Mixed views
Well I might have been one of those support elements Uncle refers to in the past. Frankly like others on here I am glad to be out. I too will probably not be around in 30 years Thing.
I was also a user of some of those support services. Gateway House was terrible. How anyone got a good nights sleep before flying an important sortie I just don't know. This rings each time I read a BoI report that states the crew were well rested! I stayed there when the mess was full before a very long day supporting a UOR. I slung the mattress on the floor as I could feel very bedspring. I tolerated the noise from the soldiers that were heading off to Bastion. I bit my lip as they may have been having their last beer. I was thus only firing on 3 cylinders the following morning.
There was certainly some Jobs worths in MT. You speak as you find. I am sure they are not all bad. It was better in some ways when it was run by the RAF, yet Wyton MT was far better ran under Babcock.
Setting up a maintenance contract for some essential kit was painful. When the RAF ran the bays it would have been easy. In this case the paperwork cost more that the batteries that required changing.
I too think the single runway is a flaw. The Airships must have taken this into consideration. At least A400M, C130 and C17 could probably land at take off from the grass - Is there a patch free of obstructions? Would the taxi way on the South side not do?
So far as civilianisation is concerned; I hope I could always be relied on to come good. At least that's what my certificates on the toilet wall say anyway! My concern is for the future when the Ex RAF recruiting pool dries up. We have seen this before I know.
My last experiences of BZN was almost 18 months ago. Let us hope it all works out. Time will tell.