Informing the Army’s Future Structure

[Kirkhill]

related.... The human factor

"He was told he had to sign or agree to resign," she said, adding that her husband had found the experience "hugely humiliating".

Major General Matthew Holmes 'died by suicide after experiencing substantial stress'​

Inquest hears that in the months before his death Holmes lost his position as leader of the Royal Marines in a management restructuring

ByMatthew Robinson31 March 2023 • 2:51pm

Major General Matthew Holmes, the former head of the Royal Marines, died at the age of 54 in October 2021
Major General Matthew Holmes died by suicide after experiencing "substantial stress", an inquest into his death has concluded.
The former head of the Royal Marines was found dead at the age of 54 in a bedroom at his home in Winchester on Oct 2, 2021.
The inquest heard that in the months before his death Maj Gen Holmes had lost his position as leader of the Royal Marines in a management restructuring.
He also faced the collapse of his marriage, and had been left "angry" at the UK's withdrawal from Afghanistan.
During the inquest, Maj Gen Holmes's widow Lea gave evidence. She said that Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Jerry Kydd had told Maj Gen Holmes to agree to the restructuring, in which he would lose his role, or resign.
"He was told he had to sign or agree to resign," she said, adding that her husband had found the experience "hugely humiliating".

 

[WLSC]

Correct... no one ever sees us outside of our museum piece armouries.

We work 4 hours in the late evening one night of the week, and are in the field on an Army base somewhere on the weekends.

One morning a year they might see us at a cenotaph if they get out of bed to watch TV, or go downtown on Remembrance Day.

Those who argue that the ARes provides a valuable service 'Keeping the Army in the Public Eye' are delusional.

And don’t do an activity/parade of something, it’s money wasted on non operational stuff!

 

[Kirkhill]

And don’t do an activity/parade of something, it’s money wasted on non operational stuff!

Doubling out to a local exercise with weapons at the high port and bayonets fixed would make for an eye-catching parade.

 

[KevinB]

Doubling out to a local exercise with weapons at the high port and bayonets fixed would make for an eye-catching parade.

Ah yes the bayonet, WWI called and wants its weapon back.

 

[daftandbarmy]

And again...

I do not consider the Danish Army a conscript army. Yes. Denmark maintains a system of conscription. Just like the US maintains its Select Service mechanism - even as it doesn't use it.

But every person wearing a uniform in Denmark wants to be wearing it. And I would say the same for the Swedes and Norwegians I have met. I never met one of them that regretted the time they put in. Anymore than they regretted the taxes they paid. It was the price of being a citizen in a pleasant little country that wanted to stay that way.

The CAF is producing a singular, highly polished jewel of diminishing size. And it is slowly being ground to dust.

We have that luxury because, as everyone freely admits, we live in a nice neighbourhood with good neighbours.

Until you figure out how to turn some of the innate civic-mindedness to the neighborhood watch you will find that your jewel has blown away on the breeze.

And that means that you are going to have to spend time, money and effort engaging fat slobs that want to help but don't know how and converting them into useful feedstock that you can convert in jewels you can stick a berry on.

I know you want more money for better wages and better houses and more tools and better buttons and more soldiers .... and people keep nattering on about the benefits of efficiency but efficiency is a load of crap sold to the unsuspecting by consultants.

The world is inefficient. Many processes don't even achieve 50% levels of efficiency. But even 10% processes have a lasting impact on our world.

And if you got a 10% return on an investment in this environment you would consider that a win.

If I could convert 10% of the willing into suitable candidates for the CAF to polish I would consider that a win.

And that is the cost of doing business.

Apart from the incidences of self-harming that I've heard about in Scandinavian, and other, conscript armies (to bring their conscript commitment to an end) there's this 'return on investment' for mandatory service:

The Causal Effect of Military Conscription on Crime​

"We study the causal effect of mandatory military conscription in Sweden on the criminal behaviour of men born in the 1970s. We find that military service significantly increases post-service crime (overall and across multiple crime categories) between the ages of 23 and 30. These results are driven primarily by young men who come from low socioeconomic status households and those with pre-service criminal histories, despite evidence of a contemporaneous incapacitation effect of service for the latter group. Much of this crime-inducing effect can be attributed to negative peer effects experienced during service. Worse post-service labour market outcomes may also matter."

The Causal Effect of Military Conscription on Crime*

Abstract. We study the causal effect of mandatory military conscription in Sweden on the criminal behaviour of men born in the 1970s. We find that military

academic.oup.com

 

[Kirkhill]

Ah yes the bayonet, WWI called and wants its weapon back.

But, they flash so nicely in the sun.

How about a compromise?

Fix! Bolos!

 

[Kirkhill]

Apart from the incidences of self-harming that I've heard about in Scandinavian, and other, conscript armies (to bring their conscript commitment to an end) there's this 'return on investment' for mandatory service:

The Causal Effect of Military Conscription on Crime​

"We study the causal effect of mandatory military conscription in Sweden on the criminal behaviour of men born in the 1970s. We find that military service significantly increases post-service crime (overall and across multiple crime categories) between the ages of 23 and 30. These results are driven primarily by young men who come from low socioeconomic status households and those with pre-service criminal histories, despite evidence of a contemporaneous incapacitation effect of service for the latter group. Much of this crime-inducing effect can be attributed to negative peer effects experienced during service. Worse post-service labour market outcomes may also matter."

The Causal Effect of Military Conscription on Crime*

Abstract. We study the causal effect of mandatory military conscription in Sweden on the criminal behaviour of men born in the 1970s. We find that military

academic.oup.com

I call quits!

Slainte!.

 

[FJAG]

Ah yes the bayonet, WWI called and wants its weapon back.

I don't know.

Every once in a while you really need to get out there and impress the locals with the fact that you exist as their saviours.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I call quits!

Slainte!.

Dude...

 

[daftandbarmy]

I don't know.

Every once in a while you really need to get out there and impress the locals with the fact that you exist as their saviours.

Looks like a new Peloton workout routine, complete with tight trousers

 

[childs56]

Correct... no one ever sees us outside of our museum piece armouries.

We work 4 hours in the late evening one night of the week, and are in the field on an Army base somewhere on the weekends.

One morning a year they might see us at a cenotaph if they get out of bed to watch TV, or go downtown on Remembrance Day.

Those who argue that the ARes provides a valuable service 'Keeping the Army in the Public Eye' are delusional.

We use to do food drives, attended career fairs, parades, did presentations at schools drove around town towing our guns (when we had them) practice patrols around the neighborhoods, ruck to the range. The public knew who we were and what we did.
When we went on recruiting drives we seen the results. We just did not have the equipment nor budget to train, retain and continue recruiting.

 

[WLSC]

Doubling out to a local exercise with weapons at the high port and bayonets fixed would make for an eye-catching parade.

The Mont-Royal Belvedere is at 2,5km ish round trip from the armory. It's well known path to all. It catch the eyes but differently

 

[Kirkhill]

Dude...

Too much maroon and green lint in your ears, man! I grow hoarse.

 

[Kirkhill]

The Mont-Royal Belvedere is at 2,5km ish round trip from the armory. It's well known path to all. It catch the eyes but differently

It depends who is watching, right enough. But it also depends on the message being sent.

 

[WLSC]

Looks like a new Peloton workout routine, complete with tight trousers

AND the pants comes padded

 

[IKnowNothing]

I'm getting a distinct sense of deja vu from the reconstitution thread, but as with then, I think the meaningful take away from the scandic model is NOT compulsory service, but an annual intake model built to take advantage of in the inherently transient nature of HS grads and post secondary students. Gap year+ summer(s), multiple off ramps into different levels of continued service.

 

[Kirkhill]

I don't know.

Every once in a while you really need to get out there and impress the locals with the fact that you exist as their saviours.

So aggressive - right up yours!

I prefer the Bersaglieri - lovely plumage!

 

[Kirkhill]

I'm getting a distinct sense of deja vu from the reconstitution thread, but as with then, I think the meaningful take away from the scandic model is NOT compulsory service, but an annual intake model built to take advantage of in the inherently transient nature of HS grads and post secondary students. Gap year+ summer(s), multiple off ramps into different levels of continued service.

How well do these guys do without

Farm Teams
Minors
Fans

And kids hacking around in yards, streets and schools?

They are the culture that supports the profession.

 

[FJAG]

So aggressive - right up yours!

I prefer the Bersaglieri - lovely plumage!

Lovely plumage and running march past vs shirts open to the navel, tight pants and a really quick step. Why can't our light infantry have some panache like that? - Must be a Mediterranean thing.

 

[Kirkhill]

The Brits tried but this is what they ended up with