OverTq
I don't think it's about having to move house every 2-3 years, I don't think it's even about the necessity of multiple out-of-area dets. I don't even think it's about pay.
My job is made 3 times harder by policy that often doesn't make sense. Despite the 'best ideas in the world' me and my mates can't do a thing to improve/suggest things because there is no internal communications policy. While you will readily tell me I don't need one because I'm in the military, what if the higher echelons could benefit from my opinions in forming policy/buying kit without it affecting military discipline? Why not benefit from communicating with people two-way rather than fearing it?
My daily equipment - not the detachment stuff - is old, second rate, often poorly designed and consistently sourced from the cheapest supplier. Nobody has ever asked me what I want or need to do my job better. And when we do get the chance of new kit the presumption has always been that my boss knows all about my job. Let's just say several of my bosses have built careers talking a good job! I need say little more on that subject than JPA.
OOA dets, yeah, they're a core requirement, but why are so many people still on the books who can't deploy? Why am I seemingly from the only country who pay income tax while away or who don't benefit from significantly more cash for being away, such as UN pay in the Balkans? It isn't all about cash, but why should anyone who's unfit ever bother to get fit? So they can go OOA and live in basic conditions for 4 months for essentially no extra money?
And even then, after I've jumped through everyones hoops to get to be away from my family for 4-6 months, I go to Brize to find nobody has bought any new aircraft to get me there - or more importantly get me home - because it doesn't matter to anyone!
For the majority I think you'll find pay is secondary.