Unforgivable to 'hollow out' Army

IT’S THE sit rep” or briefing no military commander would want to hear. Your army has shrunk to a size that wouldn’t fill Twickenham stadium and if weapons are deployed at the normal rate in combat you’ll be out of ammo in a week.

A truly nightmare scenario that makes Operation Market Garden, the assault on Arnhem in the Second World War, look like a military triumph.

And as frightening as it is unbelievable, as you read this it is the reality facing the British armed forces today.

The looming crisis was blown open last week after rumours started to swirl that no extra funding has been earmarked for the military in next month’s Budget.

Facing fiscal pressure from every conceivable angle, unresolved pay demands across much of the public sector and debt payments that each month represent more than the gross domestic output of many developed nations, there’s precious little for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to work with.

However, what he either needs to remember or must be reminded of is the following: there is no more important role for any government to fulfil than to protect the nation and its citizens.