http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8300530.stm



Fcuking hell, I had no idea things were that bad with the TA

Largely because they're actually being sent to places like Afghanistan to make up for the shortfall in 'full time' military personnel. Signing up for the TA doesn't seem to much like such a good idea when you can end up in Helmand. OK, they're not on the front line but I don't think IEDs and suicide bombers make the distinction between paid soldiers and TA.

I don't blame them at all mind. The TA has always been there in theory to do the mundane stuff therefore freeing trained soldiers to do the fighting. Sending them to combat zones is stupid. They're not trained properly for it and they didn't sign up for it. If they'd wanted to do that, they'd have actually signed up for the army not the TA.

Jon

There was a case a few years ago when the Irish army were low on funds and had to shout BANG during training.

I think this is mainly down to the fact that the TA actually have to go out into warzones rather than just being able to say to people that they're in the TA to their mates down at the pub and occasionally go camping.

The conflicts have weedled out those that should never have been in there.

That's all pretty much what I suspected - it used to be you signed up for your HGV licence or whatever, or over here, for a spot of actual weapons training

EDIT - I'd love to know the quitting figures for those full-time soldiers coming off their first or second contracts (three years at a time IIRC ) now that our troops are in the likes of Afghanistan and Iraq under sh1tty MOD care...