Army redundancies and recruitment

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by clueless1, Sep 21, 2013.

  1. clueless1

    clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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    Most are probably aware that the Army is making redundancies at the moment. I'm not sure I agree with that but I don't understand government and military things enough to pass judgement.

    However, the Army is also recruiting. That's fair enough. The Army will always need to recruit. I'd expect that while downsizing, recruitment would have a low profile. Probably limited to just keeping the Army Careers offices open and just letting people make their own way in on their own initiative, but no, a high profile TV ad has just been on, and this morning I heard an ad on the radio.

    However I don't get how you can have redundancies AND high profile recruitment campaigns at the same time.

    As a slight aside, I have observed over the years that high profile Army recruitment campaigns almost always precede a war. Syria? North Korea?
     
    clueless1, Sep 21, 2013
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  2. Jiffy

    Jiffy The Match is on Fire

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    :scratch::scratch::dunno::scratch::dunno::scratch::dunno::scratch::dunno::scratch::scratch:
     
    Jiffy, Sep 22, 2013
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  3. Fat Controller

    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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    I assume that it is the same story that we see regularly in business - change the title of a job, and slightly alter the description/duties of that job, then recruit for it whilst making all of those who are in the original role either redundant or to apply for the new job; oh, and make the new job pay less. Fairly easy way of getting shot of the weakest.
     
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      Fat Controller, Sep 22, 2013
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    • clueless1

      clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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      Or, possibly my dad's theory. Britain is trying to secretly bolster our military capability (at least on paper so to speak). When a soldier leaves the army honourably while still combat worthy, I believe they remain on reserve for a number of years after, proportional to their original term. So if you sign up for 3 years, then leave after that time, you remain on reserve for another 9 years. This means you cost the MOD nothing at that point, but if need be, you can be recalled at very short notice in extreme circumstances.

      By laying soldiers off (effectively putting them on reserve) and then recruiting a replacement, you effectively get two soldiers for the price of one as far as numbers on a piece of paper are concerned. I've seen it used in feeble propaganda articles in the past even on the BBC, where a war is brewing so they do lovely colourful charts and diagrams of the capabilities of all the factions, and sometimes they show how many soldiers each nation has and how many more they can readily get.
       
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        clueless1, Sep 22, 2013
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      • Fat Controller

        Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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        Your dad's theory sounds spot on - I wasn't aware that ex-soldiers remained on reserve.
         
        Fat Controller, Sep 22, 2013
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      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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        I think you answered your own question there.
        The government dont want a full time army, it costs too much.
         
        pete, Sep 22, 2013
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      • ARMANDII

        ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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        It's not a new thing thing, Clueless, and doesn't just apply to the Army as the same thing has been happening since the early 1970's. What the MOD is, and has been, trying to avoid is a natural growth of career serving, medium or long serving servicemen. When I joined the RAF you were immediately offered a contract up to the age of 55 years if you got above a certain mark in the entry exams.......and not all that high a mark either. But over the years the MOD has tried to get rid of the expensive medium term and long term career contracts [no expensive pensions etc commitments] only offering short term contracts with no career prospects.
        They only want a short term "cannon fodder" group in the Army with a very small core of professional career soldiers to run it. The RAF went the same way by contracting out 2nd Line technical services, and in some cases 1st Line services to civilian contractors......which is fine until there's a war and the civvies don't want to be on the front line unless they get paid exorbitant "bonuses" and danger money.:sofa::hate-shocked::runforhills:
         
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          ARMANDII, Sep 22, 2013
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        • mrtibbs

          mrtibbs LOST !!!

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          I left the R.A.F. in 1995 after 11 years after being made redundant, I was then on reserve for 6 years. 6 months later they were looking to recruit people again. Madness
           
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            mrtibbs, Sep 22, 2013
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