Battle to recruit generation with no pride in nation

THE Army's retention and recruitment crisis remains one of our biggest challenges.

- By Marco Giannangeli

With 74,400 trained soldiers - its smallest since the Napoleonic Wars - even robust gestures like committing a peacekeeping force to Ukraine have been met with reluctance.

Crucially, only 50,000 of those soldiers still serving are medically deployable.

Last year, the Army reached just 63% of its recruitment targets, losing 300 more soldiers every month than it gained.

Part of the problem is systemic. To save money, the Ministry of Defence shut about half its recruitment offices and outsourced the process.

Bonuses