My jaw dropped when I heard this....
How many senior officers and VSO briefs have we tried to inform the chain of command that our people are at breaking point, often threaders and looking for options to leave. Not just any old people that keep the manning figures looking rosey, but some of our most talented and experienced people that continue to allow us to pull a safe rabbit out of the hat when inevitably 'more is asked with less'.
And this is the way that our people experience support, and this is what our people experience as loyalty, well we have really shot ourselves in the foot this time.....this is an own goal that will transcend not just those affected, but those watching in disbelief at the way it's Service allows its people to be treated.
One of my last tours of Afghan saw the real acidic, negative and poisonous atmosphere that was everywhere as the AAC guys dripped, were angry, and recounted how they were let down over their flying pay issue. They were all talking about clubbing together for a top legal brief, so maybe ask around and see what advice they have from their experiences.
Has a bean counter worked out the sums that will be recovered from this policy versus the cost of retraining/getting someone to the equivalent experience levels?
I personally believe that the best advice on this thread so far is for as many of the 2000 to get together, all chip in pro rata and get the best, most high profile legal brief possible.
Also touched on is culpability. If it is the individual Service Person that is culpable then what accountability and responsibility do the myriad of experts that implemented the policy and signed off on the claims have. I trust that we are investigating this further and bringing those to account that allegedly did not do their jobs correctly. If I damage one of HM aircraft, I get investigated and therefore if certain individuals allegedly contributed to the 'damage' of our Service Personnel then they too should be investigated.