Bob1013,
You joined this thread a few years too late...anyway...
As the thread was started by someone looking to get IN to Mil ATC, the thread turned completely around to this...basically in the military, you can apply to join (you cannot join from outside the military structures) an Ab Initio ATC Course whenever they are advertised in-house.
- If you are a "ranker" then, if successfully selected, expect a very long (years...) training process, with painfully slow promotion due to the system requiring you to complete Mil Career courses alongside your ATC training. The ATC ratings are tied in with rank, so, if you are a Private, you will need to do a Potential NCOs Course, to get Corporal rank, if there's a suitable vacancy existing within the Aer Corps at that time, for you to be allowed perform ATC Duties in the tower. But there is no joined up system for both ATC and Mil Career courses to run concurrently, hence the long waiting times for promotion. Once the Basic Tower rating is awarded, expect an even longer wait to get APS training and rating awarded, due to the aforementioned problems...
- If you already hold a commission, then you are guaranteed promotion with age (or your cadet class all get promoted at the same time, wherever they are, or whatever they are doing).....go figure! You still need to be successful in your ATC courses to do that job, but you will get promoted anyway! If unsuccessful in ATC you get shunted to an office job somewhere, but basically you are looked after.
The personnel who left between 2006 - 2008, eight in total, were all NCOs, some highly qualified and experienced (senior instructors and examiners). They would have had various reasons for doing so. Most went to Shannon, converting their military APS Ratings, and getting on to a very comfortable pay scale. Some had military pensions as well, so they would be particularly comfortable. So I guess you could deduct that money was the main attraction, as well as better career prospects.
But, as an aside, you should be aware that in military circles, the grass always seems greener outside...so much of the time people are waiting to go, to civilian versions of their jobs, or just to see what it's like outside the military system. They take their chances, but not all are as lucky as ATC or Aer Corps pilots have been...
Rocky01