Originally Posted by
Rigga
As for two years Cpl-to-Sgt? - that has been in force since Time Promotion went out in the 70's. You may see much more of younger "S" NCO's with the amount of experience you would expect a Cpl to have. No more than that of a young Flt Lt.
True, but back then we had enough manpower to cover the arse of those time promoted. I was time promoted to Cpl in 91, but we had 120,000 or so at the time.
With only 40,000 now, those rapidly pushed up to fill the garps left by the experienced SNCO do not have the luxury of safety in numbers, and with the extra burdens placed on all with JPA, OOA ops, On the job training of lower ranks and the new AMM's, keeping current with CCS, IRT, IDT, fitness, LITS, squeezing in leave etc, fear they may end up out of their depth and unable to deliver the quality Flight Safety demands.
A young Flt Lt has an old Flt Sgt to stop him screwing up - that's why there are first tourist posts!
By all means promote excellence, but I do fear we have gaps to fill, and will be forced to fill them with less than prepared people...