Fair enough mate, however the contract was to fly from Brize to Ascension and then onto Stanley. No war zone for a while, just ETOPS qualified, an understanding partner and a love of penguins required.
It was awarded to a foreign carrier and despite the recent demise of the previous contract holder no caveat was put on hiring any of their staff.
I can understand the MoD's rational with respect to urgency but it wasn't urgent enough they could have discussed or added an extra line to the contract.
Military contracts are notorious for their waste of money and oversights among the informed members of our population and current/past serving members of HM Forces. BALPA's failings (true or perceived) have also been thoroughly discussed.
I and many ex-GSM pilots now bonded to gulf airlines are probably wondering why their corner wasn't fought with a bit more guile.