Nahh. I might point out a lot of people have to manage with 2 tranches, one in theatre and one out, and that places like the Falklands have been manned by gapping posts at home for over 30 years - after the money funded by the treasury for the posts was used to fill gaps elsewhere. We'll take the money for that Mount Kent post and establish another MT driver at xxxx....
To actually see a force which can manage to fill do it so comfortably shows you have an establishment that nobody has been able to nibble away at. But the kipper fleet always was a world onto its own.
In my world it was a total pain doing without not only the body who was away, but a second, to cover pre and post deployment training and leave.
I think a lot of people will be looking at your reasons as valid reasons, but thinking they should be so lucky to have so many people.......
