Some interesting posts - some drivel I am afraid (and still I am trying to work out what the uniform aspects of the thread added to the discussion?)
But however my heart makes me proud of my own service, the people I serve with and the aircraft I operate, my head knows that Mr Osborne's words in Parliament last week sadly made me recognise that whatever we discuss on this thread is pure semantics.
I believe that we have been de-sensitised by the figure £178 billion, Mr Osborne helped me recognise the reality in that this figure equates to a debt being run up at the 'rate of £1.2 million per day since the birth of Christ'.
I am apolitical, and a true servant of H M Queen, but even I know that this is a truly amazing figure that will result in us all reviewing our previous paradigms, including single services. Lets be honest here (in the myopic but topical world of JHC), anyone post DHFS is already joined up, it is only some of the more senior officers (and admittedly Bismark,above Group Captain is where the line appears to be across all 3 services (not in all cases-but certainly a trend).
Taking this stark reality and truth to the next level, the rumours circulating that the Fisheads are actually getting our mighty wokka instead of the Freak's Merlin is a tough pill to swallow, although I can see the financial sense (in that why re-train our Merlin force onto Chinook and then re-train the Fisheads onto Merlin, when the relatively quicker and cheaper option is to just take the Fisheads straight from their current flying shed direct onto the new Chinooks inbound?).
I dont like it anymore than the next man/woman, but if the Times article has any truth in that the second new carrier will be used in the helicopter role, then if it means I do not have to go to sea then it is a bitter pill that I can swallow.
As to going Army - again, aren't we (JHC) already under Army/Land control - and however much I long for the Gutersloh/RAFG days,they have gone
I am currently spending the majority of my working life in DPM anyway (already mentioned in previous posts)
. So again semantics I am afraid as I do not think that H M Treasury care 2 hoots what any of us think - all they want is to cut that £178 billion debt and do not really care how they go about doing it - and will be colour blind for single service colours and agendas.