Whilst attending a 'career enhancing' course, a presentation by Manning assured the said course members that RAF policy was for a two tier stream career.
One was occupied by the ambitious ones who would go anywhere at anytime and complete any job in return for a career spine that included a promotion ladder for them to climb.
The second career or rather 'job spine' included geographical advantage and long term stability in return for accepting that promotion was not included unless it suited the Service.
This presentation was in 2008 and I have not seen any evidence of such policy being instigated since. In fact as one who would gladly embrace the geographical stability stream, and even accept less pay for the convenience, I have been moved reluctantly three times since!
IMHO I am convinced that SDSR has deleted any hope of such policy ever being implimented. We have dozens of staff without portfolio who would gladly take any job offered. The reduction in posting options due to closure of stations further removes the possibility of success. For sure we will eventually condense to a few 'super bases' which will render any aspiration to be geographically friendly a none starter. In short; the briefing I received was dead in the water however well intended.