Question Foreign nationals allowed to join our armed forces.

[RHB]

According to the BBC, currently citizens from Commonwealth countries can only join if they have lived in the UK for five years. But in a bid to recruit more servicemen and women to the Army, Navy and Air Force, the Ministry of Defence is lifting this rule.

The Armed Forces is short of 8,200 soldiers, sailors and air personnel, a report found earlier this year.

So Zoners, what do you think on this one? For, against?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46092838

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

According to the BBC, currently citizens from Commonwealth countries can only join if they have lived in the UK for five years. But in a bid to recruit more servicemen and women to the Army, Navy and Air Force, the Ministry of Defence is lifting this rule.

The Armed Forces is short of 8,200 soldiers, sailors and air personnel, a report found earlier this year.

So Zoners, what do you think on this one? For, against?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46092838

Finacial growth relies on working age population increase, lots of industries have a skills shortage in the UK and this is just another example of that. Politicians and media will need to reframe the concept of immigration as these shortages really kick in.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Bloody foreigners, coming over here and defending a country that isn't theirs.

 

[rigsby]

Finacial growth relies on working age population increase, lots of industries have a skills shortage in the UK and this is just another example of that. Politicians and media will need to reframe the concept of immigration as these shortages really kick in.

Utter nonsense.

A career in the British army now goes against you. Not only will someone try and put you on trial years later for things that happened under fire. You are deliberately excluded from a lot of jobs.

When I joined the London Fire Brigade ex military were fast tracked as there was an 18 month waiting list. Now they prefer a more ‘diverse’ work force.... They openly discriminate against ex Male servicemen.

 

[Napster]

why is it short of numbers? what defence of our country are they providing? maybe we should actually slim our forces down rather than act as a self-appointed guardian of other countries' wars? #peace

 

[Benfleet A1]

why is it short of numbers? what defence of our country are they providing? maybe we should actually slim our forces down rather than act as a self-appointed guardian of other countries' wars? #peace

A lot of it is to do with the recruitment process. Very long winded and off putting apparently.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

How is this new? During WWII there were whole Polish squadrons in the RAF whilst the Gurkhas have been proudly serving in the British army for decades.

 

[Brummie John]

My older brother asked me to join him playing with his toy soldiers when we were kids. I remember asking "Why are you killing people bro? Why are you blowing people up?" It wasn't his fault or our parents for buying them. ******** were about to change my mindset too.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Utter nonsense.

A career in the British army now goes against you. Not only will someone try and put you on trial years later for things that happened under fire. You are deliberately excluded from a lot of jobs.

When I joined the London Fire Brigade ex military were fast tracked as there was an 18 month waiting list. Now they prefer a more ‘diverse’ work force.... They openly discriminate against ex Male servicemen.

Obviously is not nonsense.
You know there is an option where you can add additional points without having to put down other valid points - maybe give it a try. Could help the blood pressure.

 

[Napster]

How is this new? During WWII there were whole Polish squadrons in the RAF whilst the Gurkhas have been proudly serving in the British army for decades.

we were short of numbers because of WW1 just 20 years previous.

 

[rigsby]

Obviously is not nonsense.
You know there is an option where you can add additional points without having to put down other valid points - maybe give it a try. Could help the blood pressure.

Best take you own advice and not try and make this into and anti Brexit immigration thread.

As YB says people from all around the world have served the British army proudly for years. So this does not need to be a problem.

However their treatment of soldiers with pay, conditions, poor pension, lack of housing, overworked, relying on charity if your injured and lack of prospects afterwards have all contributed to a lack of British born applicants.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Best take you own advice and not try and make this into and anti Brexit immigration thread.

As YB says people from all around the world have served the British army proudly for years. So this does not need to be a problem.

However their treatment of soldiers with pay, conditions, poor pension, lack of housing, overworked, relying on charity if your injured and lack of prospects afterwards have all contributed to a lack of British born applicants.

I didn't mention Brexit.

 

[rigsby]

I didn't mention Brexit.

You repeated one of the remain campaigns great falsehoods.

Why don’t try and add something instead.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

You repeated one of the remain campaigns great falsehoods.

Why don’t try and add something instead.

there is a skills shortage and growth of nations feed off increases in working age people - that's not a falsehood.

If you don't respect other opinions maybe you would be better suited to a personal blog rather than a public forum.

 

[rigsby]

there is a skills shortage and growth of nations feed off increases in working age people - that's not a falsehood.

If you don't respect other opinions maybe you would be better suited to a personal blog rather than a public forum.

Again why don't you take your own advice. After all your the one who tells people to remove posts or squeals to the mods about removing someone's comments.

If you don't like peoples replies maybe you need to have a blog. After all this is a football forum not the narrow minded safety of Labour party central office.

 

[Rayleigh Weir]

Again why don't you take your own advice. After all your the one who tells people to remove posts or squeals to the mods about removing someone's comments.

If you don't like peoples replies maybe you need to have a blog. After all this is a football forum not the narrow minded safety of Labour party central office.

I wish you two would just get a room and leave the rest of us to take posts off topic in the amusing and irreverent ways that used to make this forum fun...

 

[Amwell Blue]

Why not didn't do Beau Geste any harm

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Why not didn't do Beau Geste any harm

Who? Is she related to Biggus Dickus?

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

I wish you two would just get a room and leave the rest of us to take posts off topic in the amusing and irreverent ways that used to make this forum fun...

I posted a comment that was valid, after being told it was utter nonsense not replying was not an option I'm afraid.

Again why don't you take your own advice. After all your the one who tells people to remove posts or squeals to the mods about removing someone's comments.

If you don't like peoples replies maybe you need to have a blog. After all this is a football forum not the narrow minded safety of Labour party central office.

Its a thread named 'Foreign nationals allowed to join our armed forces' on a football forum so that's what we are discussing.
Can you not just put forward your own points without attacking others for once? It's tiresome.

 

[Ricey]

They’re short because the retention is ****ing ****e. They can not retain people, the one way to keep numbers up is to pay us more! Plain and simple.

As for allowing them to join when they haven’t lived in the country. The navy have recruited for years in the Caribbean without them living in the country so I don’t know why this would be any different. From a security perspective it gives me lots more potential work with the vetting side of things and if they are from certain countries. Doesn’t really bother me to be honest as we have plenty of people already in from other countries. I know a couple of Russian and Ukrainians who are on my unit. Doesn’t cause us any major issues.