Options For Change 30 Years On.

[Mölders 1]

Options For Change 30 Years On.
Was it the end of an era for Britain's Armed Forces?

Supposedly Ivan's Army was no longer a threat to Western Europe, The Berlin Wall fell and East and West Germany reunified.

Cue enormous cuts to the Defence Budget under the illusion of the "Peace Dividend".
B.A.O.R./The Army was slashed by some 40,000.

The R.A.F./R.A.F. Germany was cut by some 19,000, but l can't remember what the Royal Navy was initially cut by.

"A Lighter More Flexible Army" was supposed to lay ahead but did any good come out of such severe Budget Cuts?

Or did the Army lose Men, Overseas Bases and Equipment they could not replace?

 

[Red Storm]

I was a staff officer at HQSTC when the Peace Dividend was announced and the CinC came back from his first meeting and wanted us to draw up a list of station improvements that had always been sidelined by Operational requirements. Oh how we were to be disabused.

 

[Mölders 1]

I was a staff officer at HQSTC when the Peace Dividend was announced and the CinC came back from his first meeting and wanted us to draw up a list of station improvements that had always been sidelined by Operational requirements. Oh how we were to be disabused.

Options For Change was all about saving money at the demand of the Treasury wasn't it?

Truth be told very little good came out of all those cuts/"restructuring"

 

[par avion]

In the eighties during the height of the cold war there was always whinning by the left wing press (stand fast the BBC) about how many cottage hospitals could be built (or saved) for the price of a single Tornado aircraft. I always thought they had a point. But after the cold war ended and the armed forces were cut by a third as part of a 'peace dividend' by the treasury, I am not aware of a single cottage hospital being built. In fact there forever seemed to be local campaign's running to 'save our cottage hospital.'

Just where did the money saved as a result of the peace dividend go? It didn't seem to go on extra spending on infrastructure, housing, hospitals, education etc. In fact they seemed to be higher in the eighties under the sainted Margaret.

 

[Proff3RTR]

Options For Change 30 Years On.
Was it the end of an era for Britain's Armed Forces?

Supposedly Ivan's Army was no longer a threat to Western Europe, The Berlin Wall fell and East and West Germany reunified.

Cue enormous cuts to the Defence Budget under the illusion of the "Peace Dividend".
B.A.O.R./The Army was slashed by some 40,000.

The R.A.F./R.A.F. Germany was cut by some 19,000, but l can't remember what the Royal Navy was initially cut by.

"A Lighter More Flexible Army" was supposed to lay ahead but did any good come out of such severe Budget Cuts?

Or did the Army lose Men, Overseas Bases and Equipment they could not replace?

The biggest mistake ever, full stop end of story. All those VSO actually believing that, along with all those ********* politicians that there would be a peace dividend! We were told that the Army would get smaller, but better equipped, Oh we got smaller alright, but got fcuk all better kit! And now also look where we are, any Cnut who was involved with OFC needs/should be fcuking hung, if we I.e NATO still had the same sort of manpower levels and kit we had in 87/88 Putin would not of dreamed of doing what he is at the time.

So in a nut shell, all and I mean every VSO/politician/Purse string holder who has ever had anything to do with OFC is a Cnut and I hope they are happy with how it turned out.

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

The Staff phrase at the time was 'Leaner and Fitter'.

Within the hour, the great unwashed transformed this into 'Meaner and Bitter'.

 

[Mölders 1]

The Staff phrase at the time was 'Leaner and Fitter'.

Within the hour, the great unwashed transformed this into 'Meaner and Bitter'.

It was either the then Defence Secretary Tom King or the Government of the time that said "A Lighter More Flexible Army".

 

[stacker1]

Just where did the money saved as a result of the peace dividend go? It didn't seem to go on extra spending on infrastructure, housing, hospitals, education etc. In fact they seemed to be higher in the eighties under the sainted Margaret.

It's keeps income taxes lower than they were in the 80s.

 

[Proff3RTR]

The Staff phrase at the time was 'Leaner and Fitter'.

Within the hour, the great unwashed transformed this into 'Meaner and Bitter'.

And that proves ‘Staff officers’ have lost total touch with the real army and what is needed to soldier properly.