wuh, sorry to hear about the poor treatment you received while serving your country. Your point about the difference it makes if you are on/off a Station confirms a conclusion I came to when serving. The RAF is a military force within the Station gates, but a bureaucratic pyramid outside them. The more glittering the titles (eg AOC-in-C, etc) the further up the pyramid you are. Mickey Martin used to slip his minders and chat to Station personnel just to find out what was really going on, as against what he was told by his staff.
I was lucky, with excellent bosses who used their extensive discretionary powers to the utmost. I was the fortunate recipient of such efforts from time to time. They valued their subordinates, and loyalty was a two way thing. The bean counters laid waste to so much of that but they truly know the value of nothing. That is what will be left unless there is a full return of the Powers Of Subordinate Commanders.