So what are those of us who spend up to 6 months a year away supposed to do? We certainly won't get "consistently supportive home assessments" since there simply isn't time to get anything constructive done at home, and I'd suggest that anyone who claim's otherwise is actually reliant on an excellent 2ic of whatever secondary duty it is that they claim to be doing.
As for genuine competition, surely this is a military service whose primary purpose is to fight wars? I'd have hoped that experience of those things would lend more wieght to promotion prospects than merely being a decider between two otherwise "consistently supportive home assessments."
PTT....oh dear, oh dear.
I am
probably on the most deployed Sqn in the RAF. I have spent 7 months on various OOAs this year and am scheduled for 8 months in 2007. However, like you, I still have 4/5 months back at base to take on a
suitable high profile duty. Yes, I know we spend that time preparing for our next OOAs, CCS/IDT/IRT/Acclimatisation Trg etc etc, but this does not take up every hour of every working day.
You are totally correct in that we shouldn't have to do this to get promoted but the fact is, with more and more of us having the 'warfighting' tick, this isn't enough to be competative. You will have to face up to the fact that there are many of us that are deployed AND do more and more duties back at base, in order to compete for the few promotion places that are available. This includes early completion of CST.
Yes, this means we have no time for a 'life' but, like i've already flogged to death, there are tenough personnel out there that are willing to sacrifice this for a chance of promotion.
It's tough but the bottom line is; if you want promotion, you have to compete.
M7 sends ps I have carefully selected my Secondary duty, in which there is a very good 2ic who gets the recognition she deserves!