Yeller,
I had to speak to someone in gen office, who then spoke to AIR Command to ask whether my PVR had been approved. Apparently it has, but JPA doesn't reflect the fact. A letter will be sent 'in due course' - God forbid anyone at AIR would ever want to send me a legal document as soon as it becomes valid!
Dave,
I won't say "don't join the RAF". For all my dissatisfaction, I've had superb training, had some great experiences, and made some of the best friends I've ever had. Everything you read in this thread is posted by people who are fed up after some time in the Service. Who knows; your experiences could be completely different to mine. All I'd say is this: if you want to join up, you're doing a selfless and honourable thing. Just don't go in without considering the fact that everything the AFCO tells you is told to get you in. It doesn't always turn out to be true. Whatever your decision is, best of luck.
AIDU,
I don't think that ethereal entity is on firm ground for suing the Service, but it's wholly unfair to call him spineless. Note that he never said he doesn't want to be deployed, just that he's utterly fed up with travel claims being refused. I don't think anyone can argue with that. We all know we have to do our duty wherever and whenever it's demanded of us, but if the Service isn't doing its duty by us, I think we have every right to be pi$$ed off.
As ACM Loader said, and as you're keen to repeat: If you don't like it, get out. Well, that sage advice is being taken by an increasingly large cohort of what should have been the Service's future senior officers. That's not healthy, and it's an issue that isn't being addressed adequately. When dissatisfaction - even disaffection - is this rife, it needs to be treated, because at the moment the Service's collective experience is very much at stake. Maybe you and Sir Clive should concentrate on treating the causes instead of berating the symptoms?