Paper bag? Stale bread? You had it easy!
In all seriousness, I think this is just symptomatic of the shoddy way in which the MOD treats people. I can't really comment on the benefits of a tour in Germany, but it would seem that if you are being moved around at the exingencies of the Service, then it is their responsibility to ensure that you are not out of pocket in doing so. Note - not in profit, just not out of pocket. Or that is how many decent employers would see it.
My other half is an ex-Army now senior manager in a FTSE 100 company in Town. She is amazed at how badly the MOD is seen to treat its personnel. If her firm - admittedly a fairly progressive one that is financially doing well - tried to post people overseas and then left them out of pocket, they would be told where to go and people would leave.
Yes things are still looking iffy on the financial front, but with its policies the MOD is doing nothing but storing up problems for when the economy picks up. If you want to keep high calibre people, you have to be competitive, and with policies like this I just don't see that being the case. And at the moment, it is only the high calibre personnel that is keeping the MOD afloat. I just can't see how the MOD can possibly be competitive in future labour markets.