'The rumour around is that there will be no military air traffic controllers at all, with Airservices running everything and some controllers being on the military reserve.'
There is a provision within ASA for them to send you where they need you, I don't think Baghdad or Kabul would make it onto the list.
How would ASA or the ADF choose which controllers would go? If they didn't have enough willing to go on military reserve, what then? Would sectors then be managed on the basis of only so many 'Military reserve' controllers on each sector in case of a call-up. So that we wouldn't see entire sectors stripped in times of call-up.
If an 'on call reservist' won a position/promotion to another position would they then be knocked back because that area has a full complement of reservists? If a 'civilian' controller won a job that only had room for a 'reservist' controller would they then be required to become a 'reservist'
to take up the position that they had applied for?
What about those applying into ATC being told they have a 'return of service' obligation (to go along with the 5 year $70k training bond) of say 7 years of military reservist obligations. I could see the Gen Yers getting all keen for that. Even if you got them, beside the obvious skill set differences, would the ADF be happy with getting the least experienced controllers to work on the frontline?
Some people seem to throw ideas onto these forums and say it's really easy, it wouldn't take much to achieve, it seems reasonable, wouldn't cost much, all the equipment is already in place,etc and then head for the hills or accuse those, with actual experience who are pointing out some of the challenges involved in implementing the ideas, of being resistant to change. I would posit that they are actually realists. Yes we can do it, but you are going to need to put the resources, thoughts and people to it.
Frank, I would have a word to the person who told you of this rumour and ask them some of these questions.You might, on reflection, be able to think of a few more. I'm surprised that you had not thought to ask them to expand on this rumour at the time it was told to you. I would appreciate your posting their answers on here.