Soldiers sacked days before pension date

Unless we have a perpetual war Maggy it will never stop because the forces arn't deemed really important in peacetime and usually in the UK they are starved of kit until war breaks out and we fight at a disadvantage till we catch up. Politicians love to use the military when it suits them but then treat them like a toy you put away again and that attitude i think is too deeply ingrained in the political class.

Well if the US can take care of their veterans then surely we can.

[cookie_365]

Brigadier Rob Nitsch, the head of Army manning, said that the sackings had been “determined by future manpower requirements�.
“It is not the case that proximity to the date at which a pension would be paid was a consideration for redundancy selection.�

They implemented a large scale redundancy programme without quantifying its costs?

Yes Rob, I believe you Rob, it sounds so plausible.

I wish this country did take better care of it's veterans Maggy i really do as right now the care given is shocking. It took nearly two years for me to get an appointment with a shrink to help me deal with some things and from what i hear now things are not much better. Our politicians whole attitude to the forces needs to be revamped and updated and better care of them both in service and out of service needs to happen but with this government being obsessed with cost cutting no matter the damage i cannot see it happening anytime soon.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by jempalmer

I am utterly dumbstruck. How can they do something so completely heartless and sleep at night? Just shocking!

In a very comfy bed, in an expensive house, far, far away from any war zone or area where the grunts are putting their lives on the line.

[TheNorm]

Originally Posted by Taf

It used to be that if you served 22 years, you retired and immediately received a pension. Any less than 22 years and you had to wait until age 65.

Used to be? That's what it says in the article:

One 40-year-old sergeant serving in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was only three days away from serving 22 years and qualifying for an immediate pension pot worth £108,000. He will now have to wait until he is 65 to receive the pension.

Originally Posted by Derek

In a very comfy bed, in an expensive house, far, far away from any war zone or area where the grunts are putting their lives on the line.

Which I cannot dispute. However my Father was ex-Army and wanted me to have a University education. I was in the Cadet Corps at school but my Father was adamant that I would not go into the Forces. I don't see why I cannot be angry at the treatment meted out to our troops currently or why you seem to be mad at me for feeling thus.

Originally Posted by jempalmer

Which I cannot dispute. However my Father was ex-Army and wanted me to have a University education. I was in the Cadet Corps at school but my Father was adamant that I would not go into the Forces. I don't see why I cannot be angry at the treatment meted out to our troops currently or why you seem to be mad at me for feeling thus.

I have read Derek's comment and I don't think he is angry at you,merely annoyed at those who have instigated these cutbacks and those who are overseeing them.He was just answering your rhetorical question.

My apologies to Derek if that is the case. I assure you that I am genuinely incensed by the decisions made by faceless bean counters who don't give a flying fig for our Armed Forces.

[nashville]

This is a disgrace. These soldiers are dying one after the other for their country to be treated like this .