This thread obviously splits opinion.
Personally I find it painfully sad, that after a long career in the RAF, Almost_Done feels he has to come on a anonymouse forum to get some kind of personal validation for his life.
His mates are the people who should be dining him out, and making him feel valued, and coming on here seems desperately lonely.
It's a bit like walking into a hangar full of 20000 people you don't know and saying "I'm off now" and expecting applause!?
Can you imagine if the hundreds of people in the flying branches of the military who leave the service every day came on here to say bye?
I once heard the quote that "apart from the memories of friends, the impression you leave behind when you leave the military is the same as the space left behind when you remove your hand from a bucket of water" and I think that is pretty close to the truth.
If Almost_Done thinks he deserves special attention, then tell us why.
I ask again, who are you?