I have been reading this thread with some interest, and from someone who has just left the service, I would like to add my view to this. RSS, nice to see you are keeping an interest here, however I feel that there is a bigger picture to this, not just the question abour AMM's. At the moment the Airforce is playing a juggling act, putting folks on sections or squadrons that are operationally criticle, while on the other hand, gapping posts on sections or squadrons that are not deemed operationally criticle. Personally, every section is criticle to the way the Airforce, or indeed all three services run. I think we can agree that mistakes have been made in the past on forcasted manpower levels. I think no one could have predicted the current strain on serving personnel, especially squadron personnel who are now facing more OOA commitments than ever before and not having time at home to be with families etc. My last posting in the Airforce, to be honest, was a complete joke. We were operating at 75% manning on average and that did include the people that were OOA, leave, guard etc. Yet we were expected to maintain an output to that of a 100% manned unit. I wrote on another thread not so long ago about an entire trade desk PVR'ing after they had returned from another rotation in the middle east because of the constant strain that they were under. When I left not too long ago, some trade desks on squadrons had roughly three to five bods a trade desk. I remember on average nine to ten bods a desk on a shift, that was roughly four years ago. People have had enough. You can only push people so far before they crack and say, " thats it, i've had enough, I want to get off" At the moment, that's excactly whats happening. The manpower levels are not at the levels they should be and it's starting to push experience to the exit door in even greater numbers. RSS you said that we had to start from somewhere, yes indeed, we did, however I always had experienced JNCO's and JT's to show me the ropes. However it's these folks that are leaving and the AMM's are going to find it difficult to get the knowladge they want, when most of the JNCO's, SAC'T and the remaining JT's, that have served for over nine years, have left to pursue other careers, because they have been pushed to the limit, due the lack of manpower. Surely you can see where I am comming from on this. I know it's not your fault, but it drives me insane to see good people, that you want to retain, leave, because of the current manpower problems in the Airforce. If you don't beleive me, than ask those people I have mentioned. No senior bods, just them and ask for honest answers, you will get them.
DT_Xtremez_06:
