First RAF, RN, Army, RM Survey Carried Out
The results of an MoD survey intimate that nearly 50 per cent of British armed forces members would be prepared to resign.
Of those serving within the three principal service strands, around 47 per cent of participants from the Royal Navy and the British Army expressed how they regularly considered giving their career up. The same was true for 44 per cent of Royal Air Force members taking part in the assessment.
Deployment, Pay, Accommodation, Equipment Concerns
9,000 British service personnel were surveyed in all. Among their concerns were how often they were being deployed overseas, how much they were being paid, and quality issues in terms of accommodation and equipment.
According to the MoD itself, “areas of concern” had been brought to the forefront. It added, however, that the situation was being improved upon.
RAF, RN, Army, Marines
The survey stands as an unprecedented one, in covering the RAF, RN, Army and Royal Marines in one swoop. It has generated deep concerns in respect of a number of areas.
Army Manpower
The British Army is currently operating at a 5,000-short manpower deficit, with fears that a large number of serving officers are leaving their posts.
Deployment Length
A feeling of overstretch was seen across the board, with 36 per cent of respondents stating that they were unhappy with the length of time they spent away from relatives and loved ones.
Quizzed on whether there was a relationship between deployment duration and their feelings on whether to abandon military service life, 38 per cent of British Army members said that their desire to leave had grown stronger, with 59 per cent, meanwhile, commenting that operational demands had pushed them more towards leaving.
Overall, in excess of 30 per cent considered the gaps between deployments insufficient, although a substantial percentage considered the scheduling to be okay.
Service Morale
On the issue of morale, however, 72 per cent of RAF personnel surveyed described it as either “very low” or “low” – as did 64 per cent of RN personnel, 59 per cent of Army soldiers and 38 per cent of Marines.
Former-Army member Patrick Mercer - now a member of the Conservative Party – related the results to the pressures of active service life, commenting: "I think the tempo of operations has produced such a level of stress on the families that it is no wonder so many are thinking of leaving."
Job Satisfaction
On the positive side, however, 59 per cent of all those assessed expressed either satisfaction or high satisfaction when it came to their own positions.
Disparateness, though, was apparent in terms of the satisfaction highlighted by those at officer and sub-officer level. For example, job satisfaction was true for 73 per cent of Army officers, and 57 per cent of those alternatively-ranked.
Questioned on whether they considered themselves valued, meanwhile, 44 per cent of the British Army participants replied they did not, as did 53 per cent of RAF and 49 per cent of RN participants.
In excess of 50 per cent expressed dissatisfaction, moreover, with the equipment given them, with around 40 per cent saying the same in respect of accommodation.
Service Pride
Finally, on the subject of pride, 93 per cent of British Army officers said they were proud of their careers – a sentiment mirrored by 76 per cent of those from other ranks.
For the other services, the pride figures were:
- RAF – 89 per cent of officers/ 69 per cent of non-officers
- RN – 84 per cent of officers/ 62 per cent of non-officers
The survey itself was conducted over four months last year, with nearly 9,000 participants taking part overall.
MoD Measures
The MoD stated that numerous measures had been implemented – among them, more finances going towards housing and tax-free allowances for personnel involved in deployments lasting six months.
Derek Twigg, Defence Minister, added:
"Since the survey was conducted, we have already implemented a number of important changes such as the recent pay rise, an adjustment to the operational bonus, and the introduction of childcare vouchers.
"Over the next 10 years, we are also spending £8.4bn on accommodation, an area that is a high priority for our personnel."
Source – Armed Forces International’s Political Correspondent
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