Try reading it again arandcee, never said it was an easy or safe job just said it’s not what you joined up to do, you join the military to go to war. Or at least that’s what I thought it said on the tin. You lot are so busy trying to protect your jobs, which I can understand, that you have missed the point of what is better for the poor old taxpayer. Find your rant about services/benefits/prescription subsidy etc a bit thoughtless, thought you were entitled to them as well as all your extra benefits of being in the military. If the civilian world is so rosy, you can always give up your extra benefits and join it. My only interest is the level of service and the cost. Despite all the innuendos on here I think you both provide an equal and outstanding level of service. So we are only arguing about the cost!
Please correct me if I am wrong crab@ but I do believe the civ SAR already do overland SAR. Do Stornoway not go in to the mountains at night? As for Bristows pulling out, the game has a long way to go yet, will be very surprised if we don’t see them in some shape or form. Is BIH still in, could somebody buy them out. But yes agree the cost of NVG training will be high, but then it’s going to be the same for whoever gets it military or civ.
As for civilianisation it appears to work as there are many parts of the military that have been civilianised. Although I hear rants about them as well, it’s only ever from serving military personnel, would have thought once again it must be cheaper and working or there is no way this government would go for it.
The CAA will give the exemptions because they will make a lot of money from it and will positively encourage it for that reason. They don’t make any money from the military. "the quality of SAR provision is impossible to compare". Difficult, but not impossible and that is only because of peoples inability to see through their bigotry. As I understand it all the civilian checkers are ex military bringing with them the same standards so not sure where you are going with that.