Olympics Security bailed out by army..

Andy_L

DuckEggGingham wrote: »

The last I heard the free food was ration packs, adequate enough I guess but it hardly seems fair given the organisation of all this.

I suspect its taking them a few days to set up the field kitchens - rat packs are too expensive to use when you have an alternative

Andy_L

paulmapp8306 wrote: »

These guys got 12 hours notice they were going. They have just finished an 18 hour shift, and have 6 hours until the next one. Where are they billited?

Wapping

http://www.army.mod.uk/news/24295.aspx

paulmapp8306

That looks like something out of porridge

As for why there sending troops just back from Afghan - its because everyone else is either IN afghan, on final prep for going to afghan on the next rotation , or away on courses preping for the tour after that. The only troops available are those who have just finished an afghan tour. They will have 6 months to a year off before they start the next cycle - starting with courses.

There are not as many in the Army as people think - nor are there as few deployed. There are some troops in jobs/small teams that do not deploy (or support from the UK) BUT they are not formed units with the capability of putting guys on the ground so quickly - nor do they have cover to actually do their day job while away (as most of these types are support troops - and their job is the same home or away, its just the location that matters. You cant just re-deploy them).


they WILL get LSSA, which starts 10 days from being away from family, and is a tiered system depending how many days you have sepnd away from home (in your career). Level one is just over £6/day. Level 2 is around £9 etc. it MAY be that they will only get level one regardless of time away as its a UK deployment - im not sure. Either way, if they get to go home for a couple of days during the period - the 10 days will be reset.

paulmapp8306

I also like the link at the bottom of that link. "no troops will loose leave". Yes they will no matter what is said.

One Regt I know well has troops away. They have around 80 days leave owing to them at present (yes after just getting back from Afghan). However, they deploy to kenya on exercise in Jan in the workup to their next Afghan tour - and they have to do level 1 training and some course prior. How exactly are they going to get their 2 1/2 months leave in when there not home from the Olympics until September? its not going to happen.

Andy_L

paulmapp8306 wrote: »

That looks like something out of porridge

As for why there sending troops just back from Afghan - its because everyone else is either IN afghan, on final prep for going to afghan on the next rotation , or away on courses preping for the tour after that. The only troops available are those who have just finished an afghan tour. They will have 6 months to a year off before they start the next cycle - starting with courses.

There are not as many in the Army as people think - nor are there as few deployed.

Theres aabout 10% of the army in Afganistan. Even, as you say, allowing for those about to go & those who've just come back thats less than a 1/3rd tied up. Considering its been their declaired main effort for the past 10 years why are they making such a balls up of manpower management

paulmapp8306

Sigh.

How many of the army are deployable, on the ground troops. Many Many more are the engineers, admin support etc. These people actually have a day job. The Armys vehicles still need fixing, other equipment needs maintaining, pay/leave etc still needs supporting. You cant just take this part of the army away from its day job or it wouldnt be functioning when they got back.

Currently the troops that CAN deploy are doing tours every two years. That means enough for 4 rotations. Their either on opps, on final exersices for the next ops, training for the ops after tha, or recovering from the last op.

Andy_L

paulmapp8306 wrote: »

Sigh.

How many of the army are deployable, on the ground troops. Many Many more are the engineers, admin support etc. These people actually have a day job. The Armys vehicles still need fixing, other equipment needs maintaining, pay/leave etc still needs supporting. You cant just take this part of the army away from its day job or it wouldnt be functioning when they got back.

Looking just at trained regular infantry, armour & artillery (ie the teeth arms) about 40%. I'm not sure what the teeth to tail ratio of the 9500 people out there currently is, wild-guess of 50/50?, or the number of TA making up the numbers.
The army has chosen (for a mixture of good & bad reasons) to not rebalance its forces for its main effort in Afganistan and, apparently, not plan for a last minute Olympic deployment that has been a duty rumour since London won the bid

grizzly1911

It will be interesting to see how far any compensation filters down and when.

Once the games are over and the political point scoring cools down I wouldn't be surprised if some halfway house deal is done with G4S.

The Chief Exec seemed to promise the world under the "mauling" that I doubt will come to fruition or will be rolled into other existing contract cost downs.

Any ideas why the military weren't used in the first place or at least for a bigger piece of it? I appreciate the call on resources for Afghanistan.

Generali

How many G4S Guards does it take to change a lightbulb?

2 coppers and a Lance Corporal.

ILW

Has nobody suggested that Nick Buckle should get a hair cut before he starts rubbing shoulders with the army?