Halleluejah! CDS "Armed Forces 'stretched beyond their capabilities"
 

Some one very important has said it. Britain's Armed Forces 'stretched beyond their capabilities' by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan - Telegraph

He's not retiring by any chance is he?

About time too! Will anything come of him saying it? Answers on a postcard please...

SMT

"Everybody" may have been saying it, but this it the first time that CDS has - particularly with the wording that we are already beyond our capabilites, rather than just close to them - a change from, "we couldn't manage any more," to, "we can't sustain what we're doing already."

About time too....

... but I can't help feeling it's more of a political statement to force more of a contribution from other nations in NATO.

If you're genuine Sir Jock .. then we're all behind you 100%.

Britain's Armed Forces 'stretched beyond their capabilities'
 

Britain's Armed Forces 'stretched beyond their capabilities' by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan :D:D

Bl00dy Hell :eek:

As a committed pessimist one might say "its been a long time in coming"!! Does this mean that the VSOs can see what else is coming though? :uhoh:

No until now it has always been "we're stretched but not overstretched".

More trouble for Gordon Brown, something has to change now.

CDS is extremely eloquent he now needs to stick to his guns.


General Dannatt, support required!

Well done Sir, thankyou! :ok: Now we can only hope that the politicians listen. If it's true that they've asked him to stay on for another year, they can't very well sack him now?????

Hmm, I wonder if those B@stards in the treasury were trying to cut some more to fund a few pregnant teenagers or pay for some more lowlifes to lead a pleasant existence in HM prison? I reckon the deficit with the knock on from stamp duty revenues/10p tax thingy and Northern rock will probably be stretching their 40% GDP promise, Defence seems such a perfect place for those socialists to fund their version of animal farm...

Well done for standing up to be counted though Sir. :D

Perhaps there have been mutterings in Cabinet about us "doing something" with regard Zimbabwe. Hopefully this is CDS's way of telling the Podgie Jock One that he's got to be 'bloody joking'.

Lets face it, he's just one of many spineless officers. Just like to add that not all officers are spineless!

To be fair, I'm not sure if he's necessarily told about the nuts and bolts of our problems - I'm sure we can all recall awkward crossed-arms theatre visits from senior blokes, where few flight commander types actually tell the visitor the bad stuff, as opposed to the usual blah about 'everyones making the most of it Sir and our percentages...blah, blah'. If senior bloke walked in and asked 'what are your issues' - which I have heard Torpy has done on occasion - they might be more inclined to open their gobs earlier about stretch. But Torpy tactics don't make for comfortable smiley visits.

And anyway, even if they did spend...oooh an instant £5bn on defence tomorrow, is that going to stop the exodus that, from what I hear, is increasing in momentum by the day, as more people realise that if they stay they're the ones picking up the non-existent slack?

This isn't news gents, it's chickens coming home to roost, having been on the horizon for the past 2-3 years.

Well done Sir for sticking your neck out. Let's hope you don't get your head shot orf!

However, it is sad that this situtaion has been utterly predictable for so long.
Shame on those who could have said something much, much earlier but did not.

Dallas is right in that it is those that are left pick up the pieces - my main regret about leaving - an analogy of rats and sinking springs to mind!

However, like many other 'rats', we figured out that staying aboard the MoD Titanic was not a clever option. I hope 'Captain' Stirrup can avoid the iceberg - or perhaps its too late and the best he can hope for is for a successful lifeboat launch?

flipster (with honorary degree in "We Told You So")

Extract from today's Telegraph report on the Para killed yesterday. My Bold.

News of the fatality came hours after Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defence Staff, admitted the Armed Forces were "stretched beyond the capabilities we have" and could not go on fighting two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sir Jock's comments were supported by Nick Harvey, the Lib Dem defence spokesman, and Patrick Mercer, a Tory MP and former Army commander.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "It is true the Armed Forces are working very hard and we recognise that this cannot go on for ever. The British Armed Forces are very stretched, but not yet overstretched. We continue to invest in our personnel, equipment, training and logistical support."

WTF!?
:mad:

These MoD spokesmen get younger and younger. Last one I met wore cheap shoes, shiny trousers and a brown tie.

Enough said?

Thats a great message to send out. If you openly speak the truth and the Government dont like it then say good bye to getting promoted like Sir Dannat has done. I think that sux but good on Sir Jock for having balls and telling what needs to be said. Its about time, I guess Sir Jock dont give a **** im sure hes fed up doing this now and is banging his head against a wall, he can say what he wants and retire anytime.

So it's been said. So stop your moaning and get back to work, that's the normal reason for a statement like that.

Or will anything happen to sort the mess out?

Eleven British service personnel have been killed in Afghanistan since 8 June, seven of them from the Parachute Regiment.

Sounds like things are going to get a lot worse before anything gets better. Afgan tours for the next 10 - 20 or even 30 years to come.

Yes, you've said enough. Civilians in the MOD get paid less than service people rank for rank - and have to buy their clothing with their own money. Show your civilian colleagues some respect you twit - they are working to the same budget shortages as military.

I think Sir Jock is simply preparing the battlefield for Gordon. Last week, Bush was in town urging Gordon to stay in Iraq. Britain can't afford to, but doesn't want to lose too much political face. Therefore, the political excuse is to get your CDS to speak out thus giving you the opportunity to blame someone else whilst making a "hard, regrettable but necessary decision". If you think Sir Jock is speaking out for servicemen, think again, he would have done long ago if that was his bag. "Jump, yes sir, how high, another year as top dog, oohhh thank you sir".....etc etc