Armed Forces Welfare
The worst option, by far, is to allow further shrinkage by default, through a continuing haemorrhage of the brightest and the best from the Army and the RAF. Those who can command good jobs in the civilian world are often heading for the door first. This will not just leave us with smaller Armed Forces. We will have less professionally capable services, as it is the middle ranking officers and senior NCOs who play the critical role in determining standards and fighting spirit.