LJ
You know I have a lot of time for your common sense and loyal approach but trying to paint the last 20 years as 12 wins vs 8 losses makes you sound like a politician. Do the simple maths and it works out as a 1.89% loss when you add them up. That’s before you factor in a probable 6-7% loss for this year.
I know it is more complicated than that but trying to spin the last 20 years as anything other than a real terms loss does not do you any favours. The only reason I didn’t feel the pain financially was because my overseas jobs boosted my pay and I was PAS which gave me an annual increment. Others were potentially far worse off than I was.
So, basically, if you joined to fly and not chase promotion then currently you have no reason to stay beyond your minimum return of service. In fact, increasingly, you will look like a fool for doing so. Maybe that is the employment model the RAF is really after.
I know the AFPRB is hamstrung by many factors but right now they seem like a total waste of time and money. The money spent on their existence would be better spent on a pay rise for the military or some heating engineers.
As I said many times, I can only speak for my own area of expertise, but money IS the answer despite what the MOD want us to believe. A proper payrise and/or a dramatic improval in standard of living is the only way to stop the rot. Otherwise you’ll have an Air Force (sorry I can’t speak for the Army or Navy) full of very junior aircrew waiting to complete their RoS before they leave and a bunch of non-aircrew trades who think the RAF exists to provide them with employment rather than with the delivery of air power.
BV