Aircrew Sustainability
Perhaps not a different view, just reflecting different goals. As it happens my goals are similar to yours but for those who had kids late, say in a 2nd marriage, then service to 57+ and never having to work again does suit some.
Well, I'm most surprised at another manning co*k up...after all, we only post HR professionals into those jobs not amateurs looking for the 'tick' before inevitable progression. All without repercussions when these 'future leaders' are proven to have made mistakes. I'm effectively being forced out at 44 as there is no route back to a cockpit for me...and I refuse to spend the next 11 years being shunted into those SO2 jobs too boring (or intellectually challenging....) for the 'Executive Stream' to consider. Sort this mess out before all that's left are first tourists (all doing their ATPLs...) and chisellers pointing the finger at each other over who caused the train wreck.
1. Reconnect proper military accreditation to professional licences.
2. Stop the FTRS creep; part of the problem is the lack of genuine 'rest tours' - for pity's sake we had these 'rest tours' when a static RAF in the UK/RAFG, we need them more than ever now (esp RW) and they're rapidly vanishing.
3. Prevent bean counters covering up for their errors by cutting AFT hours to claw back funding from other areas; it's a false economy to cut flying - crews do not get the requisite experience and a lack of flying de-motivates people.
4. Be honest and show integrity all the way up the chain; 'can do' is laudable but we risk killing people in the next 'near-peer' conflict as senior hands have been using smoke and mirrors to convince politicians that you can cut hours, platforms and people and deliver the same capability. Madness.
5. Let's have fun. The appeal of military flying was the sense of fun, freedom and camaraderie that it engendered; I think the biggest shock to me over the past 5 years flying with JPs has been that they don't know what it's like to have fun - it's been scared/beaten out of them by people worried about their careers in case the press got wind of (shock) people actually enjoying their work. Effective Supervision requires experience (and properly current and competent crews) not tracking tools and a 'No' mentality.
Anyway, back to that ATPL study....
1. Reconnect proper military accreditation to professional licences.
2. Stop the FTRS creep; part of the problem is the lack of genuine 'rest tours' - for pity's sake we had these 'rest tours' when a static RAF in the UK/RAFG, we need them more than ever now (esp RW) and they're rapidly vanishing.
3. Prevent bean counters covering up for their errors by cutting AFT hours to claw back funding from other areas; it's a false economy to cut flying - crews do not get the requisite experience and a lack of flying de-motivates people.
4. Be honest and show integrity all the way up the chain; 'can do' is laudable but we risk killing people in the next 'near-peer' conflict as senior hands have been using smoke and mirrors to convince politicians that you can cut hours, platforms and people and deliver the same capability. Madness.
5. Let's have fun. The appeal of military flying was the sense of fun, freedom and camaraderie that it engendered; I think the biggest shock to me over the past 5 years flying with JPs has been that they don't know what it's like to have fun - it's been scared/beaten out of them by people worried about their careers in case the press got wind of (shock) people actually enjoying their work. Effective Supervision requires experience (and properly current and competent crews) not tracking tools and a 'No' mentality.
Anyway, back to that ATPL study....
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The perfect storm for Manning is fast approaching (all branches, most ranks): economic recovery, NEM & pension changes, and a potential mass rejection of the offer to extend which would fill some gaps for a few more years at little extra cost.
And not forgetting another SDSR next year post election...
And not forgetting another SDSR next year post election...
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Well Said
Spot on there Evalu8ter!
Hit the nail on the head, couldn't have summed it up any better, lets hope a few of our lords and masters are reading this thread because as I sit in the sand pit as we speak those ATPL exams are getting more tempting!
Hit the nail on the head, couldn't have summed it up any better, lets hope a few of our lords and masters are reading this thread because as I sit in the sand pit as we speak those ATPL exams are getting more tempting!
Well, I'm most surprised at another manning co*k up...after all, we only post HR professionals into those jobs not amateurs looking for the 'tick' before inevitable progression.
AMP is a pilot not an HR professional. Most desk officers are from the branches they represent. The support staff under them are normally E grade civ servants fulfilling a clerical role.
Where are these HR professionals you attribute the blame to? A look at the Career Manager's org chart shows me there are 2 HR professionals out of 45 posts.
It might be good to vent your anger but don't just invent things to blame the issue on, it makes you look daft.
Stuff
I think you may have missed the irony in Eval's post!!
Where are these HR professionals you attribute the blame to? A look at the Career Manager's org chart shows me there are 2 HR professionals out of 45 posts.
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Might be time to change the role and get in full time reservists into the post who can be selected as suitable, receive the correct training and stay in the post and provide continuity. But odd you have a poster responsible for promoting their peers (competitors!) especially in the uber competitive promotion environment we have these days.
Am I understanding this correctly - 2 HR professionals supporting the posting and career management of how many? Reminds me of the phone call I got in 1987 - "The RAF had 6 professional accountants - 5 have retired and one is on terminal leave - would you like to take the Chartered Institute of management Accountants course with the Army" - two of us were due to start - one jumped ship (my desk officer who had offered me the place) because he got a place at Staff College...................
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Evalu8ter said:
Now, if only there was a CH147F Squadron standing up - hang on a minute!!!
I'm effectively being forced out at 44 as there is no route back to a cockpit for me...and I refuse to spend the next 11 years being shunted into those SO2 jobs too boring (or intellectually challenging....) for the 'Executive Stream' to consider.
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If we are serious about saving money and maintaining military capability why don’t the four stars/ Senior Civil Servants that actually run the Armed Forces run it like a business? Retain your core personnel and know their value both in terms of what you have invested in them and their worth outside. If within the Armed Forces some groups of individuals are expensive to train and/ or their skills are essential to your output (could be engineers/ aircrew/ insert category here) then why on earth would you let them walk without trying to entice them to stay? It doesn’t make sense from a financial or capability view. The people in the Armed Forces are quality individuals that UK industry values highly; particularly the SNCOs and Officers. I have not known, over the last 20 odd years, of anyone leaving the Armed Forces not gaining useful employment; I know there will be the odd case but they are the exception. The 3-month notice period required by the individual or organisation post 1 April 2015 works both ways….
The perfect HR storm has been forecast for some time and the winds ahead of the front are here now and increasing. NEM is seen by your workforce as a cost saving exercise, the pension changes as flawed (even if you get an extension to age 60 what are you going to do for the next 7 years?) and your workforce only knows the reality of the continual salami slicing of their and their family’s quality of life and yes the decreasing ability to have any ‘fun’ anymore. None of this is going to keep people in.
If one hundred aircrew walk how much will it cost to the MoD replace them? How does this match against your anticipated cost savings?
The perfect HR storm has been forecast for some time and the winds ahead of the front are here now and increasing. NEM is seen by your workforce as a cost saving exercise, the pension changes as flawed (even if you get an extension to age 60 what are you going to do for the next 7 years?) and your workforce only knows the reality of the continual salami slicing of their and their family’s quality of life and yes the decreasing ability to have any ‘fun’ anymore. None of this is going to keep people in.
If one hundred aircrew walk how much will it cost to the MoD replace them? How does this match against your anticipated cost savings?
Evalu8or, I don't understand the phrase "executive stream". From my perspective (former Flt Lt), anyone who has taken their eight pieces of silver on promotion becomes an "executive"....end of. You can't expect to crawl back into the womb at will once you have started your way up the greasy pole. If I had been king for a day I would have offered PAS to Flt Lts only. I might, if I were feeling generous offer some senior officers PAS as Flt Lts. Sqn Ldrs are too easily plucked from their primary duty (experienced aviators) to fill all sorts of nebby jobs.
Kintyred
Executive Stream and Main Stream differentiate all officers at or above wg cdr (or is at sqn ldr?). I can't quite remember the full details but it is basically have you done ASC or not? If yes you're exec stream, will get shorter (2-ish year tours), be expected to move around more regularly in the hope that greater things will be coming your way. If you are a main stream wg cdr, you can expect (but not be guaranteed) longer tours giving stability for family and in your job.
Posts are supposed to be annotated ES or MS, so expect the nice sqn/wg command tours to all be ES and the (how should I say this?) duller staff tours that aren't need for the career thrusters be left to MS officers. Of course, the exigencies of the Service will over ride all of the above as required.
Executive Stream and Main Stream differentiate all officers at or above wg cdr (or is at sqn ldr?). I can't quite remember the full details but it is basically have you done ASC or not? If yes you're exec stream, will get shorter (2-ish year tours), be expected to move around more regularly in the hope that greater things will be coming your way. If you are a main stream wg cdr, you can expect (but not be guaranteed) longer tours giving stability for family and in your job.
Posts are supposed to be annotated ES or MS, so expect the nice sqn/wg command tours to all be ES and the (how should I say this?) duller staff tours that aren't need for the career thrusters be left to MS officers. Of course, the exigencies of the Service will over ride all of the above as required.
Thank you RP, I shall sleep well tonight! I guess I didn't pick up much about my commanders in my 27 years as a Flt Lt! On a serious note the thread is about retention and I do think that there's more fun to be had as a JO. By giving ex thrusters a second chance to get back to basics as JO aircrew, it would bolster the experience level of frontline squadrons and reduce the chance of these valuable individuals being taken away from these positions. Lets face it, most us joined to fly the big green toys....how great to be able to spent your final years back doing the thing you love only this time with a bit more capacity. It would also ease the supervisory burden and workload for the grown ups.
By giving ex thrusters a second chance to get back to basics as JO aircrew, it would bolster the experience level of frontline squadrons and reduce the chance of these valuable individuals being taken away from these positions. Lets face it, most us joined to fly the big green toys....how great to be able to spent your final years back doing the thing you love only this time with a bit more capacity.
The ES/MS thing has only been around for 2 or 3 years by the way, so it is still bedding in.
Leave the staff tours for the young thrusters and allow the older non-thrusters to return to the cockpit. Gets my vote.
An ex-thruster at Sqn Ldr level reverting to Spec Aircrew Sqn Ldr could often cause some friction - such folk could have returned to the cockpit, but why should they continue to hold the rank?
Spec Aircrew was a bit of a weird system though - when they finally promoted me, I suddenly dound myself with more seniority than the Flt Cdrs...
Populating cockpits with ex-thrusters won't exactly do wonders for a sustainable manning plot - and doubtless would seriously hack-off those poor souls waiting years to start flying training.
N_1,
There are many issues running the Armed Forces as a business. Not least of which would be the option to readily give one months notice if a better job option came up or you didn't like the particular war that you were just about to engage in for 9 months.
There are many issues running the Armed Forces as a business. Not least of which would be the option to readily give one months notice if a better job option came up or you didn't like the particular war that you were just about to engage in for 9 months.