As you and Courtney rightly say, isn't it crazy that we have to come here for financial advice on military pensions?
It might seem so, but actually it is entirely normal. I now work in the same industry as AL R (different "permissions") and therefore spend much of everyday on the phone talking to intermediary support teams from every major and minor lender and insurer in the UK...the support you get can be described in one simple word
Mixed
These are frontline phone operators. The big boys knowledge-wise (underwriters for example) are several layers back and usually inaccessible to the public and often us intermediaries too.
I expect it is exactly the same in the public sector - the people you "interface" with will often be limited in what they know and what they can do.
Not saying this is in any way correct - I'm just saying it is the modern world and therefore makes forums like this, where people with real experience and real knowledge lurk, all the more valuable.