The 'Strategic' Defence and Security Review

So apparently there is a plan concerning the numbers of Army personnel.  That plan is so secret that literally no-one knows what it is.  The Army's career managers in Glasgow are being kept firmly in the dark, to whit: even though an entire cohort have passed ASB filters for Conversion of Commission, the actual quotas are being 'held back' by DM(A) until such time as the outcome of the SDSR announcement is known.  Or in other words - there are people who have demonstrated - on ops - that they have the necessary commitment to pursue a worthwhile career in the Army but we are now looking at a RegC board totalling 5 (five) officers per AS&D this year.  That is patently ridiculous.

If the Army cannot even look after it's own (i.e. officers) what chance does Pte Smith and Tpr Jones have?

Or is this nothing more than the knee-jerk reaction that General Dannatt warned us about?  The question is whether General Sir Peter Wall will demonstrate the required cojones to speak up in defence of his people - apparently the Army's vital ground - or will he just simper quietly in the background in his tightly fitting service dress?

I guess we will find out towards the end of October. 

PS An interesting addendum from MS: "Now is a good time to leave the Army."  Thanks R-J - good to see our interests are being represented so magnificently.

It's all shit, Sir!

Welcome to my blog.  I have no idea where this will go - or what I am trying to say: there is no vision of a desired endstate.

All I know is that all is not right in Puzzle Palace.  And so as we stand on the brink of the SDSR announcement (acknowledging that the 'Defence Reform Unit' will still have to actually enact the outcome), I thought i would share a biased view of what it is like to be in the Army today as we go through these changes.  And I will probably vent my spleen in all sorts of other areas as well.

But as the saying goes - "if they aren't whinging, there's something wrong."

It's all shit, Sir.