These sorts of schemes are rolled out to huge fanfares, touted no doubt as indicators or innovative thinking, a determination to sort manning levels out and various other media-friendly measures. It's just a shame that we don't put quite as much effort in to implementing the simpler, and arguably potentially more successful, schemes of funding the personnel side of the Defence budget appropriately to enable sufficient recruiting, along with stopping the incessant buggering people around so much they want to leave
Melchett - I wouldn't use the term 'innovative'; I suggested such a measure as an option to falling manning levels and experience loss when I did my dissertation in 2010, and always considered it common sense rather than some innovative nirvana.