Just what we need is an EU Army, outside of NATO controlled by the Anti-US, Anti-NATO French, with Napoleon Hollende strutting the worlds stage like a peacock. The EU is being molded for French hegemony, but as usual they will fail as the Germans will control Europe. Money is what always talks in the end.
80,000 is too small for the Army to do what is expected of it. Reservists as okay for short conflicts, but what employer is going to want to loose staff for long periods. I could solve the Armed Forces funding problems in minutes, reform the MOD and cut them by 50%, scrap the overseas aid budget and use it to fund our armed forces. We are going to be needing them very soon as we all know how the last 1930's recession ended and the Euro is sending Europe in the same direction. Remember in the Greek elections, the communist and fascists have made big gains in their numbers of MPs, the same will be happening soon in Italy and Spain.
Guffer, I hope you don't receive your redundancy notice so you are kicked out just before you complete your service. It means that you don't get your pension until 65 and this is a big scandal, being swept under the carpet by the Government at the moment. It is a absolute disgrace and damning incitement on the cynicism of MOD, Treasury, and the awful ComDems. To me they are breaching the covernance that exists between the armed force who put their lives of the line and the rest of society, where we expect the Government in return to treat you fairly and properly, not disgracefully like this.