Guys,
(Will freely admit have had a long and tiring day in Africa)
I re-read my post and realised it was very negative sounding.
All I wanted to convey is that when the government is giving you the shaft, which it frequently does, you can get out. It pays to remember the dark days, in a post you didn't want at the weekend on duty. Then log on to JPA and hit it. Don't do it when you;re Red 2 and you're about to spend the Winter in Cyprus, that's not going to help you. When it all goes well, the military is a great job, I loved it. When it goes badly, it's shocking and will leave you feeling powerless and miserable.
Take control, if you don't like it, do something about it. You'll make enough money on pensions as a civvy anyway as you'll get paid well and live a life of your choosing.