Please, speaking as an old fogey myself just because we put up with it back in our day, it doesn't mean that its alright now. People have moved on a loooong way.
We must start thinking about the fact that IF we are to carry out the politician's wishes and involve ourselves in silly wars in the middle east, we MUST have a first class, fully operational base at Akrotiri with all the bells and knobs.
We need to realise that while its perfectly lovely flying around in the expensive machines that the taxpayer funds, unless we have the technicians to maintain them, they won't fly.
These days, like it or not, technicians are NOT squaddies, they want proper working conditions - good fully functioning workplaces, proper clothing, really good places to eat when on duty and seriously comfortable places to live in whether married or single. If you don't understand that this is the way people think today, then get out of the way - because they do.
If the politicians don't want to fund this, then they need to stop running after the Americans every time they click their fingers.
Personally I think we in these islands need a top class Air Force and a top class Navy, because these are the services that will keep us safe and able to operate where we please. Not to denigrate the Army, I would want to see it as a special forces organisation, seriously professional (as indeed the special forces are)
Our concern here as current and former Air Force people is with the Air Force, and the whole thing from cheese sandwiches to around 16% of Tornadoes actually combat-ready is simply not acceptable - its time the Air Force top brass grew something that would make them capable of telling the PM and ministers that they must pay for top class or forget strutting the world stage.