Good point - if they catch you between 38-40 for 5 years, then a genuine second career is harder to achieve. It is not impossible, but in comparison to a younger guys that 'pulls the yellow and black' at say 33-38, he has all of the experience and the opportunity to really make a go of a second career.
I suppose the rationale (which I am slowly coming around to) is that if may career is going to put me behind a desk in the Forces, then why not leave at a point where I know that within a few years there is every possibility that my previous military experience etc etc will put me on a better salary than if I slogged my (and my families) guts out running through the quagmire that we are currently in trying to sort out the mess that we are due to lack of investment and yet over commitment.
This to me is where the maths just doesn't add up - 60k in the bank is nothing in comparison to some of the salaries/bonuses are that are achieveable if the decision is made to take your skills to civialian strasse early enough.