UK military problems & policies

[davidbfpo]

According to a British Army contact one of the infantry battalions scheduled to go to Afghanistan next Spring is currently only able to deploy two, not three rifle companies, plus a support company and HQ (minus one rifle company).

I suspect a third rifle company will be grafted on, from other units; I recall - without details - a Para unit deployed with a Ghurkha company added for example

There is no sign of recruiting picking up, although there are too many junior officers to go around (odd I thought and confirmed by Wilf as affecting the Royal Marines too).

What caused this recruiting problem, no - a crisis? Multiple factors and IMHO includes the recent regimental reforms which reduced local links in favour of bigger is better (one reason ostensibly was to improve recruiting across a wider area).

Now the Army faces increasing demands, notably in Afghanistan, with a second brigade to be deployed. Part of the Army's response has been to post recruits to where they are needed most, i.e. for impending operational tours and not the regiment they choose to hoin or have an affinity to - for all manner of reasons, e.g. brother serving in. Understandable? Yes, appears to have short-term gains outbalanced by long-term losses IMHO.

Apparently news of this response has spread outside the army and recruiting has gone down.

There appears to be no political will to allow the British Army to recruit, even reform, to fill the gap.

davidbfpo