I have a lot to thank the Service (RAF) for. My qualifications are as a result of their faith in me.
I'm sorry, MightImp, for using your quote, but its a typical comment from those of us who believe that the RAF has done something for us.
The fact is that it was you, and you alone, that obtained the qualifications and the development that ensued. The RAF did not, in any sense, give them to you. Sure, the Service might have provided the resources, but it was in the Service's interest that you took up the challenge of bettering yourself. You owe nothing to the Service as an organization. However, we all owe some loyalty, at least, to those Service friends and colleagues around us, on a short term basis (ie co-ordinating leave, AT and sports, supporting each other, etc, but when it comes to career decisions, we must all do what is best for us, individually. If that aligns with what the RAF wants for us, then fine, they luck in.
At the monent, I feel the RAF's corporate vision is misaligned with the aspirations of the majority of its people, which is a shame.