ratio of operational time overseas and time at home
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ratio of operational time overseas and time at home
As someone who is attending OASC at the end of October to hopefully join the RAF to train as NC Aircrew, is it fair to say in today's political climate that once fully trained and on an operational squadron I would expect to spend an average of 4 months on deployment and 8 months in the UK?
I only ask as my girlfriend is spitting her dummy out of the pram because I am going away for a 2 week training camp with TA, and I'm not sure how she would deal with the above ratio! (I'll miss her!)
I only ask as my girlfriend is spitting her dummy out of the pram because I am going away for a 2 week training camp with TA, and I'm not sure how she would deal with the above ratio! (I'll miss her!)
Last edited by TommyGun; 17th Jul 2008 at 13:03.
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TG
the average on SH at the minutes is four months a year split into 2 dets. I say average there are the sick and lame that hang on and do sod all for months on end. That obviously increases the workload on everyone else.
the average on SH at the minutes is four months a year split into 2 dets. I say average there are the sick and lame that hang on and do sod all for months on end. That obviously increases the workload on everyone else.
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Add to that the fact that a good deal of the 8 months in the UK will be filled with squadron training and support to exercises. You could be spending most of your pay on new dummies for the girlfriend.
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Cheers R21
I'd be happy with 4 months a year, I think.
I'm currently sitting opposite a sick and lame chick who does the sq rt of foxtrot alpha in a civvy job, so I can appreciate where you're coming from.
Tommy
I'd be happy with 4 months a year, I think.
I'm currently sitting opposite a sick and lame chick who does the sq rt of foxtrot alpha in a civvy job, so I can appreciate where you're coming from.
Tommy
Well, writing this from the sandpit, I took my boots and socks off to work it out. By the time I finish my current tour (late 2009), since ops started in Iraq in 2003 I will have spent approximately 16 months sitting in the desert in Iraq or Afghanistan on ops.
You can add to that all the various exercises ranging from a week to a month over the same period and being on call for a significant amount of time when I wasn't on ops or exercise. And I reckon I'm probably one of the luckier ones!
You can add to that all the various exercises ranging from a week to a month over the same period and being on call for a significant amount of time when I wasn't on ops or exercise. And I reckon I'm probably one of the luckier ones!
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16 months in the desert out of 72 equates to approx 22% of your time between 2003 and 2009 on operation.
Whereas 4 months in every 12 is approx 33% of one's time in the desert.
If my Maths is right, it seems that you are one of the lucky ones.
Nevertheless i will be starting a 'Girlfriend's Dummy Fund' or buying shares in something like 'Mothercare'!
cheers
Tom
Whereas 4 months in every 12 is approx 33% of one's time in the desert.
If my Maths is right, it seems that you are one of the lucky ones.
Nevertheless i will be starting a 'Girlfriend's Dummy Fund' or buying shares in something like 'Mothercare'!
cheers
Tom
Not as lucky as some though ..... just ask the E3s 
But as I said in my original post - that's actual time sitting in the desert and it could be higher depending on how the det plot pans out next year. The only thing predictable about the ops plot these days is that it will change from the original plan and someone will end up getting a short straw.
However, you have missed the other bits I mentioned: exercises away from home, being on call where you cannot be more than X-minutes from work (usually 30 - 60, but possibly less) which means you could quite easily end up sitting by the phone like a love-sick teenager waiting for a call when you can't go to the family wedding at the other end of the country, or your plans for a romantic Christmas away with Mrs TG get put on hold because you are at R1 notice to move etc.
Don't just think about things in terms of how much time you are away on ops, you need to look at it in the round. Even RW crews will spend proportionately more of their time ' in the UK' than on 'direct ops' in the desert. But it doesn't meant their life is their own for the rest of the time. You need to take into account the duty crews, exercises in some soggy bit of Wales, ferrying Pongos round Germany for 3 weeks whilst they get ready to go away, being on Q-shifts etc. And that goes for whatever fleet you end up on.
But as I said in my original post - that's actual time sitting in the desert and it could be higher depending on how the det plot pans out next year. The only thing predictable about the ops plot these days is that it will change from the original plan and someone will end up getting a short straw.
However, you have missed the other bits I mentioned: exercises away from home, being on call where you cannot be more than X-minutes from work (usually 30 - 60, but possibly less) which means you could quite easily end up sitting by the phone like a love-sick teenager waiting for a call when you can't go to the family wedding at the other end of the country, or your plans for a romantic Christmas away with Mrs TG get put on hold because you are at R1 notice to move etc.
Don't just think about things in terms of how much time you are away on ops, you need to look at it in the round. Even RW crews will spend proportionately more of their time ' in the UK' than on 'direct ops' in the desert. But it doesn't meant their life is their own for the rest of the time. You need to take into account the duty crews, exercises in some soggy bit of Wales, ferrying Pongos round Germany for 3 weeks whilst they get ready to go away, being on Q-shifts etc. And that goes for whatever fleet you end up on.
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Nah, post her number here if she needs company
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I once spent 6 months in Port Stanley only to be at home for 9 days before the bloke I had handed over to bust his leg..... and so back I went for another 6 months.....
Mrs Spheroid was really pisse doff at that. Still.......
Mrs Spheroid was really pisse doff at that. Still.......
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It does totally depend, of course, on what fleet you end on. The ALMs on a certain (new) large grey 4-jet in Oxonia don't do 'dets' as such, but spend at least 33%of their time away, often nearer 50%. The difference from SH, though, is that the time is in shorter periods and often highly unpredictable and short-notice in nature.
As for the dummies...if she's like that now, you've got no chance
Time to shop for Ms Low Maintenance methinks
As for the dummies...if she's like that now, you've got no chance
Time to shop for Ms Low Maintenance methinks
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TommyGun - there are "Harmony guidelines" which are set out to try and manage the ratio of time at home and away. Type harmony guidelines into a search engine and you should be able to see recent debates (in the Lords) and evidence from NAO about how well these are being achieved, or not as the case may be. The actual harmony definition should be available somewhere also.
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If you end up at the soon to be closed Wiltshire airbase then your girlfriend could be in for a shock.
Average time away for guys on my unit since Nov 01 has been 6 months in a year.
Worst case for me was 8 months in the sandpit last year.
Thats just ops! Take into account training, exercises and standby commitments and you'll soon find that 'harmony' guidelines have gone out of the window!
Not all doom and gloom though - some of the time away is cracking (when you are not being shot at!)
Average time away for guys on my unit since Nov 01 has been 6 months in a year.
Worst case for me was 8 months in the sandpit last year.
Thats just ops! Take into account training, exercises and standby commitments and you'll soon find that 'harmony' guidelines have gone out of the window!
Not all doom and gloom though - some of the time away is cracking (when you are not being shot at!)
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Harmony and nights out of bed
If you are in a pinchpoint trade you could expect to spend 1 to 2 or at worst 1 to 1.5 months away on Ops instead of the 1 to 4 harmony guideline (1 in 5 months), but thats not the killer it is nights out of your own bed on exercises, Ord Offr/Duty SNCO.Duty Crew etc on top of this that is the killer and counted separately. At the moment the harmony guidelines are 140 days away in any 20 month period or as they are proposing at the moment in AIR to change it to 280 in a rolling 24 months you could spend a straight 280 days away and then not break the guidelines if you do not deploy on Ops for 2 years, makes the stats look better but guess this is the thin end of the wedge of the 6 and 9 month OOA's
.
Morale and retention my ar$e.
.Morale and retention my ar$e.
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cheers guys!
airborneartist...puppy did cross my mind! And I'm sure my mates will 'look after her' hahaha
Grabbers...077....yeah right cassanova!
Melchett...fully appreciate time spent on standby and non-operational tours.
Tommy
airborneartist...puppy did cross my mind! And I'm sure my mates will 'look after her' hahaha
Grabbers...077....yeah right cassanova!
Melchett...fully appreciate time spent on standby and non-operational tours.
Tommy
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The reason many of us joined was to kill people and drop bombs and shoot guns and create havoc and devastation. Sadly, the British public won't allow us to do that here and so we need to find locations further afield.
But if you are joining up in order so that you can stay at home then this is the wrong company - try working in a Bank
But if you are joining up in order so that you can stay at home then this is the wrong company - try working in a Bank
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Speaking from a certain "maritime patrol" fleet up north, this has been the busiest 18 months in a long time.
From october laste year to the same this year, i'll have spent 7 months at home, and obviously 5 away. Then october brings a 3 week det and back to the desert around march.
Most wives/gf's are fine with it to be fair... Dont forget your training will involve long periods of being away... You'll get the odd weekend at home, but only when your not going out in Sleezeford.
From october laste year to the same this year, i'll have spent 7 months at home, and obviously 5 away. Then october brings a 3 week det and back to the desert around march.
Most wives/gf's are fine with it to be fair... Dont forget your training will involve long periods of being away... You'll get the odd weekend at home, but only when your not going out in Sleezeford.