QUOTE:
The rapid turnover of mil crews simply won't happen, those that are in milSAR post 2012 are likely to be the old and bold who have no desire to thrust for a career or go to Afghanistan. There is no point in sending new lads and lasses into a predominantly civilian environment and role just for a tour and then have to pay to retrain them on Chinook/Merlin.
I truly believe that no-one (except those civil servants up in La La land) can think that the mil aircrew option can work, I mean think about it;
Chap leaves SH and in a 36 month period he has to do a SAR course and then convert onto the chosen bidders type. Before the end of that period he has to get his leave in because JHC will want him back and, though I’m not quite sure how this will work, he may also have to do his SH type refresher as well. That leaves him precious little time to do any SAR. You can’t even call it a rest tour because he will be spending a significant proportion of it in the Falklands.
Oh, and another thing, if we are talking winchmen they won’t ever be Paramedics because they won’t have had the time to do the course. Which means that if the bidders concentrate their mil winchmen on a few specific bases, those bases will never have a significant number of Paramedics...ever!!
I could go on but it’s all too depressing.
