Report: Unfit British Troops Swell
Source: Alalam.ir, 22-06-2008
LONDON, June 22--More than ten thousand British troops are unfit for frontline duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, The Sunday Telegraph has reported.
The report came as the cumulative effect of "tour fatigue" -- pressure of supplying troops to combat zones -- takes its toll on the army.
The [British] Ministry of Defense admits 8,500 soldiers from the 59,000-strong "Field Army" -- units such as tank, artillery and infantry regiments -- are classified as unfit to serve at the front, the newspaper said.
The Telegraph, which is traditionally close to the armed forces, said when other soldiers classified as unfit from the overall 101,800-strong army are taken into account, the total figure is likely to exceed 10,000.
The figure of one in 10 soldiers classified as unfit for operations is the highest since the start of the Iraq war in 2003.
Britain has been Washington's staunchest ally in Iraq and about 4,000 British troops are currently based there.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced last Monday Britain was sending an additional 230 troops to Afghanistan.
The deployment will boost the British contingent to 8,030 by early next year and is the highest level since operations began in 2001.
British troops are stationed in violence-hit southern Afghanistan, where they are fighting Taliban.
Nine British soldiers, including the first British woman killed in action in Afghanistan, have lost their lives in the past two weeks.
US commanders have repeatedly called for other NATO countries to shoulder the burden of operations in the lawless south.
Patrick Mercer, a lawmaker from the opposition Conservatives and a former army officer, told the Sunday Telegraph that British soldiers were exhausted.
"The problem is that incessant operations are wearing down the troops' resilience," he said.
"They are not being given the time between operational deployments to catch their breath, let alone to recover from the effects of exhaustion, illness and wounds.
"There are not enough combat troops in the army for the job they are being asked to do."
In a document leaked to The Telegraph earlier this year, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, the Chief of the General Staff, warned of rising depleted soldiers in the British Army.
"We must strive to give individuals and units ample recuperation time between operations, but I do not underestimate how difficult this will be to achieve whilst undermanned and with less robust establishment than I would like," Dannatt said.
The document also revealed a growing suspicion within the Army that some soldiers are "going sick" to avoid service in war zones.
Soldiers unfit for duty are classified as either "non-available" for deployment or "non-effective".
Those who are "non-available" may well be capable of undertaking less challenging duties, but those classified as "non-effective" are unfit for all duties.
LONDON, June 22--More than ten thousand British troops are unfit for frontline duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, The Sunday Telegraph has reported.
The report came as the cumulative effect of "tour fatigue" -- pressure of supplying troops to combat zones -- takes its toll on the army.
The [British] Ministry of Defense admits 8,500 soldiers from the 59,000-strong "Field Army" -- units such as tank, artillery and infantry regiments -- are classified as unfit to serve at the front, the newspaper said.
The Telegraph, which is traditionally close to the armed forces, said when other soldiers classified as unfit from the overall 101,800-strong army are taken into account, the total figure is likely to exceed 10,000.
The figure of one in 10 soldiers classified as unfit for operations is the highest since the start of the Iraq war in 2003.
Britain has been Washington's staunchest ally in Iraq and about 4,000 British troops are currently based there.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced last Monday Britain was sending an additional 230 troops to Afghanistan.
The deployment will boost the British contingent to 8,030 by early next year and is the highest level since operations began in 2001.
British troops are stationed in violence-hit southern Afghanistan, where they are fighting Taliban.
Nine British soldiers, including the first British woman killed in action in Afghanistan, have lost their lives in the past two weeks.
US commanders have repeatedly called for other NATO countries to shoulder the burden of operations in the lawless south.
Patrick Mercer, a lawmaker from the opposition Conservatives and a former army officer, told the Sunday Telegraph that British soldiers were exhausted.
"The problem is that incessant operations are wearing down the troops' resilience," he said.
"They are not being given the time between operational deployments to catch their breath, let alone to recover from the effects of exhaustion, illness and wounds.
"There are not enough combat troops in the army for the job they are being asked to do."
In a document leaked to The Telegraph earlier this year, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, the Chief of the General Staff, warned of rising depleted soldiers in the British Army.
"We must strive to give individuals and units ample recuperation time between operations, but I do not underestimate how difficult this will be to achieve whilst undermanned and with less robust establishment than I would like," Dannatt said.
The document also revealed a growing suspicion within the Army that some soldiers are "going sick" to avoid service in war zones.
Soldiers unfit for duty are classified as either "non-available" for deployment or "non-effective".
Those who are "non-available" may well be capable of undertaking less challenging duties, but those classified as "non-effective" are unfit for all duties.
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