Totally appalled.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

http://news.sky.com/story/1171390/re...rves-expansion

I find this act by the Coalition to reduce the full time officers in the Birtish Army, and replace with volunteers disgusting

I find this disgraceful by the government in a way to save money. The British Army is the elite as far as i'm concerned, but you cannot fill these places with volunteers, it doesn't make sense.

They way l look at it is, If you are a volunteer, you are working for a company or self employed. You get a call up to join the following day in a foreign land and fight for your country.

You get trained about once a week - this is NOT good enough to fight the following day. Then the business you work for - lose an employee or employees.

I have great admiration for volunteers - l was a special for 16 years, BUT these volunteers will be FIGHTING an enemy of this country and who ever Cameron decides needs to be brought under control.

All this is, is to save money for the government while they are making regular soldiers redundant. Who will be next the RAF, NAVY.

The government are doing to the Army, what they have done to the Police services - reducing regular officers and INCREASING specials.

They cannot treat the British public like lumps of meat - we have to be kept safe from harm from foreign sources. Its ok for the government to do this as they are protected by the safe arms of the SAS, Protection officers etc.

[Doug P]

Popular thread!!

For once I (mostly) agree with Arthur. It has been the policy of successive UK governments to maintain standing, professional armed forces. There has always been a need for sensible levels of reserve to cope with specific troubles, but reducing the nation's capacity to act quickly does not make sense.

And that's the point where I disagree with Arthur: the reserves don't get called up on 24 hour's notice, they get months of pre-deployment training, for example, before going to Afghanistan. The only time they would be called up for immediate action would be if the country was at immediate and dire peril.

Originally Posted by Chris

For once I (mostly) agree with Arthur. It has been the policy of successive UK governments to maintain standing, professional armed forces. There has always been a need for sensible levels of reserve to cope with specific troubles, but reducing the nation's capacity to act quickly does not make sense.

And that's the point where I disagree with Arthur: the reserves don't get called up on 24 hour's notice, they get months of pre-deployment training, for example, before going to Afghanistan. The only time they would be called up for immediate action would be if the country was at immediate and dire peril.

I think the regular reservists would get called up before the volunteer reserves