invented to supplement a shortfall. How can it still be justified? And how can 'Sponsored Reservists' even be considered, after the RAF threw so many talented young aircrew on the scrapheap after Cameron's cuts?

[Basil]

"FTRS Vacancies"
Just looked. It would appear that they may actually wish to deploy one in the field and indeed, to where the bar is a bit further than a minute's walk :eek:

One or two interesting jobs but I doubt they'd want a 70yo except as a hostile fire decoy ;)

[Lima Juliet]

BEags

The clues are on the website:

These roles are open, in the main, to ex-Service personnel. The broad principle behind the FTRS is that personnel are recruited to make use of skills and competences they already hold (from regular or other Reserve service). Training requirements, therefore, tend to be nil or limited to simple refresher training.

So they want people with skills that they need, without a trg burden. Furthermore, FTRS are paid little or no X-factor, no entitlement to quarters, HTD and CEA (boarding school allowance in old money) as there is no moving about from post to post (apart from the very rare "Full Commitment", for which you may as well be a Regular). So they normally get cheap, experienced labour compared to a Regular.

FTRS posts also recruit and retain into "continuity" posts that need someone specially selected to stay put for many years - RAF Regional Liaison Officers (RAFRLOs) are a good example. RAFRLOs build up a huge network with the Civil Emergency Services, Local Govt, Charities, Schools, etc... They need to be on standby 24/7 and they cover for each other when one is on leave.

FTRS can also be used to fill posts that may be on "run down" to disestablishment or to fill gaps in personnel that simply do not exist within the main cadre - gliding instructors, engineers, etc...

So, no, I do not believe they are immoral.

LJ :ok:

[BEagle]

No, I do not believe that FTRS themselves are 'immoral' - rather that the concept is.

[Biggus]

I could be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time!) but I thought that FTRS didn't count towards the manning strength.

So if we have to get down to an RAF strength of say 33,000 by Apr 15 we can have 33,000 regulars and 5,000 FTRS and still claim to meet the manning target!

[goudie]

In my experience that principle applies in companys too. When ordered to reduce headcount just re-engage those who've been made redundant or retired, as contractors, temps etc. Money for them comes out of a different budget.