I think that under this Government, the stock of the Armed Forces is at a high. They may not give you the tools you need to do the job, and they're certainly guilty of increasing over-stretch, but they appreciate that they have world class forces, and have tried to facillitate public shows of appreciation.
With Afghanistan and Iraq in the news daily, the public are aware what the forces are doing, and there's widespread admiration for what you chaps do, even among sections of society who may have disagreed with the invasion of Iraq very strongly.
But (and you just knew there would be a 'but') Government and Public support for the Armed Forces can be guaranteed only for as long as it doesn't necessitate another penny in the pound on income tax, or any diversion of funds away from those parts of the state which affect them directly, whether that's universal child support (such a useful means of paying for the pony's tack, don't you know), winter fuel payments for pensioners or even TV licencing.