ARmy Rumour SErvice

**WhatAmIDoing** · 20-02-2012, 13:18

London 2012: Reservists called up to boost security
Olympic stadium Olympic venues will be visited by millions of people over two weeks in the summer
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Armed forces reservists are being called up to boost security for this summer's London Olympics.

The government said 2,100 personnel would help ensure the Games, which begin in late July, are safe.

Altogether, up to 13,500 military staff will be on duty during the busiest periods of sporting action.

The Ministry of Defence said it would select reservists with "supportive employers" to minimise the impact of their deployment on businesses.

Almost nine million tickets are being sold for Olympic events, with more than 10,000 athletes taking part.
'Expertise'

In December ministers almost doubled the security budget for the Games from £282m to £553m.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond described the Olympics as the "biggest security challenge this country has faced for decades".

Territorial Army and Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Royal Marine reservists are being called up under the terms of the 1996 Reserve Forces Act.

A Ministry of Defence statement said: "Some reservists will provide a range of specialist capabilities and expertise, while the majority will form part of the support to Olympic venue security operations.
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"Defence will continue to apply its policy of intelligent selection, designed to identify, in good time, volunteer reservists with supportive employers with the training, skills and availability in order to minimise the impact of mobilisation upon the individual, their family and employer."

There are currently almost 600 reservists serving in Afghanistan, about 6% of total UK forces in the country.

The government said: "Whilst the Olympics will be a focal event for the nation in 2012, the operation in Afghanistan will remain the main effort for defence. Reservists will continue to be a key contributor to that and other ongoing overseas operations."

The Ministry of Defence said the deployment arranged for the Olympics was "on a similar scale" to that by "other nations at recent Olympic Games".

It added that their presence would help ensure a "safe, secure and enjoyable 2012 Olympics".

The order for their deployment ends on 20 September.

BBC News - London 2012: Reservists called up to boost security

**leveller** · 20-02-2012, 13:21

Bravo Bravo, your day has arrived.

**PE4rocks** · 20-02-2012, 13:22

Or, in other words, called up to stag on.

**polar69** · 20-02-2012, 13:26

Brilliant

so what they are really saying is the Olympics will be secured by students on their summer break and blokes who's jobs are menial enough for their employers to let them go on a month long piss up and barbeque.

**zero-over** · 20-02-2012, 13:31

Originally Posted by leveller

Bravo Bravo, your day has arrived.

If they call this an Operation he'll do a Joe Glenton.

**Roger_The_Cat** · 20-02-2012, 13:35

Oh the glamour. TA = cut price labour with no overtime. I am so glad I left.

Refuse to not soldier Bravo_Bravo......

**redshift** · 20-02-2012, 13:36

So, if pretty much everyone is crawling around in London, who's watching the rest of the country?

**zero-over** · 20-02-2012, 13:39

Originally Posted by redshift

So, if pretty much everyone is crawling around in London, who's watching the rest of the country?

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**polar** · 20-02-2012, 13:49

Originally Posted by polar69

Brilliant

so what they are really saying is the Olympics will be secured by students on their summer break and blokes who's jobs are menial enough for their employers to let them go on a month long piss up and barbeque.

And ex-psi's (if your privvy to same fb convo I read)

**Countrylad** · 20-02-2012, 14:21

The Ministry of Defence said it would select reservists with "supportive employers" to minimise the impact of their deployment on businesses.

Hmm...I'm suddenly getting the feeling that my employer will become unsupportive, or at least they will be when I tell them to.

Two months doing litter sweep and stagging on?...yeah thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll do my day job, you know, the one that pays the bills and not the one that's arrse covering for some politician and G4S.