'Shocking situation' of British military understaffing
The Daily Mail reported that the British Ministry of Defense released an internal report showing "shocking conditions" in the British military.
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| British soldiers. Photo: Topwar.ru |
According to the article, only one of the 33 infantry battalions in the UK is fully staffed. This is due to low pay and the recruitment of new recruits through private companies.
The £1.3bn contract with a private company was “a disastrous decision”, according to Colonel Richard Kemp, commander of British forces in Afghanistan. When recruits were selected, they faced red tape that prevented them from serving in the armed forces, leading to a drop in the number of conscription applications to 25,000 in 2017.
A survey of contractors found they complained about poor living conditions and low pay.
Even the elite Scots Guards, one of the country's most prestigious infantry battalions, is short-staffed. It needs more than 600 new soldiers, and currently has just 339 available for duty.
The British Army reportedly needs 14,984 soldiers. Right now, the country can only send about 11,000 soldiers to the front.
“The army is too small to fully protect Britain in an increasingly dangerous world,” said Colonel Richard Kemp.