The military pension is different because it is also a form of compensation for an unavoidably early termination of a professional career. In many ways, footballers, ballet dancers and North Sea divers have had similar breaks. The 'Inevitably we have to draw the line somewhere' line is bilge. It is bilge in principle and it is bilge in practice. By way of evidence that flexibility and tapering may be embraced as and when appropriate,
when it suits, the new MPs pension scheme refers;
Accrued pensions in respect of service up to 6 May 2010 may be paid from age 60 where service up to 6 May 2010 exceeds 20 years, and from an age between 60 and 65 where service up to 6 May 2010 is between 20 and 15 years.
In respect of maintaining accrued benefits in keeping with the much vaunted 'line in the sand', this is what those same MPs were able to negotiate for themselves;
Should there be transitional protection for MPs relatively close to retirement?
In the reformed public service pension schemes, members who were within 10 years of normal pension age on 1 April 2012 will stay in the existing scheme until they retire. They will also retain their current normal pension age, although they will also pay the increased contributions for their salary level. Members between 10 and 13.5 years of retirement are able to choose to stay within the existing scheme for a period. Younger members will move to the new scheme as soon as it is introduced. This protection strives to be fair to members who are close to their expected retirement age and are less able to change their plans than younger members. MPs aged between 51.5 and 55 years will be able to choose to benefit from protection for a short period.
What about those servicemen who are 'less able to change their plans'? This is not an outrage bus, and although the principle of unfairness might not be as relevant in Sgt Anderson's case, it still applies to scores of others.