There is not a lot of empathy or indeed sympathy anywhere in Manning at the moment. The general message is "like it or lump it", whether regarding allowances, pay, pensions or career prospects. The assumption underpinning this, no doubt, is that the really determined career climbers will stick it out regardless in their pursuit of bigger and better things in a smaller air force. Unfortunately the career 'plodders' who are happy simply to be excellent at their day jobs don't have this motivation, and expect to be remunerated at a level commensurate with their experience (and value to the organisation). Unfortunately many career climbers have nothing but derision for 'plodders' and this is reflected in some of the stuff we have seen over the last couple of years - just look at the low value attached to primary duties by promotion boards, for example.
**** on the 'plodders' enough and they will leave, which will leave an RAF consisting of career climbers (too senior to fly), career climbers who fell off the ladder (who often aren't much good at flying because their limited capacity was all spent on gaining promotion) and young'uns still deciding whether to become career climbers or jump early (and these are obviously lacking in experience). Not a particularly attractive mix to be Boss of - so why would the career climbers stick around either?