26 weeks and not ready to deploy? That was the normal period for a regular soldier in 1913. As 1914 was ending, this was cut to 13 weeks.

After 26 weeks training I would hope [and am sure] a soldier could do all a G4S candidate could do, and better.

Not ideal, but I know who I would prefer handling my security!

Must admit I felt a tad confused about all this security. I thought the whole purpose of our people in Afghanistan was to make this country secure. Take the fight to the enemy and all that.

Why cant we reel Blair and his people in front of some committee and ask them what the sacrifice was all for if we still need 10K troops on the street and Missiles on the ground.

Is it just me, or does the country seem to be going to the dogs, run as it as by lackeys of the banks, living off inherited money.

ExRAFRadar

Says, it all really. However, given the vintage of the quote it is a problem that has been a long time coming...:(

LJ

Get used to it - you have had a glimpse of the future ...

At this rate the UK won't have anyone left to defend the UK.

"Border staff threaten strike chaos before Olympics

Thousands of immigration staff at airports and ports could walk out next week, causing chaos before the Olympics."


It's becoming a real life version of Faulty Towers !

That's the 20,000 we soon won't have and over 10% of those we have now!!!
What a farce... The world is laughing at us and quite rightly too, i wonder what they would have done post the 20k cuts? :ugh:

Suprised Cameron hasn't contacted the French and used his closer "cooperation" in all things Military to put the Foreign Legion on car Parking duties..

:ugh: :ugh:



Fewer troops fight the Taliban than guard the London Olympics | The Sun |News|Politics

ISTR the most we ever had in Norn Iron (in about 1972/3?) was around 20 000. And that was from a 100k + Army :(

Teeters - in the late 70s and very early 80s the British Army had 160,000 regulars and nominally another 40,000 in the TA.

There is one thing that has concerned me. What if folks who have been issued appropriate security passes and are missing in action turn up at inappropriate times.
Am I wrong in thinking that many people have been given security passes and have now disappeared?

Interestingly I recall seeing a piece on a website a few days ago quoting a 'Senior Police Officer' saying what was really call for concern was those people who had turned up to collect the uniform but not turned up for the job.

Maybe I imagined it but that quote has not been seen since.

I can't believe how incompetent G4S are. For a few months now their website has been showing me as passed screening and vetting, and passed to LOCOG for verification. Yet yesterday they contacted me for more information on my personal references, who are still serving, and I'm a reservist. Today the latest email informs me that the references are okay, but they need information on when I've been claiming JSA for the last three years. Well just since January this year I've deployed overseas four times to different countries, with another Det. in the UK thrown in. I could go to the Olympics tomorrow through my own unit, but these clowns are making people jump through hoops at the last minute for minimal return. I think it's time to sack this sorry drama. It wouldn't be believable in a soap opera.

Whenever I know that Keith Vaz is pontificating to anyone about their shortcomings, I always feel like I need a good scrub down with a bass broom and bleach.

Form an orderly queue here......


:E

I can believe how incompetent G4S are, and a lot of other large companies. They now run on two principles

Profit:
Job Protection:

The upshot is that they will only recruit people who won't argue (no matter how stupid the policy/instruction) at the minimum possible wage.

Guess what? These recruits cannot cope with a crisis or, even if they could, aren't going to speak up.

Expect things to get worse.

I just got another email from my unit looking for six people from 27th July to support Op Olympic, presumably to the 26th August, accommodation, TENTS. Hmm, let me think about that, no way Jose!

Edit: Forgot to add that this is in a proper camp with lots of accommodation blocks, not actually in London.

I wonder if I should waive my terminal leave to help out?

Nah, **** 'em.

I heard Hugh Robertson, the Sports Minister, telling the media how the army was doing a great job in filling the gap. Thanks Major - I wouldn't have guessed your background. Anyway, from Dec 2011.

:eek: Really? No sh#t.

Anyone (particularly someone with a mil background) who pays £270 millions for last minute security measures and later claims that this problem was unforeseen is either a fibber or incompetent. Or both.

Sports minister Hugh Robertson criticises Olympics budget 'gloom' | Sport | The Guardian

Well, Mr Vaz does know a lot about passports, illegal immigrants and lots of other stuff.....

(See Wikipedia for a "brief" resume of his "all legal and above board" exploits).

Exactly - Vaz has a record to be truly proud of.

Every time I hear Vaz speak I want to vomit. I'm sure he used to speak quite differently too when he first appeared on our TV screens.

S-D

One of the comments in the Daily Telegraph to their article titled "London 2012 Olympics: 1,200 more troops put on standby for Games"

I am a Corporal in the Armed Forces and I have served for 14 years. I have recently been made redundant and I still have to attend the Op Olympics for 9 weeks. I am unable to use my leave and ressetlement which I need to prepare for civillian life. I can not do anything about it so I have to smile and wave at people coming to enjoy the Olympics. So I will.I am working 6 days on, 1 day off. 12 hour shift. 3 hours travelling time there and back. My day off will be spent preparing my uniform whilst living in a tent in a swamp. But we do.

He's very much mistaken. Resettlement and terminal leave are an entitlement, authorised by the resettlement people and NOT his chain of command, so he just needs to put the dates on JPA and then disappear.

I found this belief quite common whilst I was on my own resettlement courses, particularly amongst young guardsmen whose RSM was keen that they continue ceremonial duties right up to their last day(!) but the Career Transition Partnership were at pains to stress that GRT and terminal are YOUR time to prepare for your next career. RSM's et al don't have a say in it.

I suspect the comment in the paper was more of a rant than a belief, but if it's the latter he needs to get a grip of his own future and stop being railroaded.

BBC News - Manchester and Glasgow police take on extra Olympic venue security roles

re my post on the last page. Things are getting worse. Only 9 out of 140 G4S employees turned up at Old Trafford.

I think this has some momentum now. Knowing that anyone who does turn up will be overloaded, I would not be at all surprised if lots of people think "stuff it".

Don't be surprised if the special events team from the AA (Fanborough last week, the Open at Lytham this week) get called up to fill in
AND the specialist security teams from the football clubs.....

They can't be "called up". And I'd be asking for 50 quid an hour and a four star hotel room if I were them.

I take it you think there are no longer enough police and Armed Forces to cover all the gaps?


One terror incident and the whole house of cards will fall apart......

"called up" was the wrong phrase - "requested to help" was what I meant

But yes, you are correct. I do not believe there will be enough
It seems to me that the use of the AA in traditional police roles in the last couple of weeks is indicative of this. It releases the police to duties at the various Olympic arenas and training locations dotted around the country (don't forget that many national teams are preparing at a number of Universities dotted around the country and they all need security

Worrying isn't it, one wonders what they would do with multiple scares... I believe the G4s folks have to fund there own transport and accommodation, one wonders what all the money is actually been spent on.

Things like the Open are routinely handled by volunteers or the organisations themselves over here in Canada, and it all works very well. There's a co-ordinated approach which generally works by incentivizing people to do the "right thing". There's a bus running at least every hour during the night, that kind of thing. Hardly anyone on it, but more people come knowing that it's there "in case". Closer campsites for those who cycle, etc. The volunteers are properly trained, and much friction is avoided because everyone attending knows they are volunteers.

I think the troops will benefit from this effect, as everyone knows they've been shafted.


Sadly, I think every terrorist and nutter will be out next week, knowing the state of affairs. I only hope they are like G4S and have left it far too late to get anything significant organised.

With the 'big business' approach by LOCOG, it just gets everybody's backs up and is thus doomed to failure.

"one wonders what all the money is actually been spent on."

The fat cats at the top of G4S.


Read somewhere that at some point the requirement for security increased 5 fold but the bill increased 12 fold ! I hope the Government extracts every last pound from them but I doubt that will happen.

G4S has managed to turn what looked like a great Olympics into a farce
which is a real shame.

As I understand it, the contract had no - nil - nada - nein - non - no penalty clauses. :ugh:

It may not have had penalty clauses, but can't the government effectively sue for "breach of contract"...

G4S were contracted and paid to deliver security, they have failed to deliver, therefore they have breached the terms of the contract - surely?

With Strathclyde Police taking control of Hampden, I wonder how this will affect G4S, and any staff who may have been scheduled to work there?

Spoke to a mate who is in Met this morning...................his work schedule is effectively work / sleep and work for next 3-4 weeks.

Asked what happens if Reclaim the streets or anything else happens, he just said no contingency, no cover especially when he finishes Olympic duty at 11.30pm, gets home at 12.30 and is back on duty at 6.30am.

If riots like last August happen then they screwed.

He said they told minimum overtime and all time off in lieu but he wonders how when full force is mobilised for 6-8 weeks then how can they give back the time to staff over next year without having half the staff off with normal holidays, training etc .

If there were riots like last year, I suspect the Olympics would shut down for a week or so! :confused:

My Met Police daughter has known for a year that she will be on duty ...... or travelling ...... or sleeping ....... from today until about a week after games, and was forbidden leave effectively until October. She is not complaining, just doing what she is paid to do, and doing it extremely well.
Time, I think, to stop the whingeing and get on with it. G4S has suffered a huge hit to its reputation, and in that trade, reputation is all.
Some things; defence, policing, health and teaching can NOT be done on the cheap in a modern society.
Spend my taxes on the above, not benefits for scroungers and immigrants.

Probably a reason most G4s folks are not turning up

Hotel prices 'up 300%' for Olympics - MSN UK News

The supplied 'hotel' room for my G4S training course down at Stratford was a rather 'charming' grot in cheap student accom south of the river, about an hour by coach to Stratford (when they remembered to order the coach!)

The breakfasts (at 0530 each day) were ok though.

I was gloriously entertained by 10 witty Glaswegians on the course, who, as the bitter truth about the administration became clearly apparent, verbally smeared the crumbling facade with one dour joke after another.

Just spoken with step-son, about to deploy to the sandpit. His mates now chucked out of their good accommodation so that Group 4 idiots can use it. The Mil 'volunteers' are all being moved to the warehouse. Not just the 'extras', they are all having to make way for the G4S guys on their reasonably handsome pay.

And his assessment of their effectiveness and capability is none too good either.

I'll try my best! My experience was good enough for me to be picked as a radio operator!

Goodness knows what you needed in the cv to be picked as a team or group leader!

If this report from the Daily Mail is even half true, it gets worse and worse....

Minister's daughter exposes Olympic safety scandal: Stewards made to fake NVQ qualifications and 'trained' in one hour at nightclub | Mail Online