Doug, I really do like your posts a great deal. I think you talk a lot of sense, however I think you're undermining your credibility on this one.
I've got no particular feelings towards the military one way or another. Many of your colleagues, and many here do. Many have an emotional attachment for past personal reasons. For one, it's going to be very difficult to sell a negative attitude, especially about a pilot on a pilot forum.
Secondly, how you can talk of a job such as an air force (or navy, or army) pilot in such terms is beyond me. It's hardly a made-up non-job is it? A military pilot is a perfectly respectable, perfectly common and perfectly reasonable post to hold. If he were the some council consultant trousering 100k for a 3 day week teaching communication to binmen then fine, but really, a pilot?
There are those that would argue they're defending our country right now - I wouldn't, but that's by the by. Is an airport fireman at Southampton a sponger, because let's face it, he's not going to be putting out many burning wrecks this week? No, and neither is our friend here. He doesn't have to be in the Battle of Britain to prove or justify his use in society. His occupation has a touch more heritage and permanence than those who are low-cost airline pilots.
Lastly I think calling him a backstabber is wide of the mark. Him, or anybody else from the forces who takes a DEC position. They're not in BALPA, they're not in the company, they're not even in the airline industry yet. How is an individual meant to negotiate which company has sufficient FOs for upgrade but it trying to stitch up the crew, and which has a genuine need of captains now? Even if they could, why should they? They're on the outside and don't owe us a thin dime.
£1000/month, no sector pay, 6 months. Sound good? That's what those on the inside have achieved. Inaction, chips on shoulders, laziness and misguided class-warfare on our part that has allowed cadets to be exploited like this - there's your treachery, not some pilot looking to take his skills into the commercial market. This is worse than backstabbing, this is outright stupidity because we will reap what we sow, we're not immune to this race to the bottom by virtue of where we are now and it will bite us sooner or later. That is why this "profession" is going to the dogs. I don't want it anymore, Binsleepen is welcome to it, and I sincerely wish him good luck. Why one would lament missing out on some mangled part time/full time/less-money/base tranfer to the arse end of nowhere or 1000 miles from your home/leave deleted/oh look you're an FO again for a bit command is beyond me anyway.