Oh B*llocks!!
I've been in contact with a few of you via PM on this issue. Perhaps let me start by making a public apology. My posts on Monday were fatuous and out of order - my only excuse being that I was very, very tired and also rather hacked off on unrelated matters. I apologise unrerservedly for my "overpaid, overfed" and other comments.
Secondly, I would like to point out that I am not a new poster here to bait the RAF. I've been posting here for over 5 years, under my previous alter ego (Jimlad) and only changed when my previous log in died.
I would say that my views are being slightly misrepresented - I am not comparing the role of the average CS to that of a squaddy on the street in terms of danger faced. I was alluding to, but not very well, the fact that in BAS, where the majority of the RAF do not leave the compound, that the average CS faces a similar threat level and exposure to risk as everyone else - military/ ISF / civvy contractors and CS.
I have no truck (and thought I made that clear) with the D Grade is an Officer BS that you sometimes see. The grades exist as a hangover from when CS promotion occurred in similar timescales to military promotion, thus a C2 would be promoted at about the same point in their career as a Flt Lt would go to Sqn Ldr. The huge changes to the CS in the past 30 years have rendered that system obsolete. I would quite happily see the equivalency system changed. (For the record though, last time I did an Army course, the WO1 called me Maj Jim - when I asked to be called Mr, he threw a strop as he couldnt cope with the idea that not all Civvies like being called ranks that they haven't EARNED).
Personally, I don't think this is an appropriate thread for a Mil Aircrew forum - happy to debate / discuss individually via PM (or via Defence bulletin board for those of you on DII), but this to me is not the location for this debate.
Finally, it would be fair to say that although I'm a CS - I'm not an "admin claims filing type" and have been heavily involved with incidents where troops have been killed. I've stood on the tarmac at BAS enough times watching coffins being loaded into Hercs to know the difference.