Why not quote the GROSS ANNUAL pay of a middle ranking officer and compare that with the wonderful world of civilian life where EVERYTHING you want has to be paid for out of your taxed income? Yes everything - work clothes, pensions, training, education, health care, no job security, etc etc. It is not all a bed of roses on the other side.
Workinghard
Too simplistic I am afraid. I can pick holes in your statement straight away. Work clothes - there are lots of companies out there that provide working clothes. Pensions - agree if it is contributory or private pension scheme. Training - lots of companies still provide training, particularly if keen on IIP. Education - all free to everyone if you use the state system. Health care - all free if you use the NHS. No job security - also more true of the armed forces now than it used to be.
Can some kind soul tell us then what you would expect an RAF Flt.Lt to earn gross with or without flying pay as an example and then perhaps we can get a measure of how much more needs to be paid.
I am not convinced that it is all about pay. It is just as much, if not more, about the erosion in standards of everything else to do with military life. Married quarters used to be reasonably well maintained and the rent was not aimed at being "market comparable". Health and dental care used to be available for you and your family, on base. Military hospitals looked after military personnel first and used spare capacity to support the NHS, not vice versa. Silly hoops were not there for jumping through - IIP anyone? Maintenance of the working environment was carried out relatively quickly and infrastructure was not allowed to deteriorate because the leaky roof was only cat B not cat A. Stations had telephone operators who knew the station environment not contractors who didn't have a clue. Say As You Starve was not the mantra and military chefs provided good food in the messes (stations even tried to win the catering competition to prove they provided the best). Dining-In nights were not driven by the overtime budget. Military personnel maintained aircraft to the best standard not to what it says in the contractor's contract. Buildings were not bulldozed and equipment sold off because there was a RAB 'cost of capital' and 'depreciation' charge on them. Limited infrastructure maintenance money was not wasted on putting disabled ramps into every building on base. Business speak was left to profit-making businesses not on the non-profit armed forces.
Fix some of these and you may be on the way to redressing the balance.