In the last week, I've chatted to a dozen SAC techs, and at least 50% are waiting for replies from civilian companies having submitted their CV.
They see no future in the service, no let up to the time going East, and no improvement to their working conditions. The pension holding so many SNCO's in is too far off to be any pull at all, and when there are no perks that interest them, the pro's list is completely obliterated by the cons.
Time off for sport, global travel, expeditions, further training, respect, loyalty and all those other extra's we used to benefit from all seem to have melted away over the years and it is a sad fact that more than ever the RAF is viewed by the junior ranks as a job like any other, with less and less reason to put up with the bad postings cuz a good one was just round the corner.
Trouble is, what is the answer?
Cut more manpower as has just happened at several bases over the last few months?
Fight more wars with less people and older equiment?
Change the pension scheme so it only benefits those that die early or serve until 55?
Close 90% of the foreign bases and all but scrap accompanied tours?
Change the terminology and administration systems every couple of years so no-one really has a clue what's going on?
Introduce under-developed IT systems which are awkward and confusing to use so you can scrap the Admin staff, leaving expensively trained personal to waste hours trying to carry out tasks which had always been efficiently dealt with by proffessionals?
I won't go on...
