Originally Posted by
Willard Whyte
Whether it is still the case I have no idea, but in the past once one was posted away from a particular (military) type one was deemed to be 'non-current' with immediate effect. It would certainly be possible to remain current having left, returning for essential BCRs and the like, but I suspect 'the system' isn't really set up for that sort of thing.
We did experiment with reservists at Lyneham for a short period of time but matching their availability to the tasking was ultimately impossible. I can well remember having a conversation with someone's personal assistant about getting someone to crew a flight, a day trip to and from Europe, only to be asked if we could delay it until the following week when they would have a space in their diary. The only one's who were available tended to be those who'd retired and were at a bit of a loose end - i.e. unemployed or pottering around the garden tending to their petunias whilst waiting for gin-o-clock.
It is done in other Air Forces. RAAF and the US Air National Guard to name two. It can be made to work but obviously there are some challenges depending on the nature of the unit, as well as the personnel commitments required.