Look, part of being in the military has always been that you have to be prepared to go anywhere at any time to do anything. We are NOT in a regular line of work despite some organisations and politicians efforts. We have a job to do with the minimum of people, old and crap equipment, and petty bureaucracy doing its best to hinder us.
It seems to me that there is an increasing number of people around who want the security of a 22 year engagement (or equivalent), wage paid if you're there or not, free medical / dental treatment, and pension etc, who also want to be able to work whatever hours they please, get out of which detachments they don't fancy going on, and basically rip off those of us who get on as best we can. In the last year alone I have personally been shafted with extra duties, had to cancel leave at short notice, and had to go on detachment at short notice because A Bloggs and his wife (who are a serving couple) couldn't find someone to mind the children while one was on nights, and because B Bloggs and HIS wife (both serving) couldn't get a sitter either. Am I being discriminated against because my wife is a housewife?
Quite frankly I am getting sick of people like this CPO taking the pi55 out of those of us who have to cover for them. I'm also getting sick of people like some here who say well done to these people for taking the MOD to tribunals and winning, because this is doing us all no favours at all. Managing situations like this is a nightmare. Yes, we do quite often get treated like crap, but at the end of the day we are all just numbers on a computer. Service life has never been conducive to a 'normal' existence.
Now I like my stability as much as the next person, but I recognise that the RAF has things to do, and if I'm the person they want, I go. I don't whinge my way out of things, but I do bloody resent having to pick up the pieces left by some chiseller.
Bottom line - if you want to choose your own hours, go work for Burger King.
That concludes the ranting.
