Those also serve who stand and wait...
A2QFI
I think that you are being a little harsh on civil servants. Is contracting out all but war-fighting tasks the best way ahead? How will it enhance the lot of service personnel? Yes - civil servants are worried about their security and many - if not the large majority - work for a relative pittance and devote their lives in support of the Armed Services. I have worked with civil servants on station, on operations and in the MOD and in Agencies - civil servants provide much needed yet often mundane continuity. They have been treated in a shabby manner and their loyalty has been rewarded by betrayal. Being TUPE'd to a commerical organisation is a let-out for the government and a short step from eventual redundancy.
CC