Difficult.
What follows is an outsider's view but not, I hope, worthless.
If you have many medals, and you like that, good.
If you have many medals and sling them in the drawer like my father did, good.
If you have few or none, and don't care, good.
If you have few or none and do care, not good.
The attitude of HMG and, for all I know, Her Gracious Majesty, is not new, and generation after generation has faced a lack of outward recognition while others have strutted and swanned around. The Gallipoli star is one example of a binned medal. Bomber Command is a more recent case. The inequitable issues of ration gongs such as Jubilee medals is yet another.
I have in front of me a strange document, addressed to Group Captain Langley RAFVR, with a personal number, from Gloucester. It went with my last overseas post, and in previous incarnations I was almost a Flt Lt and Sqn Ldr. It is without a date, and was held on file for issue if the balloon went up. A complete uniform was held in store, fitted once, checked annually. I did a full NBC course every year, went on every 1BR Corps Exercise, and a fair number of Harrier and other jollies in the field. I think I helped to win the Cold War.
No medal.
Apart from being buggered about with guard duties, SDO and the like, my existence was similar to, and parallel to, that of many a non-flying RAF officer at the time .......... even the 7/24 aspect was written in, and sometimes enforced. Paid less than a Group Captain, a lot less.
Would I like a medal? Yes.
Do I think I should have one? No.
Was it a worthwhile use of a 41 year career? Yes, undoubtedly.
I even got a few forecasts right, and no crew that I ever briefed was lost. Better than a medal.