Melchett,
I could be wrong, and I stand by to be corrected.
But isn't AFPS 'as good' as it is (was?!) because of the nature of the military contract and that a second career and decent employment after a military career wasn't a given and there weren't so many possibilities of further employment?
The erosion of the military contract is meaning that the benefits of the AFPS are being lost. Some will argue that they are being lost because a military career structure is more closely accessible and aligned to one in civvy street and that therefore, the terms can be the same.