And one day, when you are
actually leading (perhaps even a sqn !!), you'll learn NOT to fly off on a rant before you have all the facts in your little arsenal of explosives.
Commo-dude only stated the outcome of his wife's memorandum and the WOs final words to her. But, he failed to point out, in his original post, some pretty important facts. That's why, as you learn to be a "leader", WOs like myself will tell you (over & over & over again) --- ask questions!! I did that via PM ... and it worked for me.
Facts are:
1) His wife works in a position that is essential manning, within a Unit which is critical to maintaining operations. That Unit is criticly undermanned, even with the straight day workers.
2) Her WO did, in fact, lay out the reasons why he could not afford to lose her from that critical manning position (it
would effect ops) and that the Unit could not afford to accomodate her in this manner. He certainly didn't simply read the memorandum and look at her and say "too bad; it ain't going to happen" as the original posts infers.
(Give us WOs some credit would you Max?? -- Even AF WOs!!
. We've been around a long friggin' time and sure as crap don't need future leaders such as yourself implying that we don't give a frig about our troops -- because that's bullshit. We have already learned to ask the important questions already before diving into a rant. One day, you will too. Get it??)
3) Her CoC (ie the WO!!) explained to her, that in her situation, (the conflict between her family situation & the operationally necessary requirements of her Unit) that the options for accomodation were such that she could attempt to find more suitable daycare (and in failing that invoke her Family Care Plan), or request to take LWOP.
Neither of these options (obviously) seem to be acceptable to this married service couple (this couple who's own personal choices have placed them in the situation they now find themselves in -- also an important factor to remember).
Via PM, commo_dude had ponited out to me that they didn't agree with the WOs observations because:
"They are telling us that they can't afford to let her go onto day shift, but they CAN afford to let her go on leave for 6 months and be totally short a body."
I pointed out to him, that even though that may seem like the case -- it is not. As the granting (and even the offering of allowing his spouse to take LWOP for the time period in question is, in fact, QOL Accomodation of their self-imposed family situation by the Unit) of LWOP would essentially remove her name from the Unit Org chart ... thus the kicking in of funding to hire (ARAF) Class B to fill her essential position during her absence would occur.
Their family gets what they want (ie one parent home with the kids for the 6 months vice being raised by caregivers) and the CF can continue operating as it requires. Sometimes, that's just the way it is and the way it has to be.
One day, when you lead a Sqn -- you will very quickly learn that you simply can NOT accomodate single-parents within your Unit who don't want to work shift (so their kids aren't being raised by caregivers), every person whose spouse gets posted IR across the nation who therefore doesn't want to work shift (so their kids aren't being raised by caregivers), every person whose spouse works days at a civilian job who doesn't want to work shift (so their kids aren't being raised by caregivers), every person who's married to a shift-worker who doesn't want to work shift (so their kids aren't being raised by caregivers), because the ONLY people you'd have left to work shifts -- are the ones who ARE NOT asking for the CF to make special allowances for them based upon their own personal choices.
The troops who you accomodate (ie most of them) would love the hell out of you. The troops that CAN and DO do their jobs would hate you. Your Sqn would suffer because you would have, in fact, become a willing babysitter for personnel effected by their own actions. Further, your CoC would probably fire your *** because your Sqn could not perform it's essential tasks and because the release rate you caused with the troops who are able, willing and who do do the jobs required of them (ie shifts) are fed up with the babysitting service that you are providing to others while they get tagged with all the shitty tasks and shiftwork etc etc.
It's all up to you.
