I joined in 1958 and left in 1977, mainly because I couldn't buy a house, run a car and maintain a family on £400 a month. I left and never regretted it. I rejoined, at the RAF's request, in 1991 and had a marvelous 3 years on a UAS and then had to retire at age 55 and would have stayed on if I could have. I don't think I would be happy in the RAF right now and I worked with, but not in, the RAF from 1993 to 2005 and watched it all sliding downhill to where it is now, which is not a good place, in truth