Stupid Boy,
When an NCA is considering what to do when he reaches his 12 yr point, he can now take into consideration the FRI he will receive in 5 years time at the 17 yr point, should he choose to stay in. Without such an incentive, he may view the 10yr span to his pension at 22 yrs too far ahead to be a factor in his immediate future plans.
The FRI is very much part of a long term strategy for use with our latest recruits in due course. The RAF will always want a core of good people to stay until their middle age. Accordingly, I think the FRI should not be viewed as a vulnerable issue in this redundancy period.
The reasons the FRI was given a 3 yr trial are:
Its a new concept and common sense says that it would be foolish to write it in stone at the outset. A trial period is needed, if only to make sure that the rules and policy statements are clear and unambiguous.
IMHO 3 yrs was chosen because there will be sufficient potential departees and recipients in that period whose "loyalty" can be monitored as a performance indicator.
Lastly, if the policy needs a tweak, then the sooner it can be done the better. Again 3 yrs should be enough time to judge if it needs any changes.
My own view is that FRI is working well. Nobody I know of, has voluntarily left the RAF with the FRI on the horizon nor has anyone PVR'd before their 22 yrs, during this trial period.
It would be a very foolish decision to abandon the scheme just because we are going through a cull.