Shortage of new armed forces recruits 'putting lives at risk'

The Armed Forces are desperately short of thousands of specialist personnel essential to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, new figures reveal.
The statistics show there are severe shortages in the Navy, RAF and Army in jobs ranging from intelligence operators to medics.
In some specialist jobs, more than eight in ten posts are vacant.
Experts are leaving because they are sick of the demands of continuous operation and are lured by lucrative security jobs in the private sector.
It has emerged the MoD is so desperate to stem the exodus that it is offering £2,000 "golden hellos" to people joining specialist trades, reservists or civilian contractors.
The statistics, released in a parliamentary answer, show one of the worst-affected areas is medical staff, with more than a quarter of all posts unfilled.
One in five officers from the Intelligence Corps left in the last three years, hampering the military's ability to fight terrorism. Read The Rest Here

(RG) As I have published on my side bar ''The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation'' --George Washington-- "Are you listening Mr Brown?"
They will never get it will they?

The soldier crawled through the dark
He was cold he was hungry he was scared
Alone he sobbed
His hip smashed head bleeding
Death took this modest hero
His battlefield a cold empty council house in Browns Britain 2007.


© Mack (RG) The thoughts of a Falklands War Veteran.
Rogue_gunner_32_alpha@yahoo.co.uk