Flexible Service case study: Corporal Albert MacDonald video transcript
Updated 28 April 2023
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Flexible Service Case Study: Restricted Separation
0:04 - 0:13
My name is Albert MacDonald, I’m a corporal and my current role within the
0:13 – 0:17
RAF is to manage and maintain the deployed video conferencing network
0:17 - 0:24
here at PJHQ Northwood. I’m a single parent so my schedule revolves around
0:24 -0:27
getting my youngest child Sean to get him ready for school in the
0:27 - 0:34
mornings, he’s disabled so he needs help with certain things. I applied for the
0:34 – 0:39
Restricted Separation, which limits how long I can be sent away from my family.
0:39 – 0:48
Flexible Service is quite simple and straightforward. Just put your application in on JPA. It was an
0:48 – 0:51
absolute godsend. The situation I was in, I had nobody for support to look
0:51 – 0:59
after my children when I was away for these four to six months at a time, so it
0:59 – 1:05
was a big headache for me and I was contemplating leaving the military, which
1:05 – 1:09
is something I would have only done as a last resort, dreaded the thought of it.
1:09 – 1:14
It suits him down to the ground and knowing that somebody with Albert’s knowledge and experience
1:14 – 1:17
means that the section itself benefits from him being there rather than knowing
1:17 – 1:20
that at some point he could be taken away from us.
1:20 – 1:27
It’s a lot of stress trying to find a solution to who’s going to look after your family for four
1:27 – 1:32
to six months. I don’t have that worry for the next three years, which is what
1:32 – 1:39
I’ve signed up for, for a Restricted Separation. So I’m not going to say my
1:39 – 1:44
life is carefree until then, but it’s given me breathing space. I can relax,
1:44 – 1:49
concentrate on my family, concentrate on work as well and not have the
1:49 – 1:55
distraction of having to find a solution to being away from my family for a long time.