Military Thursday Part 1 - 'Train hard' no longer
Pointed out by Bruce
The Territorial Army has been told it must temporarily halt training due to severe pressure on government finances. Drill-hall instruction, weekend exercises and all other TA training are to stop for six months, resulting in savings of about £20m.
TA soldiers serve in Afghanistan, but the Ministry of Defence said operations would not be hit as they train with the regular Army before deployment. The TA has about 1,200 troops a year in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans.
In fact those are the same said deployments that have only been made possible by the Terrirorial Army
Labour was accused of risking the lives of Territorial Army soldiers last night after axing their training for the next six months to save money. Reservists across Britain will see their exercises cut or be told to pay their own way in order to save a paltry £20million.
Soldiers who are due to deploy to the frontline in Afghanistan next year have been told the Government will not pay for any more combat training until April. Senior officers warned last night that the decision will cost lives because Britain's 'weekend warriors' will fall behind in their preparations for combat with the Taliban.
Serving TA soldiers predicted that units will disband, thousands of reservists will quit and recruitment will dry up, rendering the TA a shadow of its former self. General Patrick Cordingley, commander of the Desert Rats during the first Gulf War, said: 'At a time when the Army in Afghanistan is heavily dependent on territorials it seems extraordinary to cut funds for training
Of course if this were down to me & sadly it is not, I'd announce that all money reclaimed for MPs over-claiming expenses would be ring fenced & used for combat training ... then lets see which MP would refuse to repay the money they have stolen from the taxpayer to pay for duck houses, gardeners & porno movies
Comments
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Conscript the corrupt bastards into the Queen's Westminster Rifles and send them to the 'stan.
For what I have in mind it won't cost a penny - walking 100m ahead of real soldiers to set off IEDs and landmines needs very little training and no equipment.
Any that survive long enough to need rations can be used as training aids - live running man targets on the range.
Posted by: The Remittance Man | October 15, 2009 8:51 AM
What he said and not only that, strap bomb-vests onto them and send 'em into Taliban-held buildings to blow up Talibans. 2-birds, 1-stone.
Posted by: DirtCrashr | October 15, 2009 5:13 PM
I came her to vent, but the Remittance Man has said it for me. My one modification would be to send any Westminster Chairborne Infantry survivors to the bayonet course rather than to the range. Given the cost of ammunition, they simply would not be worth it. The Houses of Parliament sould be turned into a deluxe hotel, or better yet continue their use as a brothel, but with more attractive, and better behaved, whores.
Posted by: Fusilier Harris | October 15, 2009 7:16 PM