BDIONU
I too am ex mil, and although I despair at the man management skills of a lot of our 'management' (to be fair, they do not get good enough training), I too think that NATS is a world apart from mil days. Niknak may have a genuine cause for complaint, but that is probably brought about by not having experienced real life!!
When you apply to join NATS, you kow exactly what thew score is.... if you are not happy with what could happen to you then don't join, if you are not aware of what could happen to you, then you don't deserve to be in a job that requires free thinking and an ability to work both as an individual and as a team (and that applies to all workers in NATS).
G-OFUK
Good luck with your enterprise - it's a good way of massaging the system to both your benefit and to any applicant and good luck with the course - you sound like you will fit in well!!