Hi Alex
I owe you an apology. I was in error with my quotes last post and incorrectly attributed RHC's comments to you. I am sorry for that error on my part.
Looking back more carefully, I see it was good ole Herr Clarke that had made the comment about the infanteers. It seemed that he thought Hunter was an Infanteer when in fact he's an Armoured Recce Crewman like me. Machts Nix, really.
Pay and allowance wise; I don't know from nothin' when it comes to Flight pay in the AF nor from Sea pay in the Navy. I care little for what blue-jobs and hairy-bags get (I say that in the kindest terms
). I can only hope they're earning it. BTW, Dad was AF for 39yrs and I married a Sailor.
The facts are that In-Theatre pay stops when you're not in-theatre. That seems sensible to me. Fair too. Yes, I can see how counting on making $20-30,000+ on a tour and then being wounded and having that lost woud be a let down to a soldier's (and his family's) plans. I can also think that being home alive is something that cannot have a price put on it. If wounded, VAC and SISIP will step up with additional $$ that will over time outstrip any amount a soldier could make on a tour he comes home un-scathed from. Yeah, he/she is wounded and may have greater challenges to overcome in that time but that's also the job they signed up for. If someone were to sign up in my trade and
not think they risk injury then I'd say they're a fool. The Military is not a day-care. We expect our troops to know what they're getting into and as long as the govmt upholds their end of the deal (and they have) then what complaint can we make. If the Govmt wants to change the rules for wounded troops or add some other benefit, great. I support that. What I don't support is exceptions to the stated existing rules for specific pay and allowances that are clearly defined with respect to how they are earned.
That's the thing about rules and regs, they're published and briefed to us and it's encouraged that the troops read and know them. If troops don't do that, how is it DND's fault?
Myk
Yes, Kandahar has had it's rocket attacks too but it's so big and also a multi-national base that few Cdns have actually been hurt. IEDs and Op Medusa have been garnering most of the headlines of late anyway.
Jon
I fear that the in-camp job I thought I had is not going to be so much "in-camp". That and I signed up for the replacement pool for Cbt Arm WOs. Shhhh, don't tell the wife; I didn't.
regards
Darrell