Desperado,
Thanks for a well reasoned reply to the initial criticisms. As someone who has been away for a large amount of time, I can honestly say the money does not mean anything any more. Whether I received £100 or £1000 a month whilst away, the fact that I am away from my wife and family will never be improved. Although maybe I could afford to pay for a Civ Air ticket home rather than a military flight.
I married my wife not the RAF. The people I work with are in the majority fantastic people, but I need to feel close to home and money will never substitute it. Contact through the Web, Text messages and phone cards will reduce that feeling of isolation. Additionally, the guarantee of a period of time off on the return home, rather than the possibility of another short notice task, would again provide a focus for your family.
The only answer of course is more people or less committments but after 11 years I have lost any hope of that type of solution