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Thread: British Army to rely on foreigners and "private" contractors

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    Active Member Scouser's Avatar
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    British Army to rely on foreigners and "private" contractors

    The Defence Secretary will say that reforms in the Army structure due soon will focus the shrinking force’s resources on its combat units.

    The Army’s “combat service support” operations including logistics will increasingly be provided by other organisations, he will say.

    Reforms will also mean that regular Army units will always deploy to the frontline with troops from an enhanced Territorial Army.

    The British Army is being cut from 102,000 soldiers to 82,000, with the latest round of redundancies due to be announced next week.

    As well as shedding personnel, the Army is also restructuring, meaning that “some units inevitably will be lost or will merge,” Mr Hammond will confirm.

    The regimental restructuring plan has raised fears for long-standing infantry units like the Black Watch

    In a speech to the RUSI Land Warfare Conference, the annual forum for debating the future of the Army, Mr Hammond will insist that the restructuring will retain the basic regimental structure of the Army.

    The changes will “maintain the ethos, traditions and connections that are part of what makes the British Army so effective – particularly, a regimental system and regionally-focussed recruiting.”

    He will insist that ministers “value the history and the heritage because they deliver tangible military benefits in the modern British Army.”

    However, he will warn that a smaller Army will mean making “difficult decisions”, decisions that mean the Army remains “capable and agile” in the years to come.

    A significant part of the reform will be to focus resources on the “teeth” of the Army, the units that are trained and equipped for combat. The cost of that focus will be reductions in “tail” units providing supply, logistics and transport capabilities.

    Those capabillities, he will suggest, will be increasingly provided by private contractors and Britain’s international allies.

    The Army, Mr Hammond will say, must be “thinking innovatively about how combat service support is provided. Using more systematically the skills available in the Reserve and from our contractors. Working closely with partners to operate logistics more rationally through Alliance structures. Looking to others to provide the tail, where Britain is concentrating on providing the teeth.”

    As the regular Army becomes smaller, ministers want to make more use of the TA.

    To maintain the Army’s ability to carry out its existing military tasks, ministers have said that the capability of TA reservists will be increased so generals can rely on 30,000 deployable reservists by 2015.

    Regular Army commanders have cast serious doubt on that target, questioning the training and commitment of some reservists.

    However, ministers insist it will be realised and Mr Hammond will tell Army chiefs today that the TA will become a “permanent” part of the Army’s strength.

    “The integrated Army concept means that light infantry battalions will be reinforced on deployment through a permanent partnership with reserve battalions,” he will say.


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    Re: British Army to rely on foreigners and "private" contractors

    Man... it is like entire NATO is cutting down on troops and equipment to save spending. I feel it worst for Brits. They have some of the best trained soldiers in the world, but their equipment is not of the best quality compared to US Army and they get paid less as well. Also I don't think UK have dedicated VA office like USA does. Veterans there are not quite welcome home as in US.

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    Re: British Army to rely on foreigners and "private" contractors

    Quote Originally Posted by Caliell View Post
    Man... it is like entire NATO is cutting down on troops and equipment to save spending. I feel it worst for Brits. They have some of the best trained soldiers in the world, but their equipment is not of the best quality compared to US Army and they get paid less as well. Also I don't think UK have dedicated VA office like USA does. Veterans there are not quite welcome home as in US.
    You summed it all up perfectly there.

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    Re: British Army to rely on foreigners and "private" contractors

    Quote Originally Posted by Caliell View Post
    Man... it is like entire NATO is cutting down on troops and equipment to save spending. I feel it worst for Brits. They have some of the best trained soldiers in the world, but their equipment is not of the best quality compared to US Army and they get paid less as well. Also I don't think UK have dedicated VA office like USA does. Veterans there are not quite welcome home as in US.
    well said!

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    Chas (22nd June 2012)

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    Re: British Army to rely on foreigners and "private" contractors

    Quote Originally Posted by Caliell View Post
    Veterans there are not quite welcome home as in US.
    thats a crock of shiza!!!!!!!!!!!! vets everywhere should be celebrated!!!!

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    Active Member gatorojo's Avatar
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    Re: British Army to rely on foreigners and "private" contractors

    Quote Originally Posted by dog fight View Post
    thats a crock of shiza!!!!!!!!!!!! vets everywhere should be celebrated!!!!
    It's not a crock, and while I agree that vets should be celebrated, most would give that up for the treatment that they are entitled to by law; to wit, being able to return to a job that will allow them to earn a living wage and support a family.

    US law used to mandate employers to keep the job available for a returning vet who was mobilized in order to be deployed. I'm not up on the recent status of the laws covering returning Vets, but I suspect that even here, that requirement has been dropped or rendered ineffective.

    At least today vets are treated with gratitude and respect for the most part, unlike the derision and scorn unjustly heaped on those fine veterans who returned from doing their duty in Vietnam, a truly tragic chapter in US History.

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    Re: British Army to rely on foreigners and "private" contractors

    Quote Originally Posted by gatorojo View Post
    It's not a crock, and while I agree that vets should be celebrated, most would give that up for the treatment that they are entitled to by law; to wit, being able to return to a job that will allow them to earn a living wage and support a family.

    US law used to mandate employers to keep the job available for a returning vet who was mobilized in order to be deployed. I'm not up on the recent status of the laws covering returning Vets, but I suspect that even here, that requirement has been dropped or rendered ineffective.

    At least today vets are treated with gratitude and respect for the most part, unlike the derision and scorn unjustly heaped on those fine veterans who returned from doing their duty in Vietnam, a truly tragic chapter in US History.
    im saying its a crock that british soldiers are not quite as welcome home as soldiers in the US... i would say thats a crock...

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    Re: British Army to rely on foreigners and "private" contractors

    Quote Originally Posted by dog fight View Post
    im saying its a crock that british soldiers are not quite as welcome home as soldiers in the US... i would say thats a crock...
    Why don't you ask British soldiers the ones I worked with in Iraq. Their pay was complete crap compared to US, they do not have VA office of their own, but mostly non profit organizations to support them like VFW in US. Then again not quite welcome does not mean not welcome as well. It just something could of been done a little bit better in UK for them to come back home. It is true about Vietnam as well. Most of those who came home were called baby killers and worse.

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    Hyper Active Member Major Forum Poster Chas's Avatar
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    Re: British Army to rely on foreigners and "private" contractors

    The situation for vets in the UK is a scandal. Certainly they do not get the heroes' welcome home that their cousins across the pond receive. And for US vets it is in stark contrast to the obloquy heaped on those of the Vietnam era.

    The MoD has caused megga problems over pay and pensions. Even now vets of my era are fighting for compensation relating to Porton Down experimentation with nerve gas etc under the guise of being tests for influenza. These guinea pigs were lied to.Then there are the nuclear test veterans still fighting for recognition and compensation for carcinergenic medical complications.

    As for today governments of all persuasions have relied on charities to care for veterans. Eg: RBL and Help for Heroes. Then of course the government relies on regimental association, such as mine the RMA to offer succour.

    It is a national disgrace and in common parlance veterans are treated like shit. But of course so few of our politicians have ever served yet alone volunteered.
    Rendezvous a bientot avec le diable ou le bon Dieu.

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