When you have left the RAF, and are trying to earn a living in the real world, I think most of you will realise how pointless these 'turning up' medals really are...
Sure you may earn some respect for a gallantry decoration, and have really earned it. But for the rest, they will gather dust somewhere. Your salary and, if you are lucky, your annual bonus will allow you to reward your family in a way that a pointless trinket cannot.
Perhaps a few will flame me, but 5 years after leaving I wonder now what all the fuss was about for so many parts of Service life. The real world - and the requirement to earn a real living - focuses the mind and hones your motivation.