(Europa) British Army
#16
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/</a><!-- m -->

Voll quote, da nicht leider keine statische Verlinkung moeglich, und Registrierung erforderlich.

Zitat:Crisis as SAS men quit for lucrative Iraq jobs

By Thomas Harding
(Filed: 14/02/2005)

The number of SAS troopers leaving for lucrative jobs in the security
industry has prompted the regiment to write to all soldiers urging them
to stay.

A letter from the regiment's headquarters has told all the SAS's 300
front-line soldiers that "it would be in everyone's best interests" if
they remained in service.

An estimated 120 former Special Air Service and Special Boat Service
troops have left, swapping a junior NCO's wage of about 2,000 a month
for as much as 14,000 a month working as security co-ordinators in
Iraq or Afghanistan.

The letter is said to have told soldiers to consider their loyalty to
the regiment and the kudos of being in the SAS.

"This has always been an issue," an SAS soldier said yesterday. "It is
not the young ones that they are worried about but the senior NCOs who
are so important.

"If they lose middle management they lose all that experience for the
future and they are desperate to keep that experience there."

One former 22 SAS soldier now working in security estimated that 120
former Special Forces men are working for security firms in Iraq.

Some are earning 450 a day, or 14,000 a month, working for firms
such as Kroll, Controlled Risks and Armour Security.

The former soldier, who had just one week off in his last two years in
the SAS, said: "They cannot stop people from leaving. The SAS lifestyle
is extremely demanding and not really conducive to family life or
long-term relationships. On the security circuit you have the potential
to earn very high wages combined with an attractive working rotation,
invariably one month on, one month off."

While wages, pensions and life insurance have been addressed in recent
years, the SAS still has substantial commitments around the world.
Workload cannot be addressed, said the former soldier, "because the men
are deployed all over the place".

The United States Defence Department has offered its most experienced
special forces a bonus of $150,000 ( 80,000) to sign on for six years
to stem an exodus to security jobs, it was announced last week.

The two SAS Territorial Army regiments are also experiencing manning
problems and weekend training has been threatened due to lack of
numbers. Some TA have been granted permission for up to a year's leave
of absence but others have left for the private sector.

TA SAS soldiers, who have a similar selection process to their regular
colleagues, are obliged to undertake a certain number of days' training
a year. With about 120 front-line "sabre" trained troops each, the TA
regiments cannot afford to lose many more.

"The TA are struggling with manning, especially 21 SAS," said an SAS
insider. "Drill nights and weekend training are especially suffering."

A former TA SAS soldier said: "The regiment is going to find it
difficult because sums just don't add up to replace those who have
buggered off."

The troop losses are also affecting the northern-based 23 SAS, which
does not have the large number of well-paid doctors, lawyers and city
workers found in the southern-based 21 SAS.

A senior SAS source said there had been a loss of TA soldiers. He said:
"It has not been astronomical or a massive haemorrhaging of talent
because a lot of blokes have been deployed operationally anyway," he
said. "It has not had a detrimental effect as yet."

An MoD source did not deny that a number of soldiers had left for
security jobs.

While it is not MoD policy to comment on Special Forces, a spokesman
said the appeal of "operating in elite units of the British Armed
forces remains a very strong draw for our most exceptional people".

He added: "Members of all TA regiments are entitled to full-time
employment of their choice, this is the same for the TA SAS regiments."
Zitieren


Nachrichten in diesem Thema
Future Protected Vehicle - von flexi - 02.03.2009, 20:19
[Kein Betreff] - von Kosmos - 02.03.2009, 21:35
[Kein Betreff] - von revan - 03.03.2009, 00:31
[Kein Betreff] - von Ingenieur - 03.03.2009, 14:46
[Kein Betreff] - von revan - 03.03.2009, 15:01
[Kein Betreff] - von flexi - 03.03.2009, 23:36
[Kein Betreff] - von revan - 04.03.2009, 02:39
[Kein Betreff] - von flexi - 14.03.2009, 12:31
[Kein Betreff] - von Kosmos - 14.03.2009, 15:11
Was spricht gegen solche Vehikel? - von phantom - 23.03.2009, 16:18
[Kein Betreff] - von flexi - 23.03.2009, 20:52
[Kein Betreff] - von phantom - 24.03.2009, 10:49
[Kein Betreff] - von flexi - 24.03.2009, 12:55
[Kein Betreff] - von phantom - 24.03.2009, 15:13
[Kein Betreff] - von Raider101 - 02.04.2009, 23:09
[Kein Betreff] - von revan - 06.04.2009, 18:20
[Kein Betreff] - von Kosmos - 06.04.2009, 19:56
[Kein Betreff] - von ante7002 - 04.05.2009, 15:15
[Kein Betreff] - von flexi - 04.05.2009, 17:53
[Kein Betreff] - von Tiger - 04.05.2009, 18:20
[Kein Betreff] - von flexi - 04.05.2009, 19:08
[Kein Betreff] - von flexi - 04.05.2009, 19:10
[Kein Betreff] - von Kosmos - 04.05.2009, 19:28
[Kein Betreff] - von flexi - 04.05.2009, 20:25
Britische Streitkräfte (allgemein) - von Erich - 21.12.2013, 11:49

Gehe zu: