[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=149025#p149025:1jg75pt9 said:
Omega Man » Mon May 18, 2015 9:18 pm[/url]":1jg75pt9]
In my book vets are the truest measure of a citizen. I feel a deep shame for what is happening to all our vets in the past and present. Pardon my of topic comments.
I cannot agree more, we in the UK have a so called covenant, between the government and the armed forces. Never have our soldiers been so mistreated, just one example, some months ago it was reported that a Sergeant was coming up to retirement, had he retired with his full term soldier he would have retired on full pay from 55. The MOD fired him with just 12 hours to go, which meant he would not get his full pension and further more he would have to wait until he was 67 to claim it. What did the Government do but backup the MOD.
My son was in the RN Submarine service for 9 years, he was a Leading Seaman or killick, he was told that his pension had been changed and that he would now no longer receive the pension he was promised, but he would have to pay more into his pension to get less, further more they, the navy decided to get rid of the PO's with all the knowledge and of course the higher pay and make the killicks do the job of the PO's without the pay or the rank.
My son along with a lot of his ship mates handed in their notice to quit, they have to give ONE years notice. The moment they hand in their notice they loose their subbies allowance and get paid the same as a surface rating. That cost him £400 pounds a month less in his pay packet, not only that but they then say he has to go to sea for up to 3 months, and again without subbies alowence. They even tried to put him on a boat, 2 weeks before he was due to leave as a replacement crew, to which he said sorry but you want me to go to sea now well that's fine,but on my last day I will no longer do any duty as I am no longer employed by the Navy, I will also sue the navy for kidnap and wrongful detention.
He also said that he would fall down the hatch and get taken off as injured. Now he is in Australia, he is serving the Australian Navy in their submarine service, he has at least 5 old crew members there already, he will keep his rank, unlike his mates that has to go down one rank for a year, he gets twice the pay than in the UK plus he gets a guaranteed pay rise after his first 6 months, subsidised accommodation, cheap loan to buy his own house, full Australian Citizenship in side of 3 months for him and his partner and child, free medical for the family. He is guaranteed not to go to sea for more than 6 months in any year, usually 4 months but no more than twice and with a minimum of 6 weeks shore work between patrols.
His pension if he does lifer, will be equivalent to full pay of one rank below his rank at leaving time. So he wants to be an Engineering Officer which they will help him to achive, so if he was say a Captain, he would retire on a Commodores pay.
And I thought that the American forces were well looked after.
Me I was a second Lieutenant for 3 years, my pension if I get one from the army next year whoopee 65, will be a bout 2 ponds a month if I am lucky. :smilie_happy: