Why the negativity? I didn't have a clue about my pension until I'd been serving for 34 years (not that service as an officer before 21 counted...
) - I just assumed that it would happen when I left. Until, that is, the prospect of changes to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme were mooted, whereupon I realised that this would only be bad news (else why change things?), so pulled the B&Y as soon as I could, to coincide with the annual pay increase...
The 'cartoon' explanation could have benefited from a 'typical example' though.