Thread: MP's realising there's a lack of morale in the reserves??

Britain is vulnerable to a terrorist attack from the water, MPs have warned.
Our coastline is protected by a small Royal Navy contingent, supported by a 'motley collection' of other vessels, said members of the Commons DefÂ*ence Committee.

There was neither the resources nor the coordination to cope with an attÂ*ack.

What forces existed were 'largÂ*ely reactive' and a 'deterrent capability' to ward off an attempt on civilian targets was needed, it added.

'We are concerned at the level of actÂ*ion being taken to address identified threats to aspects of critical national infrastructure, such as ports,' the cross-party MPs said in their report.

Britain's coastal waters are patrolled by six Royal Navy warships – three Type 23 frigates and three mineswÂ*eepers – plus two offshore patrol vessels and a support tanker.

But they are supported by police, MoD, Coastguard and UK Border Agency vessels, with no organisation in overall control.

The MoD was also urged to use the Territorial, rather than regular, Army to help with civil emergencies such as floods or disease outbreaks.

Using reservists would be 'practical and good for morale', MPs added.

Found in the Metro this morning.

I wonder if they've been reading ARRSE?

Good for morale? Who are they kidding.

'Come on lads, put your day job at risk and come help fill in some sand bags'

Now, if honest, I would love to get away from my desk and do some civil emergencies. However, I can't see my employer buying it everytime there's a serious flood losing part of the workforce for days. Back it up with some decent protective legislation and it may just work otherwise its just blue sky thinking.

I think we should be used. Not everyone in the TA is 9-5 Mon-Fri and we should definitely be used at weekends or evenings and give the Regulars/Police/Ambulance a break.

Originally Posted by Logmeister

I think we should be used. Not everyone in the TA is 9-5 Mon-Fri and we should definitely be used at weekends or evenings and give the Regulars/Police/Ambulance a break.

Wah.

Originally Posted by Countrylad

Back it up with some decent protective legislation and it may just work otherwise its just blue sky thinking.

Yeah, happy to save a few damsels in distress, but they would need to protect our regular employment, because if we lost our job due to doing something for the country I'm sure they wouldn't bend over backwards to help us find another!

Quite a few other countries do it, can't see it as a bad thing.

Originally Posted by Skimmod

Originally Posted by Countrylad

Back it up with some decent protective legislation and it may just work otherwise its just blue sky thinking.

Yeah, happy to save a few damsels in distress, but they would need to protect our regular employment, because if we lost our job due to doing something for the country I'm sure they wouldn't bend over backwards to help us find another!

Quite a few other countries do it, can't see it as a bad thing.

Essentially what this thinking (no firm plans that i'm aware of yet) entails is turning the TA into a British national guard, ready to be called out every time there's a flood or similiar disaster. There are several problems with this idea;

I)As previously mentioned, employers. Without their backing or legislation few TA soldiers will risk their civvy careers to pile up a few sandbags.

II)Who decides when to call out the TA? The local Mayor & council? The emergency services? The enviroment agency? Central government? All are involved in civil emergencies so who would have the power to mobilise the TA?

III)Time required to mobilise. It would take days to get all the guys together and get all the neccessary kit packed and be organised, possibly 2-3 days from the intial order. By which time the crisis may already be over or well under control.

Don't see the problem.

Common sense dictates that the call-out would be "All available TA soldiers are requested to attend their TAC to assist with..." rather than "All TA soldiers are to report to RTMC for medicals and OPTAG in advance of a six month deployment filling sandbags along the banks of...."

20 organised blokes putting in a couple of hours after work could make the difference between success and failure - and reap benefits in terms of good publicity.

Let's face it - how many times have you watched the news on TV and thought "I'd give a hand, but it's a bit distant and the Police wouldn't take kindly to more cars blocking the roads"?

Without sounding like an arrogant regular idiot... but surely those TA best placed to assist are the ones whose houses and businesses are being flooded out in the first place. Or are we suggesting that mobilising the TA in Scotland to help out the people of Norfolk? The great thing is that they could stay in the TAC just down the road from the flood, unless that is flooded. They can use the well-established dining and feeding facilities in all TACs... unless they are flooded, too. Clearly the TAC will be well-stiocked with food if it isn't flooded out, just in case.

What NTM would you have the TA on for, and for how long? Is the TA now the Civil Defence Corps? Poorly thought out and badly articulated.

Originally Posted by barbs

Without sounding like an arrogant regular idiot... but surely those TA best placed to assist are the ones whose houses and businesses are being flooded out in the first place. Or are we suggesting that mobilising the TA in Scotland to help out the people of Norfolk? The great thing is that they could stay in the TAC just down the road from the flood, unless that is flooded. They can use the well-established dining and feeding facilities in all TACs... unless they are flooded, too. Clearly the TAC will be well-stiocked with food if it isn't flooded out, just in case.

What NTM would you have the TA on for, and for how long? Is the TA now the Civil Defence Corps? Poorly thought out and badly articulated.

The trouble is you are thinking like a regular

NTM: All available TA bods who can get to xxx TA Centre in the next 2 hours for the next 6 hours, please make your way.

MSR

Originally Posted by msr

Originally Posted by barbs

Without sounding like an arrogant regular idiot... but surely those TA best placed to assist are the ones whose houses and businesses are being flooded out in the first place. Or are we suggesting that mobilising the TA in Scotland to help out the people of Norfolk? The great thing is that they could stay in the TAC just down the road from the flood, unless that is flooded. They can use the well-established dining and feeding facilities in all TACs... unless they are flooded, too. Clearly the TAC will be well-stiocked with food if it isn't flooded out, just in case.

What NTM would you have the TA on for, and for how long? Is the TA now the Civil Defence Corps? Poorly thought out and badly articulated.

The trouble is you are thinking like a regular

NTM: All available TA bods who can get to xxx TA Centre in the next 2 hours for the next 6 hours, please make your way.

MSR

A lot of TACs are well equipped, my own used to have 300 man days of ORP as well as fuel for gene's etc

Originally Posted by msr

Originally Posted by barbs

Without sounding like an arrogant regular idiot... but surely those TA best placed to assist are the ones whose houses and businesses are being flooded out in the first place. Or are we suggesting that mobilising the TA in Scotland to help out the people of Norfolk? The great thing is that they could stay in the TAC just down the road from the flood, unless that is flooded. They can use the well-established dining and feeding facilities in all TACs... unless they are flooded, too. Clearly the TAC will be well-stiocked with food if it isn't flooded out, just in case.

What NTM would you have the TA on for, and for how long? Is the TA now the Civil Defence Corps? Poorly thought out and badly articulated.

The trouble is you are thinking like a regular

NTM: All available TA bods who can get to xxx TA Centre in the next 2 hours for the next 6 hours, please make your way.

MSR

Fairy nuff

The problem being, the authorities often don't want our help. Our lot were mobilised to Hull a couple of years ago during the floods and they wouldn't even let them fill sand bags. Spent the time sat in the TAC watching DVD's etc

Not sure I'd want to be at the beck and call of our county council, they'd be taking back handers off someone and using us as cheap manual labour!!

Joking aside, perhaps they could make a record of those that have the skills and opportunity to help out in a crisis and give this to the emergency services. Then when the problem comes it is local TA helping the local community.

We helped put out a forest fire a month ago but the fire brigade wouldn't let us pull their stranded wagon out the mud because it was against their rules! But we were more than willing to help!

A friend commanded a TA Pl in Northamptonshire in the early '90s. There was severe flooding in a local town & somehow he blagged his way onto local radio, appealed to any of his troops listening to come in to the TAC, and then spent the day rescuing people in a fleet of helibedfords.

He nearly got a rocket from his CO for effectively calling up the troops, but this was rapidly deflected by the goodwill coming back from the local people.

As a footnote when he got back to his own house his fridge & shiny new Saab were floating down the street...

To my mind a pool of appropriately available/qualified reservists could work as long as the blue lights were prepared to work with it.