Armed Forces Pay Review Board 2014
Equilibrium,
I would question your assertion that the public purse is empty and suggest that it has as much if not more to do with political choices in how we spend what money we do have.
I'm away from home at moment so don't have the opportunity to back up my facts, but I'm sure I recently heard that spending during the current bout of austerity has increased. If that is correct, QED.