Call over armed forces shortages

There are not enough servicemen and women to meet the demands placed on the UK armed forces by the situations in Afghanistan and Iraq, MPs have said.
The Commons public accounts committee said the overall shortfall in personnel stood at 5,850, or 3.2%, of full strength in April.
Numbers leaving early reached a 10-year peak in some areas, the report said.
The Ministry of Defence said there were shortages, but that "some of the pressure should soon start to ease".
Defence Minister Derek Twigg said the current "high tempo of operations" was stretching the armed forces, but insisted that recent reductions in the numbers serving in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq would help.
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(RG) Well no surprises there really the Government had to give the armed forces the biggest pay rise this year with 10% to try and lure young people into the Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan. They just don’t get it though do they. If they continue to treat ex serviceman with contempt who have fought for this country it sends out the wrong signals. It will get to a point in this country where the Government will try and bring in National Service. In my opinion it will not work in this day and age. When National service was last in force there was a bit of respect for authority, now there is none. Youths don’t think twice about getting drunk and punching a police officer, aside from the police who are shot and stabbed at an alarming rate. I suppose Gordon Brown could take a leaf out of an American President Lincolns book who said "welcome to America here is your army uniform" in the American civil war. Lets face it we have millions of immigrants pouring through our borders, so we could in theory have one of the biggest armies in the world? Yeah right we all know that would not work don’t we. Interesting the Government mentioning troop reductions in Northern Ireland, lets see how long have we had troops there? Since 1969, well with thirty more years predicted of War in Afghanistan lets hope King Tony’s peace dividend continues to bear fruit. Now King Tony is the middle east peace envoy which if it wasn’t sick I would find funny, perhaps he can sort his own mess out? I will keep my eyes open for a brown envelope dropping through my letter box as I know the Government would love to see me dead.


© Mack (RG) The thoughts of a Falklands War Veteran.