Traunche 3 by Stealth?
 

The last redundancy session, some 10 or so years ago, promised a third traunch of redundancy, but it all stopped after the second. A statement at that time from manning (or whatever they were then) essentially proclaimed that changes to the quality of life of RAF personnel would enhance natural wastage. This clearly meant it would mitigate the cost of a third traunch, which at that time was rather lucrative.

Then, almost immediately, followed the introduction of the immature and inadequate system that was JPA; the biggest changes to allowances (by stealth) ever; and an increase to the Annual Fitness Test pass standard. The commulative result was an exit of people who would have probably preferred to see a career to 22 yrs or 55yr (or whatever).

Now we are discussing the possible career average pension, and the probability that you won't get your pension until age 55 irrespective of when you leave, or even later; do you think that the service is once again changing the environment by stealth to encourage exits from the Service, without a need to pay redundancy?

Will the AFT pass mark increase? Will the period of OOA duties and thier durations increase further? Will what is left of the allowances system be cut further or abolished over time? Will the benifits and rewards of serving in HM Forces be outweighed by the costs of living, ambiguity of life, quality of life, and the deeper self-sacrifices that only those who have served in combat areas can understand?

I open the debate with eagerness.

The powers that be really can't afford to push things much further with regards to reductions in allowances and terms of service. The love of the job only carries you so far.

The bull**** continues to gather. Anyone who has been on det recently knows the pain of RSOI and (de) compression, plus all the epic triv in between. There comes a point were its just not worth it. With pensions being eroded and pay effectively cut for three years but charges going up, I doubt they will struggle to fill a 'stealth' tranche three. Just my tipsy two cents.

Just as a small aside, the RAF AFT has just been extended to include EVERYBODY up to the age of 65 (used to stop at age 55). There is a DIN if you want to read it!

I'd be interested to see what level you have to achieve at 60-65....

Probably what a 40 year old female has to achieve. No seximsm intended.

None intended here either, but as a 48yo male a couple of years ago, my running standard required was higher than an early 20's female. How can that be right? :confused:

As a current 51yo, a 17yo female only needs to complete 1 extra leg than I do. I'm clearly missing something.

Get some man boobs and then try arguing the point?

It's one of those strange things I have never managed to get my head round either.

It's absolutely clear from the fitness test settings that the average woman is not capable of competing physically at the same level as the average man but somehow they are equal to to their fellow man :confused:

Don't confuse this with a bleat about the fitness test, medical exemption for my last 5 months of service but I have done it every year since it came in and sailed through every time, it really is a piece of wee wee but it's hardly equal if one gender has to achieve less than the other.

VO2 Max, understand what it means, and it's relationship to fitness.

The last tranche was in 2005/6, coinciding with the introduction of JPA and JSP 752, which sought to 'harmonise' pay and allowances across the Services. It was used as an opportunity to modernise allowances (eg removal of allowances for Governesses and Beagles - the latter being the canine and not, err, the prolific PPrune poster) but also removed useful allowances for those in extremely cold climates - eg Winter log allowance. DOMCOL leave was also reduced - by strealth and materially altering the TACOS of those to which it applied.

The redundancy tranche was never billed as 'the last' because, patently, that is not the case. The allowances, which required tri-Service approval, were also relatively generous in retorspect bearing in mind that they were compiled several years befor the fiscal free-fall. Sadly, I was in the bracket for redundancy but offered promotion several days before the drop-dead date, counched in veiled threats such as 'well, you just might not get redundancy...' even though the field in my branch was narrow and there were more slots than applicants...

Did you really get a "winter log allowance"? [not a bite]

AVTUR
I remember in 2002 I had to complete MSFT 8-10

Here in 2012, I have to complete 8-09??????????????????????????



And I'm about to embark on my 3rd 4mth OOA in 3yrs!!!!
(Yes the OOA bleaters will harp on about others getting more OOA, but our trade harmony is published at 3-5yr for Sgts!)

Yes - in Italy, of all places, we could claim about 150 Euros a season, along with a soft furnishing allowance which was about 600 Euros when moving into a hiring. Both gone now, of course, along with the generous 'Hornsby' Allowances for Defence Attaches (c £20k) to set up a new Residence.

I never claimed to have my Beagles moved at the public expense. More's the pity:bored:

Ah the old VO2 Max tosh which of course explains the reason why girls not only don't run as far as guys but also don't press/sit up as much either, ever wonder why there is no lifting element to the fitness test :p

"PC" the military fitness test as much as you like but it's no accident that pretty much every major sport on the planet has separate mens and womens circuits and it's not that difficult to work out why :ok:

Yup the bitching would be unbearable, and in the baton race coming up behind some pert young lady in a pair of tight shorts crouched over and ready to go I would fumble the handover... :p

Or is there another reason? :O

Ahh the good old Fick Equation VO2 = Q x A-VO2 diff.

During every activity we are using some percentage of our maximum VO2. But how do we measure VO2? Well, we look at two things: 1) the amount of oxygen delivered to the cells and 2) how much oxygen is used by the cells.
1.The oxygen delivery to cells is calculated by determining cardiac output (amount of blood pumped per minute). Cardiac output (aka Q) is made up of two components – how much blood is pumped per beat (aka stroke volume) and how many times the heart beats per minute (aka heart rate). The short version? Cardiac output is equal to stroke volume times heart rate. The really short version? Q = SV x HR
2.How much oxygen is used by the cells is called oxygen extraction. Oxygen extraction looks at how much oxygen is taken from the blood to be used by the cells to make ATP for energy. Oxygen extraction rates are measured by the difference in oxygen saturation of the blood going to the tissues (in the arteries) and of the blood returning to the heart (in the veins). This is known as the arterio-venous difference or A-VO2 difference.
Do you see how the Fick equation comes together now? You take your Q and your A-VO2 and put them together. Vo2 = Q x A-VO2 difference Do you see the importance of understanding Fick? If you know what components make up aerobic capacity (HR, SV, A-VO2 diff) you may have a better understanding of how you can influence those variables to increase an individual’s Max VO2.

What the Fick did that mean?!

Oh for Fick sake. It's ficking simple. To the RAF it means that a skinny 18 yr old female RAF cross country runner who also runs for the inter services has to do less shuttles than a fat, wheezy 50 yr old male Chief Tech. Simples.

I would also be intrigued to know what the scientific links are between genetic VO2 max and the ability to do algebra is.

Don't care how fit they are as long as they can fix an aeroplane.