Have caught up with this thread rather late, having been on some post OOA leave (nice if you can get it!).
I find many of the comments (particulary Mr Vecvec's; I'm unable to decide if you're one of those high up, a journalist, or a junior who feels like 'stirring it up') quite worrying, particularly as I'm hoping to carry on making a career out of this mess...
At least I wasn't hearing things or falling for some jolly wheeze to wind old Vim up...I'd heard 34k and 6 main camps. Would'nt like to be a techie with career aspirations....
Oh dear...time to think about resettlement? Either that, or with the numbers that will PVR in disgust at this 'news' I might end up getting to be the youngest W.O. commanding the other 10 people left in the mob!
Exactly where can we lose that many people from though? We got rid of loads of MT drivers, and now fellow techies are getting sent to Iraq to do driving! Surely this covers up the overstretch to a degree when we send people away to do a task that is secondary to their main role?
I can't remember who said it (read it in a book a long time ago, but it's stuck in my head) but I think it may have been Wellington(?), but here's the paraphrase anyway:
"When a British soldier complains, he's happy. It's when he goes quiet that you have to start worrying"
Take a look in the crewroom next time you're at work - there's a lot of brooding going on...