There's a lot of bitterness on this thread isn't there???
This is something MOD will have to look at and soon. The reason:
F-35, Air Seeker (Rivet Joint), Reaper, Project Seedcorn (MPA) all involve/have already involved literally hundreds of people moving to the USA for extended periods. Not for 'cushy' sunshine tours, but to work bl00dy hard delivering key UK current and future capabilities. Not always in places you would neccessarily want to live (how many hurricanes/earthquakes/tornados{met variety not GR4} do you get at Lossie or Valley?).
Yes, everyone volunteers for the posts out there. Yes, most will have done plenty of time OOA (haven't we all?). Yes, everyone ought to look very closely a the costs/benefits of acccepting a post abroad.
However, the MOD will not get the volunteers to fill the important roles in the States and elsewhere if nobody can afford to go. Otherwise we will have spent an awful lot of money on technology that we do not know how to use or maintain, ad those that do will have taken jobs in industry that pay you a wage to recoup the losses.
There are plenty of jobs coming available for people who want to move abroad and see the reality of 'sunshine' tours so the manning agencies tell me...