Or more likely crab/wafu/squaddie, most civilians refer to anything in cam gear as a squaddie:ok:

Excellent, just the sort of discussion I was looking for! :(

Merely trying to point out that members of the esteemed FAA are 'WAFUs' not 'Fish-heads', old boy. Do lighten up.

To be (ever so slightly) serious,when one was last in MoD the SNCO vs Officer pilot thing was being studied (probably has been a few times since!).

It was found that the (slight) extra cost of the RAF zob was outweighed by his/her longer average service - ISTR about 5 years longer on average (then).

But then lots of 22 year time served Hairy Arm Corps turn up as Crab occifers anyway ........;) Don't know how they figure in the stats .....

Indeed. There was a time in the late 90s when the RAF was deliberately targetting AAC ssgt and WO2 QHIs for transfer to commissioned service.