British Army Is Failing With Recruitment & Retention My Thoughts on WHY!

[@George-dx2sd]

I have to tell you EVERYTHING you have highlighted was happening 30 yrs ago and before, part of the reason I left on Phase 2 redundancy in 93. We bought our own kit , bergens, smocks boots (We even bought our own desert boots in 90//91. ) Half of the vehicles were older than the guys using them ! When they brought in the Hi Leg combat boot they gave them to the ARTY to trial !! We used to give our slopjockeys a hard time but I went back to our Corps depot for a reunion some years after I got out. The accommodation was desperate, the good was garbage (Civvi cooks) WORSE than it had been in basic training !!

[@peterwait641]

The DMS combat high was a crap boot , cheap and nasty . Poor quality leather , poor insulation ,cardboard and leather dust insole that never dried out , had the insult of removelable mesh insole . Soles used to fall off !

[@kevinadamson5768]

It was shit then and even shitter now, these people in charge forget that you have volunteered your life to the service and signed your life away so when your times up you get the fuck outta there, no wonder nobody wants to sign up now. It's a shit show ran by idiots. 😢

[@davidsayer3325]

I served in the Army in the 80s when it was 150k strong. Fantastic pension, accommodation and food cheap straight out of your wages. The exercises were brilliant, adventure training was fantastic. To be fair the kit was crap boots webbing etc but the weapon was better. I left in the 90s and things were already starting to go down hill. Disbanded regiments, cut backs etc. All the points you have mentioned are spot on and very relevant I know because it's exactly what my nephew has told me about who's currently serving and has done for 20 + years. It saddens me as an ex squaddie to see this happen to the Army.

[@rockyrowlands3652]

Me too, I joined in 1980. Would I join today….definitely not.

[@neilmalloy5830]

Totally agree with everything you said, I'm glad I'm out now, couldn't work in tadays woke army.

[@WayneNG-p2p]

When the reduncies were happening from 2010, there were alot of us that were forced to leave to cut the numbers. I was one of them. I only had slightly over 5 years left to complete my full career, no way was I going to leave and give up my life-long ambition of completing a full Military service. I had that taken away from me with a pittance payment and a pension that was nowhere near half my salary., I wish it was. I was forced to leave in 2013. With the recent reports that the government may need to recruit 'Dad's Army' style, there is no way that I would re-joining after the way I was treated. Besides there is nothing left to fight for. This country is now lost and is not the country that I joined up to fight for. I like to think that I have patriotic views (nothing malicious) which in today's Army would see me in Colchester and/or kicked out anyway. I wouldn't want to be compromised by a fellow soldier drinking dirty water from a steam before preying whilst on patrol, leaving the rest of the section to stand there like sitting ducks, before getting motored or shot at by a sniper. I don't want 'this is belonging', I want 'Be The Best'. Up to being made redundant, I had served 18 years exemplary service, completed 7 operational tours. I was an experienced soldier, yet somehow some others that were not as experienced as me got to stay in, even though they were holding the rank they were not qualified to (due to re-trading) and were, to be honest, not that good. For some reason, I didn't get along with my last couple of bosses, that maybe had something to do with me not being a 'yes man'. I had courses cancelled, which meant that I could not progress as far as I would have liked, I stead I was the one they sent of op tour, without the rest of the regiment. That shows the level of trust I had with regards to my trade, I was a Chef for most of my career, with a 6 year stint in the middle which I also happened to be promoted up to the rank of Cpl. I was a qualified Cpl to my original trade of Chef when I re-traded back. Even when I received the LS&GC award, I wasn't given the reward to be taken into the Sgt's Mess to get in the lash, just like everyone else. I had to get back into my Chef whites and get back on shift. That level of disrespect also cuts a little. To top it all off; after serving 18 years, I would have expected slightly more than a drink in the bar on camp, with not even a word from the boss. It was tied in with somebody's birthday or something and I was just sat in the corner with my Wife. It was an embarrassment. We left after about an hour when it was clear there were no plans for a speech or anything else. It's strange as whenever others left, even if I didn't get on with them that great, I recognised their service and made a fuss. That sadly was not bestowed upon me. I think it goes without saying that I will not be joining the 'citizen army' at any point. I'll sit back with a coffee and watch all that entails.

[@EqyptianRuler]

Completely agree

[@Aaron-ww7ks]

I left after 15 years, couple of operational tours under my belt and what I saw In the end was horrendous. Yes the foods dire, the accommodation isn’t great but it is cheap so I can deal with that. And tbh I will say that money is good lots of disposable income - to save!!!!! I wanted promotion and was recommended 3 years in a row for sgt (Cpl 7 years) even got recommended two ranks up still didn’t come off the promotion board. I saw “others” (currently in the media) promote who had done less time, no tours, who couldn’t even pass fitness tests or were downgraded and couldn’t deploy. To top it off I wanted and got recommended for a technical posting then got recruiting. I won’t even say what was said on my SJAR along the lines of “you are literally the step kid no one wants”…… Not even a handshake or thanks for your hard work, wasn’t expecting a medal but Jesus no appreciation what so ever. My “career” became mundane, I became stagnant with no progression, courses got cancelled and I was fed up of the same environment and exercises. I will say that I’m one of a few who wanted a full career and still see the forces as an excellent career path, it just didn’t happen for me. Retention needs sorting as much as recruitment.

[@Theaggressivesalad]

Are you me?

[@EqyptianRuler]

Completely agree with you on all of this, especially the reporting system with those other ‘individuals’ getting promoted ahead of you when they are shitter than you then it really adds salt to the wound, no wonder why good people are leaving and those that stay promote to be less competent leaders that are moving into a role because it’s available rather than due to merit

[@alextop1850]

One of the reasons i left was pay as you dine. Its kind of clever and sly under nourish the men not going to be optimal fighting men and women. Your right about a lot of this but you got to think bigger picture why its happened who's controlling the big picture

[@mikeharris7885]

Totally agree with everything you said. I was with the TA a few years with 'Regular ARMY Instructors' and served with people from all walks of life but what we had was tremendous enthusiasm that I found missing in the regular service. Joined the RAF because I had technical qualifications to jump a few ranks, (not a good idea.) The Recruiting Office sold me such a bunch of outright lies and omissions, wonderful things that you 'could be' or "would have a chance to...." You only got to play the promised sport unless you were good enough to represent the Air Force. I was hoping life would get better but it didn't! Most of the blokes didn't want to be there, discipline was slack and once out of training you take all the shortcuts you liked as well as developing a hatred of Officers and civilians - "That Civi Bas**** in the stores". Military Chefs though, terrific grub as much as you could eat. I bought myself out after Three years and not even my own Officer asked why I wanted to leave!! I had been a Weapons Technician and the only related 'job' was to run the village Firework display.

[@CombatReadyHQ]

It’s changed so much over the years and they need to get the army back to its old self and stop the bullshit

[@death_parade]

Don't you guys have sports competitions between units or regiments or something like that? Just little friendly matches once a while? Shouldn't be difficult for a couple of COs or a Brigadier to organize something like that.

[@CombatReadyHQ]

@@death_paradeyes they do have sports competitions but their is no where near as much sport or AT as there used to be

[@stubru16]

I had an interview at the recruitment centre sbd I agree. The recruiter is basically a sales rep who will put you in anything to fill a space. the money is just not worth it in my opinion I can earn more in a warehouse packing boxes and go home without the hassle of the seeing the same people I would work with 24hours a day if I worked in the army. Everybody needs their own space and you don’t get that in the army.

[@finestdetail6484]

I served from 99-2006 I agree with everything your saying. Only problem is none of it will happen. Government ain’t interested. Civilian contracts make money for people who are in charge. Remove the contracts removes they’re back handers.

[@markjasper5663]

Brilliant video! Your video gave me a vastly better understanding of issues in the military than media reports. The detailing of how the camaraderie built on going away together, training, team building, getting drunk together has been replaced with a culture of young soldiers staying in their rooms is really revealing. And there’s an absurdity about wondering about whether to put an extra bowl of pasta on your canteen account card after a day of training for warfare. Sounds like much of the fun has been bean-counted out, to be expected it affects morale and retention. On the plus side, the time is right for improvement and increased funding.

[@johnlawson4605]

No votes in defence!

[@hollowayjah]

You made some really solid points, I couldn't agree more. Im on termination leave right now after 8 years in the regular army and I am just saddened by the state it's in. I want to want to be in the army but i just cant see it getting any better until the next big conflict when theres political reason to make it better. They dont care about the blokes and the kit, food, exercises are shocking.

[@davidknocker160]

I joined the Army on 04/04/1974 the food and accommodation was taken out monthly the food was phenomenal, I finished Royal Irish 31/10/1993 I then joined the reserves 01/11/1993 150RLC in Hull that’s when I was getting pay as you go the food was absolutely crap and being charged through the nose was crazy I finished 22/12/2022.

[@chickenjoe8656]

is that wenlock barracks ? in hull

[@davidknocker160]

Londbourgh Street mate.

[@OldhamSteve52]

I joined in 78, food and accommodation taken out of your pay. People who went home at weekends complained you still paid for food. What do you get now, starve to save.

[@peterblyth5500]

The poor lads and lasses serving today are being rifted from both ends. Glad I served in 70s-80s it was a golden age compared to now. And the Army was much larger and a fighting force to be reckoned with.

[@michael5637]

I applied initially for the Royal Marines and then later the army, both times I was classed as PMU. It’s out of my hands and I’m sure they have their reasons but I play Rugby to a good standard, do BJJ 2x per week and CrossFit also. This is also a big reason why numbers are way down. Not to mention that no one wants to fight for a Gov’t that doesn’t represent them. This Gov’t hates me for being a straight white male, let’s be honest here. I’m not willing to die for them

[@stuartross2551]

None of my business, but would you mind sharing the issues they refused you on? I’m having similar problems. 😢

[@michael5637]

@@stuartross2551 mental health. I was signed off of work but it was due to the job (teaching) rather than there being something wrong with me. My advice is to speak to your GP and ask them to write a cover letter to go along with your medical. If they’ve already failed your medical then still get your GP to write that cover letter to explain that things aren’t as bad as they might look on your medical (presuming that’s the case). It provides context that a ‘yes, no’ medical won’t be able to offer. Hope it works out for you

[@johnlawson4605]

It might be like the RAF, your screwing their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion percentages!!!

[@KingSloth]

My father in law served back in the day and said how amazing it was. Good pension, good work life, adventure training and exercises were worth whole and your chain of command actually wanted to help you out. I joined and got the opposite. Think there is 1 in 10 people that actually want to serve. The struggle isn't just recruitment, but also retention.

[@johnlawson4605]

Why spend all that money equipping and training someone for 3 to 9 years piss them off so they leave and then spend it all again to get a less competent person???

[@ianhendrytube]

I am more than mentally and physicslly fit enough to enter service and the particular unit i want into are keen to have me the CSM said himself. I failed on my medical history due to a removed mis - disgnosis of ADHD, with 2 or more episodes of anxiety and substsnce misuse. I stopped smoking weed end of 2022. Snd any anxiety episodes i had were due to ADHD medication side effects. Appealing my application 2 times with solid evidence getting the disgnosus removed, got my own drug test done etc etc and then they gave me a PMU. The JSP 959 and Capita are ruining the recruitment!

[@jakealcock5905]

good luck lad!

[@gunhojput]

Ex rifleman from the eighties proud to have served in a fantastic regiment if i had another chance today i would'nt go there everything is c.r.a.p. my lad asked if he could joing the army i said sure if you dont mind going to ukraine in the future thats what the goverment is gearing up for i said, he said no thanks im not going to that meatgrinder (his words) my words the british army has been failing for years through paycuts regiment cuts or amalgamations the army today has no soul you might as well call it dead no wonder youngsters dont want in, i could go on and on but i will stop here

[@plewis7673]

Ack your point about PAYD but as nice as it is to have everyone pay for the food before they get paid, there is something to be said about the livers out who don’t use the cookhouse at all. That mini budget battered my mortgage, food inflation and the rest isn’t ideal… My budgets would get even tighter if you took an extra £127 out of my wage packet for something I gain no benefit from. Potentially an opt out scheme could accompany it for those who don’t use the facility or, for the benefit of the Army and country as a whole, a reduced rate as I do have the option to eat at least lunch but I likely wouldn’t use it

[@CombatReadyHQ]

If you live out and don’t have a room in the block you won’t get charged for food anyway so that would benefit all those that live out.

[@LamVanDam]

You nailed it with the pension. I signed the 05 pension and then they swapped me over to the 15 without my knowledge. I've been in 10 years and I have no incentive to stay the full 22.

[@MalcolmXpat]

10 years ago minimum wage was around 13k and a private soldiers wage was around 18k (about 40% more). As of April 2024 minimum wage will be over 24k and a privates salary starts at 24k whereas if a soldiers salary was to rise inline with how minimum wage has a private soldier should be earning over 33k. As far as salaries are concerned the salary just isn't worth it, there's very little incentive to join, pass basic and phase 2 training to earn what's essentially minimum wage. better off just going to college or university. Squaddies used to joke that "stacking shelves in Tesco pays more" which is now a reality... 24k starting salary just isn't enough in my opinion. The MoD should concentrate on retention instead of recruitment.

[@stubru16]

Spot on, 25k a year after tax and national insurance leaves you with around £1.800 per month. I can earn more working in a warehouse or even work from home job that pays better

[@Theaggressivesalad]

As someone who's recently left the Army (on termination leave), my main reasons for getting out were: -There were no opportunities to do my trade despite it being repeatedly promised. -There were no opportunities to deploy anywhere other than doing the same bone exercises/taskings in the UK/Germany for a few weeks every year. -I was driving halfway across the country to a place i have no connection to nor desire to be in for no real reason other than to sit there and do bone jobs. Thus, putting literally every other part of my life on hold for no good reason. -The Juniors being treated like primary school children. -I got hacked off with being labelled as a trouble maker because I said how it really was as opposed to putting on a fake grin and pretending everything's hunky dory. -Watching all my mates get out and get paid more (in the vast majority of cases but not all) and have none of the extracurricular bullshit and not having the army completely own your life.

[@EqyptianRuler]

Spot on

[@Martinthehun59]

You mentioned boots which almost cost us the Falklands war because squaddies going down with trench foot. It was stated at the time our lads were taking the boots off dead Argies who had far superior boots. All we had were DMS + puttees at the time. Total crap and not much improvment since...

[@CombatReadyHQ]

Yeah boots and other bits of equipment are major issues, this is where they always try to save money and they shouldn’t, a good set of boots will get soldiers through a lot, shocking they had to take them from Argies

[@Martinthehun59]

@@CombatReadyHQ About the food that squaddies get, they say an army marches on its stomach (with decent boots too) that's a joke with the added insult having to pay for it...

[@peterwait641]

Tin lids were crap, when you ran with one on it bounced the spike which held the spider in to your head !

[@johnlawson4605]

I remember that after the Falklands we couldn't get any kit as it all went down on the Atlantic Conveyor, or was this a conspiracy theory, as we didn't have the kit in the first place. However, what did evolve several years later, was woolly bottomed socks, so much better than the plastic socks we had that did not soak up sweat or even keep your feet warm!

[@precociousdeathdealer202]

EDP is an absolute spit in the face. Us army get their full pension after 20 years in active duty. At the earliest age 38. But us uk soldiers have to wait units 68 years to get full pension. What a huge joke

[@andyt3304]

In my Regiment PAYD was commonly known as "Save as you starve"

[@CombatReadyHQ]

Pretty much! It’s a load of shit

[@Qwiggsy]

It's because the British Government don't like English people. Look at how veterens are treated, or patriots. This country would rather import a foreign workforce instead of look after its inhabitants.

[@Qwiggsy]

To add to this: You get sent abroad to fight a terrorist threat, to keep it out of the UK. Only to return from your deployment, to find the British government has invited that enemy into the country on a red carpet + benefits

[@learningeveryday8]

Unpopular opinion i would support a citizen army and i always wanted to join the military but was refused twice on enrollment on grounds of history of mental health issues even though im perfectly fine for the last 10 years which is also one of the reasons i think the numbers dropped with the army being to discriminatory in their recruitment process I am aware of the difficulties and rules amd regulations in the army and a lot of my family have served a citizen army just might allow people to gain a foothold in the military without being refused at the first hurdle when trying to join up

[@woahhbro2906]

It seems to be a pretty universial issue right now. Many militaries can't find recruits. US, UK, Russia, and China are some that come to mind.

[@TheBongReyes]

Does China really have recruitment issues? I mean, if push come to shove. Communist central government would just conscript millions into military service.

[@johnlawson4605]

Too many wokes and people not interest in this country; but yet they come

[@Jeffybonbon]

I was involved in Training and recruitment in the army and the problem I think is UK unemployment is very low when unemployment is high young me could not get a job and the forces was better than the dole the other problem we have is we have had families who have never had ex servicemen who joined up and would pass down to there sons info from serving in the forces I also think a huge error was made when recruiting offices closed on the high St of the UK and given to Capita the army is so small now that its has got a lot of pressure to cover all the jobs asked of it I left in 1993 so i cant comment on how soldiers are treated But I will say this I told my son not to join up and learn a trade and stay at home I have two grandchildren who i have advised not to join up My own family has always served back to 1870 and today i dont think its worth joining up after the way I was treated and made redundant in 1993 and i know i will not be alone in my feelings about the MOD

[@johnlawson4605]

UNEMPLOYMENT VERY LOW what's this then? 9.25 million people aged 16-64 were economically inactive, and the inactivity rate was 21.8%. Inactivity levels increased by around 100,000 over the last year and the inactivity rate increased slightly. Surely we should be able to squeeze 200,000 out of the 18 to 30 year olds out of 9,250,000 even when you discount the 31 to 64 bracket. Sounds like an accountant thought of that, because out of that lot you may find that many thousands are not in this country to integrate, become loyal citizens add to and improve our society or even obey the law of the land. Any ideas?

[@obengrupperfuhrerheinrichv7230]

We haven’t rly got a pay rise as the scoff house and accommodation just upped the prices by 5% aswell, so we didn’t get a pay rise at all.

[@CombatReadyHQ]

Typical, that’s pretty much what they do every year; the prices of scoff now is ridiculous

[@johnlawson4605]

The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away

[@brillo86]

The army is the most critical service of all 3 services. And it blows my mind that it's the most abused.

[@CombatReadyHQ]

Exactly that mate

[@rockyrowlands3652]

The trouble with the British military is they ignore the mantra: if it ain’t broken don’t fix it”. Yet despite this they messed around and changed the recruitment agency, meals, and pensions. On top of this the drive for diversity at all cost has destroyed its core function of the military.

[@brillo86]

Pay as you dine should be scrapped. Food shouldn't be for profit it should be subsidied.

[@CombatReadyHQ]

Yes exactly

[@paulharrison8152]

I served for 16 years, left with several life long injuries sadly. But imagine a country which is 74% white and 50% of that 74% is male, and thinking that recruiting that large section of the population should be reduced in favour of recruiting from the remaining 26%, half of whose are female and because of cultural and religious restrictions are not allowed to serve in the forces, so that means they are trying to recruit from only 13% of the population most of whose would never serve in the British armed forces because of cultural and religious factors, and the government wonders why they can’t recruit enough. Weird isn’t it.

[@johnlawson4605]

When getting into the Forces takes between 6 months to a year, one source quotes 440 days, they don't want you!

[@terenceballands1374]

You are 💯% correct brother! It's not rocket science!

[@andrewharrison7503]

They outsourced the recruitment process, that was the beginning of the end.

[@kevinadamson5768]

Britain has lost respect for its armed forces and now it's showing. Good luck with recruitment doing away with the army recruiting offices, army cookhouses not civvy diners. I served in the 80,s and it was poor pay and conditions back then but since then it seems to have got worse. It's a false economy bringing civvies in to do army jobs, soldiers don't get overtime payments civvies do. I was in 6 years and only did adventure training once, most of the time was shit tbh. No wonder kids don't want to join up now. I did two tours of NI and had to buy my own decent kit cos the army issue was shit, the cotton combats got ripped to shreds within a few days in South Armagh. Could never understand they spent all that money on training you but next to nothing on fitting you out with good gear. Good video and good appraisal of the army today. 😢

[@CombatReadyHQ]

It’s been going on for way too long, massive saving and spending the money in all the wrong areas. Buy kit guys will actually use and like instead of wasting money and having to constantly change it because it doesn’t work

[@kevinadamson5768]

@@CombatReadyHQ it's probably changed a bit when I was in but it's still crap the way they treat their soldiers. If they treat them better maybe they will stay in a bit longer. It's the governments fault for undervaluing and underpaying the men, serves them right I say. Soldiers should be on equal pay as police and firefighters, it's shocking how badly they're treated. When I was in Northern Ireland in the 80,s guarding the police stations and checkpoints the RUC were on three times more than us, that pissed me off.

[@wildsurfer12]

Make this man a general!

[@johnlawson4605]

Fuck off, he's obviously got brains and integrity!

[@Indoor_Carrot]

Nobody's eligable these days due to impossible medical requirements. If you so kuch as said "good morning" to a GP at any point in your life, for anything, the army will defer or flat out reject you like they did to me.

[@669karlos]

Yes these are all valid problems and there is a hell of a lot more to boot but these problems only exist due to the fact that the present selection for promotion is based on toeing the line and not leading. Who is going to stick their neck out if they will be marked as a troublemaker by people who continue to climb the ladder on a sinking ship. If the chain of command and leadership in the British army is the best in the world then surely the information being fed up is of the highest quality and informs decision makers of these issues so they can be acted on. After 21 years of service I have never seen this happen, someone gets food poisoning the CO eats on the cook house the next day. The most rehearsed of solutions you could imaging. Ultimately the army is fucked because of the leadership that governs it. There is no long term plan, do my 3/4 years in rank, promote and fuck it onto the next problem.

[@johnlawson4605]

lol

[@stuartsmith4393]

Retention 1 year to get out is crazy, once you have made that decision you are never going back as well as those leaving being bad for morale., Reduce it to 3 months after your minimum time and people will hang around for longer as well as getting rid of the bad apples.

[@bobyouel7674]

i was in in the late 60's squaddies are mistreated as they always have been no pensions [that i remember] in my day the job is to kill everything else is secondary REspect

[@johnho2006]

you are 100 % correct,

[@TheEnglishOne]

Awesome video and some very good information, I wasn't aware of a lot of this stuff like the three meals.. I thought that was still a thing 😬.. To address the issue of people who aren't even signing up to begin with.. the reason people like me won't sign up is simply because of illegal immigration. Every time I see a small boat with 30 fighting age muslim men aboard, it gives me 30 more reasons to not fight for this moral forsaken country

[@death_parade]

Although not nearly to this extent, but there is a trend towards more privatization in Indian security apparatus as well. I feel like people that are fed up with state-run enterprise are swinging to the other extreme without realizing the pitfalls of privatization. UK offers a cautionary tale of what happens due to unbridled privatization, in both military and civilian spheres. I wish more Indians would pay attention to this. Right now, in India, things are easy because our entire nation is on the upswing, enjoying a demographic dividend that'll last another 20-30 years. And a fast economic growth all around. But these policies might fail when we peak in 2050-2060. Till then UK serves as a cautionary tale for us.

[@Rusty-Hinge]

It’s the same in the NHS. The military is a “woke” anti White employer, full to the gunnels with “diversity champions” and “change agents”. Who is going to hang around to be treated like dog eggs, refused advancement because of sexuality or ethnicity, just to take orders from someone who was clearly promoted because of theirs (make of that what you will), whilst their regiment no longer means anything, the pay is crap and the pension isn’t worth a Tommy Tank? The redundancies correspond to the infiltration of Common Purpose, where they essentially cleared out the old guard, who would resist the change, many of whom had had enough of the enforced changes and bailed. Who can blame them? If you do your research, you’ll find evidence that “wokeness” in the military, was done to “reduce the fighting capabilities”. Our defences are being deliberately dismantled, whilst our people are being deliberately and unconstitutionally demographically replaced and pirate classes of politicians act as paid saboteurs. Never mind, as long as “minorities” feelings aren’t hurt eh? 🤬🤯

[@EqyptianRuler]

1000% 👏

[@martinsmith3354]

Don't forget they boot you out after 22 years, all that experience lost. You could get another 10 years out of that soldier in a non fighting capacity freeing up fighting age men and women for frontline employment.

[@jamiew.2718]

Call up the cadets 😄

[@ianhendrytube]

They should!

[@jackjohnson7763]

Love this!

[@CombatReadyHQ]

Thanks mate

[@George-dx2sd]

NO WRONG ! Not everybody joins the military for the pension !! In fact its probably the last thing on your mind ! What package ? You join up you do your time and you leave ! If you're lucky you leave with all your limbs and most of your sanity That's the deal there was no package.

[@CombatReadyHQ]

No, so many people joined and liked it because of the benefits, the benefits used the be great and kept a lot of soldiers in.

[@Wardog-rf1tx]

When I was in the B.A. in 1974-1982 if there was a package I never heard of it, just the pension, and back then you had to do 12 years minimum for the pension, if I remember right. My monthly Canadian Forces Reservist pension as a 20 year guy is around $120.00-125.00. But then I didn’t join for the money (wasn’t looking long term) I’m not sure when things changed maybe around 1995 but reservists here got 65% of regular force pay no pensions at that time, around late 90s reservist went to around 85-90% regforce pay with a gratuity at the end of your service at $ x times served. Eventually around 2004 ish we started getting a pension but I had 5 years left so not much of a pension to look forward to. But again at the end of the day I signed up to serve and didn’t care about the money other than for the NAAFI BAR, evenings and weekends 😂😂😂. The CF has a Department of Veterans Affairs which looks after veterans to ensure that they are getting what financial means they are entitled to. That’s a big thing if you think that the B.A. basically says thanks for showing up, there is the door, don’t call us and we won’t call you.💂‍♂️🪖⛑️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦.

[@ThatOneGuy-mn6dv]

Regardless of the arguments X related to the reasons why nobody in the case of the UK is joining up that we can all make or point out that we can all talk about one objective fact is clear. This is a failure and cost of a all volunteer system and in the long term and bigger picture for both a military, population and society for the nation that it's aimed is to protect and serve it's going to at some point like all the others will fail at the end. The national service act shouldn't had been removed but rather reformed and adjusted in active use and the military should've reorganize their system around it. Now if it does have to be force back you have to start all over again and the early years and decade or so will be crap to work with until after they get the kinks worked out. Meanwhile other countries have their system in their own way and they largely got no problem with what they got.

[@JackeyBoyyy]

with the food situation it really just seems like these MP's are trying to fix things that weren't broken. nothing new there I suppose.

[@hill_skills]

BANG ON!

[@CombatReadyHQ]

Thanks Dave

[@adrianroberts7996]

True. All of it true 👍

[@JAPOWEN]

Why would you want to serve when a traffic warden is payed more than a Pte soldier? Equipment is bought through the buddy buddy system with back handers and fall apart and is not fit for purpose. Don't even get me going on the shit SA80 and the LSW (Long shit weapon).

[@peterwait641]

The LMG was great weapon, never failed .

[@JAPOWEN]

@@peterwait641 GPMG 4 me

[@KimTebrok]

Crikey, so true. I served in the early 1970’s. Nothing seems to have changed that much. More privatised civvie input today. Boots were crap, step in a puddle, your feet got soaked. DMS boots + puttees = joke. The food decent, so many missed breakfast though, even though we paid for it. The barracks were basic. Married staff went home at weekends & single stayed & got pissed. A bad dichotomy. Sad soldiers have to buy their own kit, especially during the Gulf wars etc,etc. Absolute disgrace. Nothing to do with wokery BS.

[@charliewalls759]

Loosen the rules on ink? A lot of people get inked (faces/hands) maybe if the army took these people when most other jobs don’t.

[@Thunderhead357]

We would be annihilated before Captain Manwarings got his pistol out of his trousers

[@johnharris2290]

I did 10 years as a reservist and attempted sf selection. Had mates go to Iraq and Afghan and go on the circuit.I love the forces, but society has changed. Patriotism is a dirty word these days. Being fit to fight and having a beer with your oppos is foreign to many. My old man was Para and went operational with them. I’d take one for Team U.K. but we’re a dying 😏breed…

[@peeratatr1492]

im not eligible due citizenship… heard that might change soon though

[@andycoombes161]

I'm ex RN and left in 91. I never once came across civvy cooks on a military establishment. The foid was generally excellent with the odd exception when deployed to some shit hole where the flour would be full of bugs etc which found their way into the scran. That was no fault of the cooks though. My question is this - what are the military chefs doing when the civvies are cooking the scran? Please don't tell me they don't have them now in the Army and RAF because for obvious reasons, civvies can't operate in theatre. It's an absolute shit show for sure these days

[@davidoldboy5425]

Send this to Shapps

[@johnlawson4605]

What does he know he's had 5 jobs in less than 12 months: July 29 2019 to Sept 2022 Transport Secretary October 19 to Oct 22 Home Secretary. He was only there for 4 days so he must have been shit at that! Oct 2022 to Feb 2023 Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary Fe 7 2023 to Aug 13 2023 Energy Secretary, his previous job must have been too much for him, so they took 2 away Then when he dosen't know FA about business or strategy, they make him Defence Secretary

[@sigis72]

The military is one of the basic pillars of a society/country and if it's neglected that society/country is doomed

[@SC-tl3rh]

The food at Pirbright used to be nice. Now it just gives you constipation. C(r)apita have also captured the armed forces - they have no incentive to do well. Sigh*

[@Dadopŕsoblueboots]

Them cheap army boots killed my feet.

[@peterwait641]

Used to be £22 in surplus shops, you could not buy decent shoes for that lol

[@Dadopŕsoblueboots]

Recruitment should be back in house. Get rid of capita.

[@homersimpson1183]

this! made me pmu for borderline eyesight in left eye, despite at the time the service weapon being an sa80 which is right eye fire only, yet i know a man who is a moron and actually is autistic who did tours of afghan, worled with the bloke on building sites for abit and i have no idea how he slipped through the net because he was a moron who couldnt get the simplest tasks right, no offense to autistic people im not slagging them i just mean this bloke in particular was a fucking idiot and a liability, i wouldntve put my life in his hands thats for sure couldnt grasp the difference between sharp sand and bulding sand the donut

[@sparkiegaz3613]

I’m sure the government will create more unemployment black spots ware joining the forces is only option to get out..either that or national service ..

[@dannywlm63]

Its been happening in civi companies for ages and ages. Shameful it's happening in the military. Saving money is aĺl that the government cares about

[@CombatReadyHQ]

Yes it’s all about numbers and saving money!

[@Wardog-rf1tx]

I served in the British Army in 1974-1982 and had all the things your saying no longer exist. Pretty sad. Served in the Canadian Forces 1983-1984, then 1989-2009. Whoever was in charge of the military at the top in Ottawa Canada was a plod. They would make changes to the CF based on what they saw in previous years with the British Army. Problem with that was the BA was switching out of things they finally realized was not work. It did not work in the CF either, they also started getting rid of support trades and military chefs, started switching to civvies and pay as you eat. Civvie support was none existent after hours and weekends. 💂‍♂️🪖⛑️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦

[@buddystewart2020]

So is everybody else, even China is having issues.

[@richardtodd6559]

This is nothing new it’s been going on for over 30yrs…I was 16yr old boy soldier in 84…everyone was getting out after 3yrs of bullshido & poverty…most were trying to get out before their 3yrs…they we’re getting rid of old sweats before they could get full pension rights, but few young people we’re replacing them…now after 20yrs of dodgy warfare where we lost it’s no surprise people aren’t joining unless their desperate

[@CombatReadyHQ]

Yes exactly, I loved being in the army but it’s shit how they treat everybody and waste money

[@hill_skills]

Free food and lodging. No council tax. Tax exempt. Fee university tuition. Fast track citizenship for over seas volunteers. That should help. It's not rocket science. The yanks do it. That should help.

[@Improveng1]

The "class/clahss" structure is still alive and kicking in the good old UK and is an utter disgrace to humanity. For example, let's consider the wonderful practice of "other" ranks serving their "superiors" and acting like servants/slaves in the Officers' Mess of many Guards" regiments. What is that all about ffs? I'm all for respect for officers but it should have be earned on merit and not granted because his/her old man had a few bob and had his kid educated at Eton or Harrow!

[@mikewinston8709]

Check out the transgender WO2 at 11 EOD Regt RLC at Didcot Oxon……..see if that meets with everyone’s ‘modern’ taste and idea of an army?

[@johnlawson4605]

I know I'm a bit late with this post but after watching this I think I'm living in permanent Groundhog Day. Background: I joined up, Nov 75, after having been made redundant when a labour government closed down GB, I and my best mate spent our redundancies on a weekend on the piss, then promptly presented ourselves at the recruiting office, took the elementary tests, passed with flying colours (which apparently we may not be able to fly in the future) and were pencilled in as VMs in the REME within two weeks we were in the depot at Wokingham (not Woke-ing ham). Here we were issued with shirts which required shaving, vests that would not fit and baggy boxers that your cock fell out of. All kit was shit and the soles fell off your DMS after 10 miles. Your points about pay and pensions are good ones unfortunately they didn't affect me (1975 - 1997) as things cost less then and my pension was a good. Ref: Food and Accommodation these were all taken out at source, so only beer tokens appeared on your payslip. Chefs were good and I have one living next door to me ( always make friends with a cook and a storeman, you can't go wrong), social life was an alcoholic blast and rooms were 24 to a room in training an 4 per room in barracks. I still cannot believe they can't get kit right. I was on exercise in 78 when a team came round from.. Colchester I believe to ask what clothing and webbing we were using as most of us bout equipment from, Silverman's or the local German BV shop, They were astonished to see so much American, German, Dutch and even Italian and Austrian uniforms on display. The old adage is forever thus, the British army is the best trained and worst equipped in the world, oh and now the smallest!

[@CombatReadyHQ]

That’s exactly, we are highly trained and very professional but definitely under equipped for the time and way too small for what is going on in the world and our population size

[@johnlawson4605]

I've heard the term "it's not rocket science" before, but just to let the procurement branch of the UK military know, I've just done about 20 seconds of investigative research and found a good source of kit, it's called Genuine Jay Jays Ltd. With a bit of investment (and I don't mean chucking billions at it until it becomes to expensive fail, although I recall a RAF project for an AWACS that failed by the billions) I mean proper structured investment to provide, first time, exactly what your average professional soldier requires.

[@TheBongReyes]

Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t the entirety of the British military personnel equal to, or slightly more, than the number of US Marines? If so, that’s pretty bad sign.

[@CombatReadyHQ]

I believe the Us marine corps regular and reserve is approximately the same size we may have a few thousand more

[@TheBongReyes]

@@CombatReadyHQ Thank you for the info. As an American, I would rather have a powerful British military than not. As America’s greatest ally, a strong British military is the most ideal partner.

[@Jarvo02]

You forgot to realise USA is 1000 times bigger than the UK and the US are more patriotic toward the military

[@TheBongReyes]

@@Jarvo02 That’s why I only isolated the comparison of the entirety of the British military to the smallest of the big 4 armed branches of the US military. As the US Coast Guard & Space Force is substantially smaller branches. I wouldn’t assume that British people are less patriotic than Americans. Others might have differing opinions.

[@woahhbro2906]

The US (other than the Marines, I believe) are having recruitment issues as well. So is China, which is interesting. I think the younger generations are just motivated differently. They're also a lot less nationalistic and probably don't feel they would be fighting for anything noble or maybe there are other opportunities with the internet, and so they choose to do something there. Not sure. I know I'm personally patriotic and I support the military but I don't have a very good opinion of the pencil pushers in my government. I'd feel like I'd be defending whatever backroom deal they've got going on rather than defending my family and country. But that's just me. There's also a threat of a looming war on the horizon and people just don't want to risk it. They're young, have options, and probably naively feel safe at the moment - so why risk it? I'm not defending it, just trying to see through their perspective maybe

[@NPC--666]

Wokery destroys everythimg. Why fight for an army that hates you?

[@reinhardtsiebert1834]

Whether the British public want to accept it or not, Britain needs a fairly large standing army. At least 130000 to 230000 troops. Bring back the regimental recruitment depots. That method of recruitment worked wonders in the past. Stop with this "diversity" rubbish! Let those who want to join the Army, join the Army. This is an Army with such a rich and proud history (with some regiments going back hundreds of years) that it is really heartbreaking to see what it has become. As for these civilian contractors, all I can say is give the Army back to the Army.

[@AlexCollins-j5j]

I disagree with you on the food, from my recollection, PAYD was a reaction to popular demand from the troops. I would estimate that less than half of the people who paid for food actually turned up for meals. People 'dripped' about paying for food. Unfortunately we reap what we sow. I think you are off mark here. If you brought food back in, people would love it for a while and then drip about paying for food when they don't go to the cookhouse. The reason the food was so good, was 300 poeple were paying for it, but only 150 used to turn up and eat. I also think that most people don't join for the pension, as the majority don't complete a pensionable service. From my intake of 30ish. Only 2-3 of us completed over 22 years. And that was on the hallowed 75 pension. Accommodation,... a number of factors here... people wanting their own rooms and the human rights of having privacy. What killed the team was people going back to their individual rooms, locking the door and playing XBOX. Agree on the AT, the fun as gone. Agree, the procurement system is crap, but that is not unique to the military, it is just government wide. Commercially, the government get shafted... and it is their own fault.

[@kennethvaughan8195]

In the US we are witnessing the same thing. I don’t know… it’s like people aren’t as eager to serve their country like back when I joined. I’m not going to stereotype on purpose but it just seems like the younger generations have gotten so soft, so sensitive, so easily offended. I know it’s not all but their just not stepping up. Also, government is steadily taking away benefits and it seems more about politics than the wellbeing of the troops. Whatever it is it’s definitely a problem !

[@johnlawson4605]

The man in charge of all this is the rising star (and we all saw the results of the last one, who backed Liz Truss for Christ's sake anyway?). Ah yes the man who had 5 jobs in less than 12 months: Transport Secretary - July 2019 to Sept 2022 Home Secretary - 19 Oct 2022 to 22 Oct 2022, only lasted 4 days at the 3rd most important job in government. Must've been shit at that then? Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary, 23 Oct 2022 to 6 Feb 2023 Energy Secretary, 7 Feb 2023 to 13 Aug 2023, couldn't handle 3 jobs, so they took Business and Strategy off him. So because he knows FA about Business or Strategy, on 31 Aug 2023 they make him Defence Secretary, so military contracts and long term planning go out the window! This is the man to lead our forces into oblivion.

[@michaelleak3369]

All as hou are is canen foder

[@MarkSmith-jt3pt]

Army is to woke these days started with the wrac been disbanded in the 1992 let woman into the roles that they shouldn't be in not very pc these days but its the truth served from 1990 to 2003 one of the reason I left was because woman where getting away with shit men could not and morale drop

[@peterwait641]

My friend was in Afghan , he needed the slave lead a female soldier was using. He was sent away because she complained she could not do it with him watching her lol.

[@RJAH355]

Why would anyone want to fight for this country when it treats its British people so badly.

[@CombatReadyHQ]

Because we still need people to defend yhe country, they just need to change how they support and treat their serving personnel

[@RJAH355]

@@CombatReadyHQ they only need us when it suits them. Why would anyone want to. The British people get treated like dirt.

[@albertograssi3675]

​​@@CombatReadyHQ From an external view is a bad signal: necessity of personell = low standards... there are two ways: mantain standards and loss soldiers (focus on quality) or lowering standards and have more soldiers (focus on quantity like USA). You have a huge budget compared to other EU countries 😅

[@robertparkinson6919]

Stop moaning, i joined up in 1971 our kit was made in 1945, same as compo rations. They tasted dreadful. Equipment started to improve because of the troubles. The accommodation at Regiment level was pretty basic in Tidworth but food, for me anyway was cooked by our own chef's was i think pretty good.

[@CombatReadyHQ]

Yes but now it’s cooked by civilians who have no clue on how to cook and now they invest millions into the wrong kit and we get shit kit for what is around. Soldiers cook’s have mega kit but they don’t

[@johnlawson4605]

I joined in 74 and the stuff we had was old and out of date, but we just got on with it, Is it because we were born into tougher times, not quite as tough as my dad or grandads time, maybe its always been grim up north . There seems to more support for the idle now, so the forces don't look so attractive

[@austinshannon4197]

Chiefs won Super Bowl 58 yall. Crazy game dude.

[@redpillrevelation5978]

I serve in the rifles as a reservist have bn for 3 years, I have no virtus body armour I've hat to buy my own webbing and pouches gloves and boots we've had guys come n go because of this also we have no 9mm to do pistol shooting , only spend one weekend on the field cuz my unit can't afford to pay for rat packs to feed us things are getting bad.

[@CombatReadyHQ]

Mental! It’s happening throughout the whole military, shocking virtue still hasn’t been issued to everyone considering it started to come in around 8 years ago! Sorry to hear this mate, something needs to be done about it