It's the feeling of helplessness that grips me. Being powerless to do anything whilst the Firm that I have signed 16 years of arguably the prime years of my life too, is ruined by dithering, fickle politicians and quiet Airships. The Airships surely realise that the coal facers would welcome strong leadership and logical decisions (no gun on a fighter indeed). This is our air force, as much as anybody elses. Sure, the higher up you go, the more you have to lose, but I suggest that it's all relative. You may lose favour with one politician but you'll still get that seat on the board.
Ditch the surveys and the spin doctors, get down to stn level. Do not talk to stn cdrs, talk to those who have the least to lose. Not only will you gain credibility as a leader (is that allowed in this era of maagement speak), but you may find that our Royal Air Force employs many honest, loyal crews, who only want a fair deal (Bliar should understand that).
I didn't join the Force to be misled like a civilian watching some Party Political broadcast, or to be unindated with management speak. I joined the to fly planes, see the world and have a great time enjoying Air Force life. Sure, if the planes I fly fall apart and are surpassed in quality by a Third-World nation, if the worldly travels consist of backing-up crass foreign policy, and I'm treated like a civilian, then, sure, the only time I can exercise any control over my future in the RAF is when I reluctantly hand in my 1250.