Nothing we didnt know already:
Press Release today:
Forces 'need thousands of recruits'
Forces 'need thousands of recruits' .Despite improvements in recruitment and retention in recent years, the three services need 4,460 extra men and women between them to hit their target levels.
Latest manpower statistics from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed the combined strength of the Army, Naval Service and Royal Air Force to be 174,010 - only 97.5% of the 178,470 required.
However, that was up from the 96.8% last summer and the MoD stressed fewer people were leaving and more joining the forces.
It said the number of trained personnel who had left in the past year was down by 15.7%, while recruitment was up by 8.7%, year-on-year.
The Army had the biggest shortfall in manpower, of 1,960, although it also has by far the biggest staff of the three services.
The RAF was 1,620 down on its target level and the Navy was 880 short, according to the figures, which described the position on July 1.
MoD SPIN
Defence minister Kevan Jones said growing numbers of people wanted to make a career in the forces.
"The Armed Forces offer a challenging and financially rewarding career," he said.
"Each and every recruit will help to work as part of the international community to support the Afghan people as they build a better future."
>>>>The last paragraph means join now and time on the front line dodging bullets is a certainty. When this story is balanced with the redundancy package of '97 and the thousands of cutbacks in numbers by regular means there has obviously been an overswing of the pendulem into negativity of manning fiqures. I wonder if the PMA spin will still say that numbers are under control and that personnel are replaceable ie the world does not stop a little with every PVR. Or are they scared stiff that the end of the recession will see critical manning in addition to a lack of adequate equipment.