CTD, first thing, try spell check, punctuation and paragraphs, it makes for easier reading.
Just because you're a pilot doesn't mean you get aircrew allowance. You have to be employed in a flying postion, which doesn't always happen. Same goes for sea duty allowance, if you're not employed in a sea going position, you don't get it. When I get back to my Sqn following my Sea King conversion course, I'll get sea pay in addition to the aircrew allowance that I already get. I'm still not sure that $500 a month is enough to compensate me for flying a 40 year old helo over 2 degree water from a 30 year old destroyer in the North Atlantic, but it was my choice to come here. Would I have gone elsewhere if I didn't get those allowances, I can't say for sure.
In effect, allowances such as sea pay, aircrew, paratroop, etc are hazardous duty pay, which you said you're not against. We are exposed to hazardous situations everytime we step foot in an aircraft or onboard a ship. Can you say the same for other trades that don't receive allowances?
As for this:
These funds in theory could be used else where in our budget instead of a cash crop for members. It is nice to get an extra bundle of money but is it really needed to keep people in. I think not.
I can't believe how wrong you are, it absolutely is necessary to keep people in. I have no idea why you would think otherwise, it's a little bit more money out of the government's pocket in exchange for keeping pilots that cost $1 million to train, a fair trade if you ask me. The same goes for other trades.
Finally, yes we are volunteers, we're not conscripts or draftees, we joined voluntarily, end of story.
From Websters:
Main Entry: 1vol ·un ·teer
Pronunciation: "vä-l&n-'tir
Function: noun
Etymology: obsolete French voluntaire (now volontaire), from voluntaire, adjective, voluntary, from Latin voluntarius
1 : a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service: as a :
one who enters into military service voluntarily b (1) : one who renders a service or takes part in a transaction while having no legal concern or interest (2) : one who receives a conveyance or transfer of property without giving valuable consideration