Family life has changed somewhat since the 70s - not all for the better!
In those good old days, the wife would stay at home and look after the family. It was easier for hubby to relocate then as compared to now, when wives often have careers that require them to stay in one place. This is one example of where change in society has outstripped change in the Armed Forces. A wife staying at home looking after children disgracefully does not get a full pension at the age of 60 as she is not paying NI.
The "civilianisation" of the Armed Forces is embraced by HMG and MoD on certain occasions, such as when it comes to rises to FQ charges in order to line the pockets of a Japanese bank, oops I mean to bring the charges in line with market sector rent.
The demographics may indeed prove troublesome if many of those who are midway to two-thirds of the way towards a pension decide to pull the plug. This may be exacerbated by the new pension scheme - which pays out on a 35 year maximum period of service and doesn't link with inflation until age 60 - and the lack of provision of boarding schools, family healthcare, cheap housing etc that used to be part of the Service lifestyle. So in later years, many of those striving towards a pension - who will have joined in the last 2 years or so - may decide that the pension is not the incentive it once was, and that there are financial and other reasons for leaving - buying a house (rather than paying high FQ rent), allowing the wife (or husband) to earn a decent salary (and a pension in later life), school places, health and dental care etc.
The real pinch point may well be in 10 years time, the 100th anniversary of the RAF, once the inadequacies of the new pension and of the Service lifestyle become apparent!