Escapee: Sympathize with your 12-year point dilemma - there will always be winners and losers when the "dosh is dished" (witness the FRR payments of 2001/2). Personal advice: If you are really considering PVR - do it now - there will be nothing worse than being bitter as you approach the big four-oh.
Generally crew room banter back here in blighty has even generated one suggestion that the Service would have been better off doing nothing at all. At least then there would have been less heartache for all those who are now disappointed.
Shandyman: Which level of the leadership are you faithless about? - Do you really think that anyone but Treasury mandarins really have a say in these issues. I cannot really see that Stn Cdrs ISK, DL, VN or NBN (new Budgens nearby) are really celebrating the fact that many of their boys are so p****d off.
FixedWingFaggot: (are you
one by the way?) - Sorry mate - but if you are in beyond 22 years you have presumably accepted an offer of further service after due consideration. The downbanding of AEOp fs/macr WAS wrong, but we are long past that now. If you are considering PVR please see my comment to Escapee above.
Akula: "bah humbug"? The time criteria applied to this bonus matches exactly that applied to commissioned aircrew bonuses - (do you want equality or what?).
Gorilla: Much respect. Admire your bottle in PVR'ing. Question: as you are serving to age 47, have you received an offer of further service to age 55 and elected to wait, or was the Service still debating on whether to retain you or not? Either way, good luck.........
Cheezer: You, guy, really puzzle me - who would run your "Ltd Co" - all chiefs, no indians or vice-versa? What would the pay scales be and would you offer bonuses? Furthermore, be careful what you wish for - 60 AEOps is periously close to the average AEOp sqn strength on the kipper fleet. Please don't give " their airships" any more good ideas about re-shaping the maritime force.
Avtur: If you are who I think you are, the common sense nature of your post is completely unsurprising. Hope the arm is better, might (or might not) be seeing you soon.......... As I look out of the window of our sumptuous crew room, I can see a Peugeot 206CC with the lights left on.........
Keep smilin'* / moanin'*
*Delete as applicable