BDiONU & Gonzo
The funny thing is - I'm not bitter. That entails a level of emotion and to be honest I'm extremely dispassionate about such things. It is a personal view about my perceptions of life in the RAF after 15 years in TG9 (To be fair those views only apply to the first 12 years, the last 3 I had nothing to do with the trade / branch and my observations about those are a lot better). The past is the past - only the future counts.
In G I T's post I see myself 28 years ago, (forces family and upbringing, cadets, wanted to fly but couldn't - specs wearer in my case, love aviation etc - could be identical) and if I had my time again I would seriously re-consider my career options. Especially when you bring the situation into the modern day (overstretch, limited resources, instability of life outside the service due to service pressures).
If he goes with the career choice therefore the advice still stands - because it is advice, nothing more.