Currently we are as near to full manning as we are ever likely to get. The problem is that full manning is not necessarily 'right' manning as current ops demand more of some trades (MOS) then others and it takes time to grow specialists, adjust manning structures etc.
Afghanistan is recruitment positive and the current economic downturn is retention positive. What we find difficult to quantify is how many joined us because of the downturn and are staying on purely because of the downturn. We expect that once the business sector picks up we will see a sharp uptake across the rank spectrum of people getting out.
Within the officer corps I have detected an increasing degree of cynicism and disillusionment with our senior leadership as a result of experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan (more so); an echoing of Coldstreamer's comments on toxic leadership. This may just be the jaundiced and cynical company that I keep
- or it may point to an increasing number of career officers leaving in the future.
And of course the whispers of cutbacks (probable) and redundancies (wishful) have already started!
RR
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