British Army reduced to a token force...

Olympic Games Security...

"Home Secretary Theresa May is to make an urgent statement in the Commons on Olympics security, after it emerged an extra 3,500 troops were needed...

...The troops are in addition to 13,500 already agreed, amid fears contractor G4S may not have enough trained staff.

G4S said it had "encountered some delays" in processing applicants through the final stages of training."

Well what a good job we have a spare 3,500 troops that are able to be deployed, on top of the 13,500 already allocated, oh and all the other commitments going on

So when they reduce the size of the Army, there will be an increased reliance on private security contractors... hmm good to see that's working out well...

The British Army should be used only for the defence of the UK and British territory abroad. It has no authority to get involved anywhere else.

Since the start of World War 1 the British Army (Military) has had its hand held by other countries. Ignorant people in the UK still believe that the British won both world wars. They did not - they were lucky to be on the winning side and that is the sum of it.

One of the best ways for youngsters to get away from troubled backgrounds use to be, being able to join the forces, as a toe rag kid and always up to no good this was my way out. When I left school in 79 with no qualifications there were 3 million unemployed and it was rising. Coming from Devon work was either seasonal or non existant, only way out was to join up all I had to do was to keep away from police stations for 2 years. Having managed that I got into the Junior Leaders system, which gave youngsters like me the chance of a new life, if nothing else it helped reduce the crime rate in my local area. It wasn't all rosey but with most of the boys who joined, joining for the same reasons as myself it did offer a way out, it turned us boys into men, those like me who flunked school got re-educated and eventually got to learn a trade of our choice, during the early part of my career I spent many a weekend banged up in the guardhouse, polishing brass and scrubbing floors with a toothbrush for my serious attitude defect, which I'm glad to say I still have to this day
Now they are closing these doors to new entrants especialy youngsters who are probably no different to what I and many other of my army pals were like in our youth. In doing so we will eventually all pay a heavy price, what people also don't realise is, is that many of those in the armed force being made redundant will when they return to their home towns, end up jobless, feeling worthless, end up homeless and no doubt a fair few ending up in prison. However should the UK find another major conflict to stick it's nose into again, there will no doubt be another recruitment drive for hero's albeit untrained.... And then you have the situation of a young soldier who has had 6 weeks of fast track training being put on the front line.....Used and abused I'd call it...

With recent conflicts it's easy to agree, but we live in a global world, and I think we should continue to contribute to UN military, humanitarian, training or Nato commitments. I don't think taking an isolationist view is the way forward.


I think that's a little harsh. All military campaigns have elements of luck (good and bad), political mismanagement and military incompetence. In both world wars, without the resources, support and war material of the USA and other allied nations, we certainly wouldn't have been on the winning side.

But taking WWII, if we had been landlocked to France, it would have almost certainly ended in 1940 with our defeat. Likewise, if the US had decided to remain isolationist, and D Day never happened, the outcome of Germanys defeat wouldn't have changed, it just would have been a different world map with Soviet occupation of Western Europe Whose side we would have ended up on makes an interesting debate over a few beers...

Likewise, in the mid 80's it was a Youth Training Scheme or the military. The cold war was winding down when I joined up and I witnessed continual downsizing through the 1990's, with guys returning from Bosnia with redundancy notices. It is a shame fewer youngsters today will have the opportunity, share the comradeship and learn the life skills, as well as a possible trade and education opportunities that joining the forces can give you.

I think the military has been cut too far already, and we (rightly so) may no longer be the worlds policeman, but I do think we should continue to participate. Regardless of decades of political mismanaging, people forget that British forces military expertise is in demand across the globe. Having worked with and witnessed numerous other countries Armed Forces in action, the UK military are seen as a professional force by their overseas peers, much emulated, but rarely bettered.

I only hope someone in authority wakes up one day and reverses this declining trend before it's too late.

<gets back down off his soap box...>