Vernon99
Well spoken. I have nothing but respect for the Army and Navy, but as a career they would not have been for me. The Armed Forces of the UK are populated entirely by volunteers and the military competes with every other employer to recruit and retain people. Plan A for me was the RAF, Plan B was not a military one. I suspect (with good reason), that a great many people who may be planning to join the RAF would not join the other services if the RAF option was removed.
I tasted a little of army life (just a couple of weeks) when I was on a course and that confirmed my opinion; moreover, the creeping pongo-isation of the RAF was a mjaor factor in my decision to leave - again, I know of many who felt the same way.
By the way, this is nothing to do with a desire to stay in hotels and be home for tea every night - it's a little more cerebral than that. It's to do with the style and ethos of leadership and professionalism. The RAF is different from the Navy, and very different from the Army. Not better or worse, just different.
And for some people, that difference is very, very important.