I don't think the casual approach to end of service in the UK armed forces is anything new.
My paternal grandfather enlisted in one of the London (infantry) Regiments on 28 October 1913. Whilst I haven't researched his service, I do recall him talking to me, as a child of perhaps 12 or so, about some of his experiences in the trenches during the First World War, whilst my father sat beside us in some disbelief having never heard any of it from his father.
Grandad (obviously) survived that conflict and was, in the immortal terms of his Army Form Z.21., which I have before me, "Disembodied" on 6 February 1919. I am also looking at his three war medals which came to me following his death in 1973.
I dare say that he was simply given the bit of paper and shown the door. Like most, if not all, of his, and subsequent, generations he just went off and got on with the rest of his life.
I think we could do it so much better, and perhaps a bit of fuss and recognition would mean even more pride in what we achieved.