Overstretch
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Overstretch
According to a defence select committee report
But....Bob Ainsworth said
So that's OK then...
Overstretch within the armed forces is driving away experienced personnel and damaging morale, MPs have warned.
that scaling back commitments in Bosnia, Northern Ireland and Iraq would help the services meet the harmony guidelines.
Overstretch within the armed forces is driving away experienced personnel and damaging morale, MPs have warned.
The strain of operating at full capacity in Afghanistan and Iraq has left the services "deteriorating", a defence select committee report says.
Personnel do not get enough rest time, and budgets are spiralling out of control, its annual MoD report adds.
Defence minister Bob Ainsworth said the forces were achieving "our highest priority - success on operations".
'Heavily committed'
The committee's annual report on the Ministry of Defence warns that neither the Army nor the RAF are likely to make their personnel targets for 2008 because of problems with recruitment.
The forces have been operating at or above the level of resources they have been given for seven of the last eight years, including every years since 2002, it says.
As a result, the MPs conclude, personnel appear to be leaving in growing numbers.
"We are concerned that there are signs that voluntary departure in the armed forces, in particular the Army, is increasing and that in the RAF personnel are not extending for a further engagement to the extent that had happened in the past," the report adds.
So-called "harmony" guidelines within the Army and RAF for how long troops should remain on active duty during any one year are also being exceeded, the MPs say.
"This is another clear indicator of the pressure on our armed forces from the continuing high level of operations," the report says.
"Shortages remain within many specialist trades in all three armed services and, in particular, within the Army Medical Service."
The report also says that the estimated costs for the Astute submarine and Type 45 destroyer projects have shot up by £500m since March 2006 and the projected bill for the new Nimrod MRA4 is also rising.
"Such cost increases put further pressure on the future defence budget, which is already heavily committed," the committee warns.
'Difficult and challenging'
Although the defence budget has been allocated an extra £7.7bn by 2011, cuts are "likely" because of commitments to new projects, the report adds.
Committee chairman James Arbuthnot said: "The continuing pressure on our armed forces personnel is likely to have an impact on retention and there are some disturbing signs of an increase in early departure in the Army."
Defence minister Bob Ainsworth said that scaling back commitments in Bosnia, Northern Ireland and Iraq would help the services meet the harmony guidelines.
"The armed forces' performance has been outstanding and I applaud their commitment, courage and professionalism," he said.
"I do, however, recognise that we are currently asking a lot of them in difficult and challenging circumstances."
The strain of operating at full capacity in Afghanistan and Iraq has left the services "deteriorating", a defence select committee report says.
Personnel do not get enough rest time, and budgets are spiralling out of control, its annual MoD report adds.
Defence minister Bob Ainsworth said the forces were achieving "our highest priority - success on operations".
'Heavily committed'
The committee's annual report on the Ministry of Defence warns that neither the Army nor the RAF are likely to make their personnel targets for 2008 because of problems with recruitment.
The forces have been operating at or above the level of resources they have been given for seven of the last eight years, including every years since 2002, it says.
As a result, the MPs conclude, personnel appear to be leaving in growing numbers.
"We are concerned that there are signs that voluntary departure in the armed forces, in particular the Army, is increasing and that in the RAF personnel are not extending for a further engagement to the extent that had happened in the past," the report adds.
So-called "harmony" guidelines within the Army and RAF for how long troops should remain on active duty during any one year are also being exceeded, the MPs say.
"This is another clear indicator of the pressure on our armed forces from the continuing high level of operations," the report says.
"Shortages remain within many specialist trades in all three armed services and, in particular, within the Army Medical Service."
The report also says that the estimated costs for the Astute submarine and Type 45 destroyer projects have shot up by £500m since March 2006 and the projected bill for the new Nimrod MRA4 is also rising.
"Such cost increases put further pressure on the future defence budget, which is already heavily committed," the committee warns.
'Difficult and challenging'
Although the defence budget has been allocated an extra £7.7bn by 2011, cuts are "likely" because of commitments to new projects, the report adds.
Committee chairman James Arbuthnot said: "The continuing pressure on our armed forces personnel is likely to have an impact on retention and there are some disturbing signs of an increase in early departure in the Army."
Defence minister Bob Ainsworth said that scaling back commitments in Bosnia, Northern Ireland and Iraq would help the services meet the harmony guidelines.
"The armed forces' performance has been outstanding and I applaud their commitment, courage and professionalism," he said.
"I do, however, recognise that we are currently asking a lot of them in difficult and challenging circumstances."
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Did I miss something?
I thought Des Browne was the Defence Minister? Or have I just been out of country too long?
I thought Des Browne was the Defence Minister? Or have I just been out of country too long?
Last edited by backTOfront; 28th Jan 2008 at 02:12. Reason: spelling mistake
That's easy.
Harmony Guidelines are the measure by which you can tell how much more you've been abroad than you should have been. Unless you're a rear office desk grabber who doesn't go anywhere and fills their day coming up with bo!!ocks such as Harmony Guidelines.
Harmony Guidelines are the measure by which you can tell how much more you've been abroad than you should have been. Unless you're a rear office desk grabber who doesn't go anywhere and fills their day coming up with bo!!ocks such as Harmony Guidelines.
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http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7211901.stm
Interesting link on BBC regarding the matter.
Interesting link on BBC regarding the matter.
What's this overstretch, then, and what has caused it to suddenly appear?
It must be something that's happened in the last few weeks.
It's obviously a very new phenomena, because before Xmas, CAS and CDS were quite definite - the RAF was stretched, NOT overstretched.
So what's changed?
Or would they still maintain that everything's hunky dory?
It must be something that's happened in the last few weeks.
It's obviously a very new phenomena, because before Xmas, CAS and CDS were quite definite - the RAF was stretched, NOT overstretched.
So what's changed?
Or would they still maintain that everything's hunky dory?
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Jackonicko
If I were a betting man I would bet on the following:
Bad news seems abundant in the present Labour party and any diluting of anything bad must be given priority. Assuming that the MoD is suffering from over stretch, compounded by lack of funding, which in turn is leading to great swathes of men and women leaving the Armed Forces I am sure that new Labour would wish to mix 1 part truth with 99 parts water.
Lets add further thought to the great Muttley pot of monday morning Dribble and consider how on earth any great financial changes are to be made to encourage anyone to stay, without damaging further, the Governments poor relationship with the rest of the public sector?
One way would be to slowly turn up the release of information flow about the necessity to retain our present manning levels as well as the need to recruit heavily by placing financial reward over and above the national inflation rate.
Of course I could be barking up the wrong tree and New Labour's spin doctors could be trying there very hardest to stop dead in its tracks any further bad news toward the MoD by getting MoD top brass to issue statements that contradict the Select Comittee's findings, whilst at the same time pressurising the AFPRB to keep any pay inreases below the 2% mark.
Only time will tell!
If I were a betting man I would bet on the following:
Bad news seems abundant in the present Labour party and any diluting of anything bad must be given priority. Assuming that the MoD is suffering from over stretch, compounded by lack of funding, which in turn is leading to great swathes of men and women leaving the Armed Forces I am sure that new Labour would wish to mix 1 part truth with 99 parts water.
Lets add further thought to the great Muttley pot of monday morning Dribble and consider how on earth any great financial changes are to be made to encourage anyone to stay, without damaging further, the Governments poor relationship with the rest of the public sector?
One way would be to slowly turn up the release of information flow about the necessity to retain our present manning levels as well as the need to recruit heavily by placing financial reward over and above the national inflation rate.
Of course I could be barking up the wrong tree and New Labour's spin doctors could be trying there very hardest to stop dead in its tracks any further bad news toward the MoD by getting MoD top brass to issue statements that contradict the Select Comittee's findings, whilst at the same time pressurising the AFPRB to keep any pay inreases below the 2% mark.
Only time will tell!
