Displaying items by tag: under strength

Thursday, 15 August 2019 23:40

Army 40% under strength

Ministry of Defence data show that numbers in infantry units have consistently been falling over the past five years. Some UK combat regiments are operating at almost 40% less than their required strength, due to declining recruitment numbers. A quarterly report noted a 7.6% drop in army personnel on 1 January. Defence secretary Ben Wallace has been urged to address the issue. Tory MP Bob Seely criticised the firm Capita, which began managing recruitment for the MoD in 2012. He said, ā€˜Iā€™m afraid to say that Capita have not been a success. If you talk to people who are wanting to go into the Army, the most common way they describe it is shambolic and chaotic.ā€™ A Capita spokesperson said that they are in the middle of a re-set, which started last year but is already seeing excellent results.

Published in British Isles