Armed forces facing staff shortages

Updated 08.01 Wed Jul 30 2008
Keywords: defence, Iraq, Afghanistan, House of Commons

Manning shortages in key military trades like submariners, aircrew, mechanics and medical staff are threatening the operational capability of armed forces, according to a report by MP's.

The House of Commons Defence Committee blamed the strain of simultaneous deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the erosion of breaks between tours of duty for an increase in numbers of personnel quitting the services.

"Our Armed Forces are being worked extremely hard to support current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is vital that the pressures on our service personnel and their families is minimised" - Defence committee chairman James Arbuthnot

The committee urged the Ministry of Defence to drop its blanket opposition to unions for rank-and-file troops, recommending it should "constructively consider" proposals for an independent Army Forces Federation as a channel for them to voice their complaints about pay, housing and disruption to their family lives.

The report warned that the Armed Forces are operating at an "unprecedented" tempo, with commitments outstripping the levels for which they are resourced, putting servicemen and their families under "intense pressure".

Measures to improve welfare for troops and their families "don't go far enough" and not enough is being done to address manning shortfalls or to ensure that "harmony guidelines" dictating the length of time between tours are not breached, said the MPs.

While the number of trained personnel joining the frontline is falling, numbers quitting the services early have increased, and the problem is particularly acute in certain "pinchpoint trades" which are significantly undermanned.

The number of pinchpoint trades, defined by the MoD as areas of expertise where there is not enough trained strength to perform operational tasks without encroaching on the required time between deployments, has increased from 54 in 2004 to 86 now - 25 in the Royal Navy, 30 in the Army and 31 in the RAF.

And senior officers told the committee that shortages in these areas can have an impact on capability out of proportion to their actual numbers.

The main reason for experienced personnel quitting early was not money, but the impact of service on their personal and family lives, said the report.

Defence committee chairman James Arbuthnot said: "Our Armed Forces are being worked extremely hard to support current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is vital that the pressures on our service personnel and their families is minimised.

"However, recruitment and retention targets are being consistently missed, resulting in increased pressure on those who remain. The MoD must take action to address this vicious circle before it becomes irreversible."

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