Granted we aren't paying for it, but I'm yet to see any school in Australia that you are on a daily renewable contract with (maybe cadetships, I'm honestly not sure). Pilot's course was pretty brutal, we started with 18 and finished with 11. Given the context of how the ADF employs those skills they've invested time and money into giving you, I think it's a fair trade.
Don't sell yourself short, dude.
You are paying for it in:
- Return of Service Obligation;
- many, many interstate moves;
- higher risk at work (bullets);
- non-negotiable conditions;
- forced family separation;
- steep and difficult learning curve during training, with a two strikes and you're out mentality;
- route marches, putting up with the crap without recourse, having to respond "yes Sir" when some absolutely hopeless dipsh!t gives you a totally absurd secondary duty, etc, etc.