Sloppy Link
- JHC have been given the opportunity more than enough over the last 2 years to provide constructive input and support to the process as to the structure of the new unit at AKR. In the main they have been unhelpful, and sometimes downright obstructive. The attitude of JHC staff officers to 84 Sqn and the issues associated with it has always been "it's a SAR unit isn't it, that is 3 Gps problem".
Because of that and many other issues the decision was made that the unit would remain all RAF (the proposal to have a AAC exchange was still there for some time) as we now have enough ex-AAC guys who have crossed over to the RAF to provide someone with recce experience for the ex 16 Flt role that the Griffin will take over. Without being rude it is also a lot quicker and cheaper to train a SAR guy to hover at a couple of thousand feet and use electronic kit, than it is to teach SAR from scratch to pilots with no experience of that demanding role. The current plan is for the unit to have no input from JHC, it will take it's inputs from 3 Gp and SAR Force HQ from Apr 03 onwards.
It was not a crab idea, it was an MOD idea, the fact that 84 Sqn is commanded by a crab has nothing to do with it (it's an RAF Sqn, who should it be commanded by?). If you are referring to CBF, then he and his staffs were attempting to get the best capability they could for the island in terms of SAR/SH and C2 assets that they could, with the limited budget they were given for it by PJHQ. Personnally I think that in the face of huge obstacles put in the way by lots of people, the solution is the best Cyprus could have got from a COMR solution (in which there was no choice).
Therefore your post is not just ignorant, but devisive and pointless. If you have someone that you want to criticize about this decision, aim it at your AAC bretheren who did nothing to save the posts within the corridors of JHC (the previous OC 16 Flt spent a huge amount of effort trying to save 16 Flt, and trying to ensure AAC input on the new unit, with no support from JHC!). If you want JHC to be purple, try leading by example and not posting Army-centric threads criticizing everybody elses jointery.
Grow Up.