I agree, for the UK military this is not about money. It is about having a quarter that is not mouldy, having a Mess with hot water, not having to go to other Messes for “combined messing”, not watching the various PFIs/Contracts ripping us off on a daily basis, not having to use the ridiculous Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system, not having to put up with substandard uniforms, not having to justify your need to travel to a subordinate (and if it’s air travel getting a 1-star to auth it!), the politics of envy from the other Branches/Trades being allowed to continue, the low amount of live flying and there are many more...
The pay deal, when coupled to the pension (even the latest AFPS15), along with various allowances (DS/NS, HTD and CEA) is pretty good and is only really out-trumped when you sell your soul and go tax-free working in the sand-pit. Granted, in recent years, in real terms the pay deal has been eroded under “austerity” so a modest 5-10% pay increase for all would be nice to re-address. But if we pay people more cash without fixing the underlying issues then we just end up with “Rich P!ssed Off People” in our midst!
Finally, there are plenty of re-joiners coming back as there are things that civvy street doesn’t do. For instance, whilst doing long-haul backwards and forwards to Montego Bay three-four times a month sounds like a dream, it tends to get a bit “samey” and the crews tend to bomb-burst after flight to do their own things (low levels of camaraderie is seen). Some are OK with that but others hate it. In recent years the competitive airline market has seen long-haul spending more time away from home and the use of 5-star hotels for crews is a thing of the past. So it is not what it used to be either.