As one of the very few serving members on here (35 years and counting), my opinion on this is the following.
1. I’m not outraged or disgusted as some of the posters. I will though, be having interesting discussions right up my CoC about how the message in this email directly contradicts the mandatory D&I training that we currently do.
2. The RAF is trying to be and recruit more diverse people. This is nothing to do with quotas, but is about ensuring that we get to choose the best people from as wide a sphere as possible.
3. Having been involved in phase 1 training, is is clear that, while we are becoming more diverse, there still exists a disparity in who we recruit from as opposed to who we would like to recruit from. Again, this is to ensure that we have a wider pool from which to choose the best.
4. There are no shortcuts or lessening of standards. If one is good enough to be selected as a FJ pilot, regardless of anything,and subsequently passes the rigorous training, then they are good enough.
5. Everyone should do their research before attending OASC. If they did, they would quickly find out the sex, colour and branch of every CAS. Is that enough to turn away prospective recruits because of a perceived lack of diversity? If it is, then we are choosing the best from a smaller pool.
6. I don’t care about colour, sex, sexuality or any other factor, I only care about whether that person can do the job they were selected to do. When I joined, sexism, racism and homophobia was rife. Thankfully the armed forces are currently in a much better place.
7. For those that say we are not getting our priorities straight, it’s not binary. We can be diverse and war fight. Look at those relatively younger people currently serving, with their chests full of campaign medals, and tell me we are too “woke”.
Last edited by Toadstool; 7th May 2022 at 09:44.