An increase in the number of people joining the British military has failed to stem falling troop numbers, with more people continuing to leave than join. In the 12 months to June 30, 13,520 recruits joined the regular forces, an increase of 1,580 on the previous year.
In the same period, however, 14,020 left the forces. This represents a drop on the year before but still a net loss for the military. The recent Strategic Defence Review (SDR) identified halting the shrinking of Britain’s military as a key step to prepare it to meet the challenges of the future, but the figures show that in the last year, the military has continued to get smaller. The influx of over 13,000 soldiers comes as 162,170 people applied to join the forces in the 12 months to March 31 this year, an increase of 43% on the year before.
Earlier this year, the outgoing head of the British military Admiral Sir Tony Radakin identified the need to capitalise on a high number of people expressing an interest to join by reducing bureaucracy and speeding up the pipeline from application to commencing basic training.
Currently, the average time it takes to start basic training is eight months, with many people forced to wait so long that they opt for a career in an alternative field, leading Admiral Radakin to label current recruitment practises as “behind the times.”
He said: “Young people expect a response and they expect engagement.
“They do not expect to have to fill in the most difficult computer system ever. We take too long to deal with medical issues. We lose too many people.”
Whilst the figures show that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has once more failed to produce a net increase on the number of people serving, an increase in recruits and applications are reasons for optimism.
The factors behind the improved recruitment and applications remain unknown, with the looming threat of war, increased pay just two of several potential factors for the increase.
The MOD have highlighted the need to improve recruitment whilst also improving service life to stem the flow of highly skilled people leaving the forces.
Earlier this year the MOD identified poor accommodation as a main factor in people turning their backs on a life of service as they announced a range of measures to improve military housing.
Speaking at the time, Defence Secretary John Healey said: “For too long, many military families have lived in sub-standard homes, but this Government is taking decisive action to fix the dire state of military accommodation and ensure that our heroes and their loved ones live in the homes they deserve.”
An MoD spokesman said: “This government inherited a recruitment crisis, with targets being missed every year for the past 14 years and is taking decisive action to stop the long-term decline in numbers.
“We are working to speed up the process of integrating those who wish to rejoin back into the armed forces, as well as giving personnel the largest pay rise in decades, scrapping 100 outdated recruitment policies including measures blocking recruitment of some sufferers of hay fever, eczema and acne and passing legislation through the Commons to introduce a new armed forces commissioner to improve service life.”