How the RAF has changed.
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RAF pays woman to train as stripper
An RAF aircraftswoman received money from the Ministry of Defence to re-train as a stripper, it was disclosed yesterday.
Stephanie Hulme, 23, was given a resettlement grant to go on a pole dancing course in the West End of London and is now working in a lap dancing club in the capital.
The disclosure angered politicians, who claimed that it was a waste of taxpayers' money at a time when the Armed Services were facing dramatic cuts.
A reduction in Government defence spending has meant the amalgamation of regiments and a reduction in RAF manpower from 48,500 to 41,000.
Miss Hulme, who worked in air traffic control and was latterly stationed at RAF Aldergrove near Belfast, took the £490 course run at the For Your Eyes Only dancing school.
Yesterday Miss Hulme claimed that the RAF paid her £2,100 to cover the course, flights to England, accommodation in a four-star hotel and expenses over four weekends.
"My request to go on a table-dancing course certainly raised a few eyebrows," she said. "The RAF is obliged to help you prepare for work away from the military and has people to help you choose a career or trade. Most people opt for things like plumbing or electrical work, but that didn't appeal to me."
Miss Hulme changed career after spending five years in the RAF.
Patrick Mercer, the Conservative defence spokesman, said: "While the resettlement package is very important to help servicemen and women back on to civvy street I do think there is a limit. The MoD has lost sight of its priorities on this one."
An MoD spokesman said: "All members of the Armed Forces after five years service are entitled to a resettlement grant to go out and get their personal affairs in order unless they are medically discharged."
I thought the retraining was only available if you were likely to not find a job relating to your military role?
Surely she could have gotten a job at an airport somewhere?
So the RAF (i.e. the public) spend thousands training you for a military job and then have to pay again for retraining when you decide to leave (or made surplus to requirements as in this case).
Surely she could have gotten a job at an airport somewhere?
So the RAF (i.e. the public) spend thousands training you for a military job and then have to pay again for retraining when you decide to leave (or made surplus to requirements as in this case).
m-five said:
I thought the retraining was only available if you were likely to not find a job relating to your military role?
Surely she could have gotten a job at an airport somewhere?
So the RAF (i.e. the public) spend thousands training you for a military job and then have to pay again for retraining when you decide to leave (or made surplus to requirements as in this case).
The article in the times noted that there was a £500 training allowance, which could be spent on any legal career.
As poledancing is legal, she was fine to spend it on that.
m-five said:
So the RAF (i.e. the public) spend thousands training you for a military job and then have to pay again for retraining when you decide to leave (or made surplus to requirements as in this case).
:RAFheadon:
And they are willing to die for your country, a few hundred quid for resettlement is worth it don't you think?
The grant you get is based on time served.
:RAFheadoff:
>> Edited by greenlandy on Tuesday 10th May 13:57
Resettlement can last up to 6 months, if you have been in since 1914. Remember that there are some Warrant Officers in the RAF that have never had their own house or been in the real world, scary but true, that’s why resettlement can last 6 months.
Seeing that this young lady has left after 5 years I would presume that she has PVR’d (premature Voluntary Release (which I guess is now what most of her punters will be doing)). This would mean that she could only get the basic entitlement for retraining, £500.
Bloody good luck to her, that’s what I say and does she give a forces discount? (now where is my 1250)
PS Times must have changed, when I was service with Betty Windsor Airlines all the WRAF’s were total dogs! I am sure I just had a few bad postings.
Seeing that this young lady has left after 5 years I would presume that she has PVR’d (premature Voluntary Release (which I guess is now what most of her punters will be doing)). This would mean that she could only get the basic entitlement for retraining, £500.
Bloody good luck to her, that’s what I say and does she give a forces discount? (now where is my 1250)
PS Times must have changed, when I was service with Betty Windsor Airlines all the WRAF’s were total dogs! I am sure I just had a few bad postings.
m-five said:
I thought the retraining was only available if you were likely to not find a job relating to your military role?
Surely she could have gotten a job at an airport somewhere?
So the RAF (i.e. the public) spend thousands training you for a military job and then have to pay again for retraining when you decide to leave (or made surplus to requirements as in this case).
IIRC the grant is about two and half grand and can be spent on any justifiable career introdction/qualification course, but if it makes you feel any better about how much and where the tax payers money is going, on the whole people in the forces earn less than their civilian counterparts.
simpo two said:
Redundancy pay/retraining is one thing, but if you leave an employer voluntarily, why should you get a 'grant' at all? It doesn't work like that in the real world, ie the non-public sector, or what's left of it. She's 23 for heaven's sake; plenty of time to start another job.
You should if you were willing to put your life on the line for your Country.
What a total load of bollox, public service of any sort is not an excuse to be treated like a lame can't do. Public money being mis-spent......
whether they are prepared to die is no excuse, we ALL have excuses which could entitle us to a nice cuddly payout but if the money is public, they just throw it at you. Sure, I'd take whatever money is thrown at me but it shouldn't be available to start with, that's my problem.
I'd really like to know where I can go and declare myself a colourblind, lefthanded, lazy lesbian and get MY big payout.
whether they are prepared to die is no excuse, we ALL have excuses which could entitle us to a nice cuddly payout but if the money is public, they just throw it at you. Sure, I'd take whatever money is thrown at me but it shouldn't be available to start with, that's my problem. I'd really like to know where I can go and declare myself a colourblind, lefthanded, lazy lesbian and get MY big payout.
love machine said:
What a total load of bollox, public service of any sort is not an excuse to be treated like a lame can't do. Public money being mis-spent......
I'd really like to know where I can go and declare myself a colourblind, lefthanded, lazy lesbian and get MY big payout.
Well thats just tough then!
love machine said:
What a total load of bollox, public service of any sort is not an excuse to be treated like a lame can't do. Public money being mis-spent......
I'd really like to know where I can go and declare myself a colourblind, lefthanded, lazy lesbian and get MY big payout.
Lame can't do, she has just spent 5 years in a job and has received around £2.5k in a structured payout to retrain for a new role, how much do you think was spent in training her for a role in the Forces? 6 weeks basic training plus around 6 months trade training, how much would a 6 month training course in civvy street cost you? Most civilian training courses that I have attended have run at a minimum £500 a day.
At least she is working and paying tax, save your rantings for some scrounger who is pulling in £2.5k a month in benefits and contributing nothing.
I spent 12 years in the RAF, I spent my ressetlement grant on IT courses plus another £7k of my own cash, I am now earning 3x my leaving salary and paying more in tax per year than I used to earn, maybe that should be seen as a good investment by the Govt!
What I would like to know is if I am earning >£70k per year how come I am still skint.....Now there is a problem.
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