PAYD was campaigned for years by airmen who claimed they hardly ate in the mess. The official line was a change would amount to "pay as you starve" Now the change came after I left, and I'm not sure exactly what the driver was, but today's airmen are certainly getting what yesterday's wanted.
PAYD is a tri-service, self-inflicted wound. Thank those whiners who couldn't see past the fact that paying for food at weekends when they may not have been on-base evened out during the week.
So, as Al R says, blame the soldiers, sailors and airmen of yesteryear. The system cops out every time by saying 'well, PAYD is what everyone wanted.'
