British Army disbanded for three weeks due to budget cuts

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**Testify**

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20573387]Source

The Army has been given an extra five days' Christmas leave as a "thank you" for its "exceptionally" busy year, the Ministry of Defence says.

The leave for non-essential personnel from 14 December to 7 January recognises the Army's "vital support" for the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee.

A directive issued to staff also states it is to "fully exploit utility efficiencies" in army premises.

But the MoD said it was "ridiculous" to suggest it was a cost-cutting measure.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Col Richard Kemp, a former commander of UK ground forces in Afghanistan, said: "The troops themselves will welcome the extra time off.

"But nevertheless, to an Army at war this sends an insulting and morale-sapping message that makes it entirely clear just where spending priorities do not lie."

The directive, issued by Maj Gen David Cullen, chief of staff for land forces, states the leave was "in recognition for sustaining a high operational tempo, and also to fully exploit the utility efficiencies available by closing down buildings/working areas over this period."
'Beyond satire'

The directive says: "Staff should be encouraged during this period to work from home, where suitable work can be made available."

But Col Kemp told the newspaper: "The idea that the troops can work from home is beyond satire."

He added: "For a few office-bound staff home working might be possible but even among those the majority are tied to classified and networked computer systems that they do not have at home."

The RAF and Royal Navy are not affected by the decision.

In a statement, the MoD said: "In recognition of the exceptionally busy year the Army has had both on operations and at home - including vital support to the 2012 London Olympics, fuel tanker drivers' strike and Diamond Jubilee - the usual Christmas leave period has been extended.

"Personnel who are essential to supporting operations will remain on task regardless of this leave period and there will be no impact to the mission in Afghanistan." Duties such as guarding royal palaces would also continue, a spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, the MoD has said no timescale has been set for the next tranche of armed forces redundancies.

In September, some newspapers had reported that about 8,000 soldiers would be made compulsorily redundant after Christmas.

Under the Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Army is to cut up to 12,000 personnel from 102,000 by 2015. By 2020, the Army is to be reduced to 82,000.

So far, the Army made 920 personnel redundant in 2011, while in June 2,900 jobs were cut.

The notion of of a "thank you for an exceptionally busy year" is genuinely laughable. The notion that the MOD give a gak about soldiers...oh my. Also standing around at the Olympics and the Jubilee probably isn't as bad as being shot at by Johnny Taliban, though I wouldn't want to speak for servicemen.

So yeah. Please don't invade us in the next 3 weeks guys. Please?

Pls?!?!?

**Huffy**

Testify wrote:

So yeah. Please don't invade us in the next 3 weeks guys. Please?

Pls?!?!?

Psshh, we're already assembling the Freedom Armada, dont worry in a few weeks you'll have freedom and bald eagles

**IronWarLeg**

Huffy wrote:
Testify wrote:

So yeah. Please don't invade us in the next 3 weeks guys. Please?

Pls?!?!?

Psshh, we're already assembling the Freedom Armada, dont worry in a few weeks you'll have freedom and bald eagles

Yep, get ready, Texas is assembyling an armada of bass boats as we speak!

**Avatar 720**

Huffy wrote:
Testify wrote:

So yeah. Please don't invade us in the next 3 weeks guys. Please?

Pls?!?!?

Psshh, we're already assembling the Freedom Armada, dont worry in a few weeks you'll have freedom and bald eagles

You'll have to get in line behind a lot of other countries who want to invade us. There'll be even longer queues at the terminals to get in.

If you play your cards right, you might get here before Spain, but not before Germany or France, and definately not Argentina, who have been camping at the front of the line since the Falklands.

**Huffy**

Lines are for Socialists!!!

**Avatar 720**

Huffy wrote:
Lines are for Socialists!!!

As invading countries we acknowledge your desire to behave as you do back home, but whilst you are on British soil you are expected to maintain an acceptable level of politeness, manners and ettiquete including, but not limited to, waiting patiently in a single-file line. Misbeheaviour or otherwise ignoring this rule will result in your being relegated to the back of the line.

Thank you for your cooperation.

**Kilkrazy**

I think it would be serious mistake to invade the UK in the Christmas holidays since the squaddies will have extra time for drinking.

**Avatar 720**

Kilkrazy wrote:
I think it would be serious mistake to invade the UK in the Christmas holidays since the squaddies will have extra time for drinking.

They'll have to endure our winter weather, first. After that we can throw carol singers, charity collection people you find clustered in town centres like packs of wolves looking to pick off stragglers, and wet slush at anyone who comes around here looking for fisticuffs.

**Palindrome**

My leave entitlement hasn't changed and that is what tells me exactly how many days leave you can have.

All this means is that Christmas block leave is 1 week longer than normal. In other words I have the opportunity to take 3 weeks off at Christmas rather than the usual 2 but I don't get an extra 5 days leave entitlement.

This year has been very busy and an extra week at Christmas is actually quite useful as it will allow people to use up extra leave that they haven't had the opportunity to take previously. One of my collegues hasn't had any leave since Easter due to various commitments.

**d-usa**

If you are in front of the Germans while in line, please expect to have them constantly shove and push you impatiently.

**AustonT**

Holy gak:

Whembly hacked Testify's Dakka account!

**Testify**

AustonT wrote:
Holy gak:
Whembly hacked Testify's Dakka account!

Hmm.

**SilverMK2**

AustonT wrote:
Holy gak:

Whembly hacked Testify's Dakka account!

You're already far too late. The Germans laid their towels over England's beaches some time ago

**AustonT**

All be honest all I got out of that was Beach Blanket Bingo dubbed in German.

**Frazzled**

Kilkrazy wrote:
I think it would be serious mistake to invade the UK in the Christmas holidays since the squaddies will have extra time for drinking.

The Haggis Launchers know no holiday.

**juraigamer**

This time we dump tea in your rivers!

Or we take your castles. America always wanted castles.

But mostly we will attack because we want control of hogwarts.

**AustonT**

I thought I'd pass this along from a reliable source.

Everyone who is in the UK and not on operations ALWAYS gets a minimum of a fortnight off during X-mas, you also get 2 weeks for easter and 3 weeks over summer, bare minimum. I don't think In my entire career I ever got bare minimum though, loads of times I had 3-4 weeks for Christmas, and one year after adding up all my POTL (Post operational tour leave) they gave us 10 weeks off during Summer!

They are really generous with leave because its good for morale considering you are away from your families so often.

Adding one extra paltry week to the Christmas holiday is common as feth, and has absolutely nothing to do with any ridiculous conspiracy theory.

All serving soldiers will be paid as normal, so it wont save feth all money anyway!

My own addition:
With the caveat that unoccupied facilities will be shut down saving at least some funds in operating costs. I'd imagine those are pennies on the pound in savings.

**whembly**

AustonT wrote:
Holy gak:

Whembly hacked Testify's Dakka account!

I'm smart... but not that smart!

**Grey Templar**

Avatar 720 wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:
I think it would be serious mistake to invade the UK in the Christmas holidays since the squaddies will have extra time for drinking.

They'll have to endure our winter weather, first. After that we can throw carol singers, charity collection people you find clustered in town centres like packs of wolves looking to pick off stragglers, and wet slush at anyone who comes around here looking for fisticuffs.

Ha, Texans can handle any brawls that might show up and Charity collectors are nothing compared to Girl Scout Cookie salesgirls.

**Testify**

AustonT wrote:

All serving soldiers will be paid as normal, so it wont save feth all money anyway!

It's currently hovering about -1 degrees in the daytime in the UK right now. How much do you think it would cost to provide heating for 100,000 people for a week in those conditions?

This is a blatent cost-cutting method, there's no "conspiracy" about it. To my mind it's never been done before, despite the past 10 years all involving heavy combat operations.

**AustonT**

Testify wrote:
AustonT wrote:

All serving soldiers will be paid as normal, so it wont save feth all money anyway!

It's currently hovering about -1 degrees in the daytime in the UK right now. How much do you think it would cost to provide heating for 100,000 people for a week in those conditions?
.

It looks at the line beneath the one it quoted.

**Palindrome**

Testify wrote:

This is a blatent cost-cutting method, there's no "conspiracy" about it. To my mind it's never been done before, despite the past 10 years all involving heavy combat operations.

The heating isn't turned off. Some people will be staying in the accomodation over the festive period (there is always someone on duty and some people will only be on leave for part of this period) so that will be left on and the heating in offices etc will be on frost protection mode. It will be cheaper of course but its hardly a huge saving.

This is a non story.

When my pension is gutted in 2015 that will be another matter.

**Jihadin**

Ha, Texans can handle any brawls that might show up and Charity collectors are nothing compared to Girl Scout Cookie salesgirls.

Extreme sheer will power to by the table and say "no"

but

You lose when they come to your door

**Albatross**

Posting in a non-thread.

Are we seriously begrudging the lads and lasses that serve our country with such distinction an extra week off at Christmas because it MIGHT save some money? I mean, I understand that there are certain people in this country who live to attack the Tories, and who are extremely motivated, but this is just sad. Like, birther sad.

**KalashnikovMarine**

An extra week added to block leave availability does not disbanding the forces make.

**Mannahnin**

Not to mention...

AustonT wrote:
I thought I'd pass this along from a reliable source.

"Everyone who is in the UK and not on operations ALWAYS gets a minimum of a fortnight off during X-mas, you also get 2 weeks for easter and 3 weeks over summer, bare minimum. I don't think In my entire career I ever got bare minimum though, loads of times I had 3-4 weeks for Christmas, and one year after adding up all my POTL (Post operational tour leave) they gave us 10 weeks off
during Summer!

They are really generous with leave because its good for morale considering you are away from your families so often.

Adding one extra paltry week to the Christmas holiday is common as feth, and has absolutely nothing to do with any ridiculous conspiracy theory."

**sebster**

AustonT wrote:
I thought I'd pass this along from a reliable source.

Everyone who is in the UK and not on operations ALWAYS gets a minimum of a fortnight off during X-mas, you also get 2 weeks for easter and 3 weeks over summer, bare minimum. I don't think In my entire career I ever got bare minimum though, loads of times I had 3-4 weeks for Christmas, and one year after adding up all my POTL (Post operational tour leave) they gave us 10 weeks off during Summer!

They are really generous with leave because its good for morale considering you are away from your families so often.

Adding one extra paltry week to the Christmas holiday is common as feth, and has absolutely nothing to do with any ridiculous conspiracy theory.

Yeah, and given the article said that the time given was due to the work commitments during the rest of the year, I'd think the leave given here is in lieu of leave withdrawn during the rest of the year to meet work commitments for the Olympics and other activities.

The headline really should read "Non-essential military personel given additional leave at Christmas to compensate for additional working hours during the year". Which isn't really much of a story.

**KalashnikovMarine**

sebster wrote:
AustonT wrote:
I thought I'd pass this along from a reliable source.

Everyone who is in the UK and not on operations ALWAYS gets a minimum of a fortnight off during X-mas, you also get 2 weeks for easter and 3 weeks over summer, bare minimum. I don't think In my entire career I ever got bare minimum though, loads of times I had 3-4 weeks for Christmas, and one year after adding up all my POTL (Post operational tour leave) they gave us 10 weeks off during Summer!

They are really generous with leave because its good for morale considering you are away from your families so often.

Adding one extra paltry week to the Christmas holiday is common as feth, and has absolutely nothing to do with any ridiculous conspiracy theory.

Yeah, and given the article said that the time given was due to the work commitments during the rest of the year, I'd think the leave given here is in lieu of leave withdrawn during the rest of the year to meet work commitments for the Olympics and other activities.

The headline really should read "Non-essential military personel given additional leave at Christmas to compensate for additional working hours during the year". Which isn't really much of a story.

Right but add a little BS here, some five dollar words there and you have a head line! Ahhhh Yellow Journalism at it's finest. All the news that's fit to be made up!~

**sebster**

KalashnikovMarine wrote:
Right but add a little BS here, some five dollar words there and you have a head line! Ahhhh Yellow Journalism at it's finest. All the news that's fit to be made up!~

Absolutely.

I used to read and sometimes post on a prominent former cricketer's on-line column for a newspaper. I got bored of him posting stuff that was obviously baiting the regular posters to argue with each other and stopped reading. A while later I was lucky enough to meet the guy when my Dad scammed a corporate box at the cricket, and I told him I read his article (I sort of lied and left out the 'used to read your article' part). He winced and asked if I posted, and I told him no (I half lied again, leaving out the 'I used to post' part). We talked for a few minutes, and I made some vague comments about how little thoughtful stuff there is sports reporting. He then went on to explain that while he tried to make a genuine point in every article, the reality is that column was a paying job, and to keep it he needed to keep up views to his site, so he has to be a bit contraversial, and that meant dragging up the same old arguments.

It was admirably honest, something I've heard from other sources is a feature of this particular individual in his regular life. Didn't make me go back to reading his article, though

I guess what I'm saying is that, ultimately, as it stands there's money in writing nonsense like the article in the OP, and that's only going to change when we stop reading that stuff and stop re-posting it to Dakka.