A good pay rise for you all and I am very pleased.
However I am not sure about the X factor rise.
My opinion (and this is only for the RAF) is that for the majority of members serving, life has not really changed in the last 20+ years. The majority of personnel only do an OOA once every 5-10 years and I still know quite a few people that have never done one.
More pay should go to those on continual ops, undermanned trades who are always on the go etc, etc.
Now I know some will say that is what separated service pay (whatever it is called these days) is for.
However, my experience is that somebody who is in the frame for lots of OOA’s are normally the same people working their nuts off at home as well.
Plus they are normally get shafted to pick up extra guard duties etc to make up for the time they were on Ops.
If things have changed in the last 12 months I stand to be corrected.
These are the people that should receive more.
Not your 8-5 (can’t be bothered because it is Friday afternoon) type people.
Why should they get an X Factor rise?