Please let's not let this thread degenerate into a Reserve/FTRS versus full timer slagging contest.
As I have said the elephant in the room for the Treasury and MoD when they mutually high five each other on achieving the 'numbers' is the deficit in military experience, corporate knowledge, often gained after many years loyal (operational) service and some very expensive courses.
This includes all ranks from the starred, down to a Cpl I believe, even lower in some trades where niche skill sets are required.
Yes, FTRS and Reserves are mitigating this experience deficit short term with what appears a cheaper and more flexible option to deliver the same effect (in some cases). However, the clock is ticking for those experienced ones left as they count down their pension or wait for kids to finish their schooling.
But with pensions becoming significantly less of a pull factor, continued erosion of terms and conditions, all combined with extra work load as the loss of physical numbers has not been balanced with a reduction in workload (affecting quality and family life), then we will be left hoping that in time of need that the Reserves and FTRS will deploy because there will be very few genuine, experienced, loyal personnel left.
Where as I admit I am short finals for my pension, so it would be mad for me to leave, and I still have pride in what I do (more so now on a local scale, rather than the old days of when I was proud of everything my uniform stood for).
But I have to agree with snippy and my word there are SOME seriously experienced guys that have just lost the whole ethos, loyalty, pride and their fighting spirit-becoming grey men that do very little but just contribute to the manning stats (SQEP and other qualifications). They might have the qualification, but they actually do the bare minimum and view it as 9-5 as far possible, or try and negotiate a shift pattern that ensures a 40 hour week (and in some cases a lot less). Adding absolutely no value whatsoever in mentoring, leadership or really caring about the organisation/team they work for.
This bunch will eventually go on retirement, but as I have alluded to the next generation of potential experience (the young guys, one or 2 tours in) are already planning their exit strategies as there are absolutely no pull factors to keep them in, with many more push factors, both now and about to occur in the next 5 years.
The Reserves/FTRS will provide the first field dressing for this haemorrhaging wound, but it will not provide the cure, and I am not too sure if it will even bridge the golden hour until it is recognised that a long term (strategic!) fix is required.
I suppose we could always go down the US model and if an individual was warned off for a Det/Op they couldn't PVR/VO, and then 3 weeks before the end of their tour warn them off for another one in 18 months time to handcuff them for as long as the manners needed.
Or recognise that we are losing people after tours, so let's just extend tour lengths and really squeeze the juice out of them and their families before they go.
The manning levers available are endless.
Last edited by MaroonMan4; 16th Dec 2014 at 10:08.