I agree entirely with Oggin Aviator and Blacksheep. Having been chopped pilot at JEFTS with the RAF and subsequently retrained as a submarine warfare officer in the RN, I feel I can speak with a bit of knowledge on the differences between the two systems and ways of life. Status was enormously important in the RAF - so much so in fact that the thought of remaining in the RAF in a non flying trade filled me with so much self generated depression and worry about being perceived as a loser/inadequate/deviant and having to watch my friends go flying every day while I worked in Supply/Admin or whatever that I resigned.
Having started over, I see that in the RN there is generally more respect between specialisations for the reasons mentioned above and simply that INITIAL TRAINING IS NOT ROLE FIXATED to the extent that IOT was. I fully accept that the RAF exists to put bombs on targets and people in cockpits but there needs to be more acknowledgement of the people who allow that to happen.
In saying all that...submarines are a wee bitty cheekier than bridge watchkeeping on a 42 for the first 6 years of your career....;-)
