"Pops away" is obviously a blunty who can't afford the resettlement course that will teach him to spell
If there's a perk to a job, then you use it. There's enough crap flying peoples way in service life these days that why shouldn't some benefit come out of it too. As has been pointed out it costs the military nothing as the sortie would already have taken place, and the individual is still paying the examiner for the test.
I wasn't fortunate enough to be in that position and had to bite the bullet and pay (£10K+) to get a meaningful civil qualification. You play the cards you're dealt.
Get a life.