PART
A—THE ARMED
FORCES AS
PART OF
SOCIETY
1. In what specific areas do the core values
and standards of the Armed Forces need to differ from those in
wider society? In what ways have these changed in the last 10
years and what changes are envisaged in the next 10 years?
1.1 As part of the rapid social change over
the last ten years in both the United Kingdom and in Europe, the
rights of the individual have increasingly been accorded greater
importance. This has been reflected in new and changing European
and national employment and social legislation. These changes
have important implications for Service personnel policies.
1.2 The Armed Forces occupy a unique position
in society. Theirs is the only profession whose role is to exercise
lethal force on behalf of the nation and which in turn carries
an unlimited liability—that they may, in extreme circumstances,
be required to die on behalf of others. Military discipline possesses
its unique character precisely for that reason. The high levels
of operational effectiveness which British forces so frequently
demonstrate must be preserved. Personnel policies exist to maintain
this operational capability and that is their principal determinant.
This is why the Services' unique characteristics require core
values and standards that, in some areas, are different from those
that other employers might reasonably expect. Both the Army and
the RAF have recently issued "Standards and Values' pamphlets
to all personnel, setting out the standards and values they expect
from their personnel.
1.3 The Armed Forces are, nevertheless,
an integral part of the fabric of British society. That same society
provides the Services with their legitimacy, personnel, money
and support. Indeed, some have asked whether the private conduct
of personnel should be of any concern to Service authorities if
it does not affect a person's ability to do their job. There is
a risk that if what the Services expect becomes entirely divorced
from the expectations of society, they will lose the legitimacy
and support that is vital to their existence. The Department must
therefore strike a balance between the requirements of the Armed
Forces, derived from the operational demands placed upon them,
and the rights and freedoms to which Service personnel are entitled
as citizens.
1.4 This is a difficult issue with powerful
arguments on both sides. On the one hand, the attitudes of society
to personal conduct are undoubtedly changing. In general, society
has become more liberal in recent years and standards of personal
behaviour, considered to be now acceptable in society at large,
cannot easily be transposed into a military environment. For example,
there is ample evidence to suggest that younger people are less
deferential and find it difficult to adapt to a hierarchical,
command-based organisation. Equally, conduct that openly discriminates,
abuses position, trust or rank is more damaging to the Services,
because these values strike at the very heart of the military
ethos. Where lives can depend on personal trust, mutual support
and obedience, as they do in the unique working circumstances
of the Services, misconduct can be extremely corrosive to team
cohesion and, ultimately, operational effectiveness. There must
therefore be rules to discourage any conduct that would imperil
such trust and effectiveness. The Services would need to be absolutely
sure of the consequences before making any change to the principle
that in some cases the Services require standards of behaviour
that are more demanding than those required by society at large.
Finding the balance between the perceived military need and what
can reasonably be expected in a modern society is therefore an
immense challenge.
1.5 The Services have also to consider the
extent to which the Armed Forces have a requirement to be fully
or partially exempt from social and employment legislation in
order to maintain their combat effectiveness, and whether personnel
policies followed in the Services should differ markedly from
those that apply more generally in society because of the unique
circumstances of the Armed Forces. A recent example of the challenges
faced in developing values and standards based personnel policies
for the Armed Forces, in both the present and a changing society,
linked to the requirements of the Services to sustain their cohesion
and operational effectiveness, is the issue of homosexuality.
The Code of Social Conduct, introduced earlier this year, sets
out clearly the standards expected of Armed Forces personnel in
terms of personal relationships (see also Questions 7 and 9 below).
The Services have also taken steps to recognise the forthcoming
incorporation into domestic legislation of the Articles of the
European Convention on Human Rights.
1.6 In sum, the Armed Forces must represent
the society they serve but the overriding need for them to be
operationally effective means that they may require values and
standards which differ markedly in some respects from those of
the rest of society. Other armed forces are facing similar issues.
Much depends on the outcome of an evolving debate involving the
Services, Service personnel, experts, interest groups and the
general public. The Department's aim is for that debate to be
informed, knowledgeable and for all concerned to be aware of the
special and often particularly demanding requirements of Service
life and operational needs.
2. How can society, and in particular the
young people whom the Armed Services need to attract as recruits,
be persuaded that the differences which remain between the Services
and wider society are necessary and contribute to the Services'
ability to fulfil their role?
2.1 The Armed Forces must reflect the society
from which they are drawn, but there must also be an acknowledgement,
by society and the Services themselves, of the need to be different
in some areas in order to preserve operational effectiveness.
Life in the Armed Forces is plainly not the same as civilian life
and the functions and roles of the Services clearly make complete
compatibility impossible. In the opinion of Services' recruiting
staffs who, by virtue of their activity, are in daily contact
with the British public, the principal differences voiced by the
general public between Service and civilian life are:
— separation from friends and family;
— a tougher disciplined environment;
— a longer commitment to a career.
2.2 There have been a number of recurrent
recruiting challenges with which all three Services have had to
contend since the early 1990s. The Services are continually reviewing
personnel policies to attempt to surmount these, and to develop
complementary strategies to meet the challenges posed by a more
liberalised society. Examples of challenges faced by the Services
are:
— Force reductions and redundancy measures
in the early/mid 1990s left the public with the impression that
the Armed Forces were no longer recruiting.
— The recruiting market has become
increasingly competitive (the "war for talent"), and
more young people are now opting for further education.
— The demographic trough: There is
a third fewer 17-18 year-olds today from whom the Services can
recruit than there was 19 years ago. The numbers aged 16-24 years
have also fallen about a sixth in the same time frame and are
still falling.
— Unemployment levels are currently
low, and various programmes/initiatives such as "New Deal"
are also effectively reducing unemployment amongst the Armed Forces
target age group.
— There has been an appreciable decrease
in the fitness levels of potential young recruits, thus reducing
the number of those suitable.
— There has also been a well documented
rise of drug abuse amongst 16-24 year-olds. This has naturally
led to an increase in criminal convictions, thereby reducing the
potential recruiting pool even further. The Armed Forces demand
of their personnel in this age group that they live and work in
a drug-free environment.
— With the last serviceman to be enlisted
for compulsory military service discharged from the British Armed
Forces in 1963, most people of target recruitment age have been
brought up at a time when there has been no family connection
with (and hence no knowledge or understanding of) Service life.
Such knowledge is now often gleaned from the media and entertainment,
both of which find it easy and profitable to emphasise and highlight
differences between civil and Service life styles.
— In contemporary society, there is
an increasing trend for young people to live at home with their
parents (80% of 15-19 year-olds in 1994). This prolonged stay
in the "parental nest" increases, in some instances,
the influence of the parents on the young in their choice of career.
— Young people today are more likely,
than before, to be concerned with social and environmental issues
and less concerned with the perceived traditional Armed Forces
"values' of Queen and Country.
2.3 Despite the recruiting challenges, Armed
Forces recruiting—particularly over the past two years—has
been buoyant;
— In 1998-99 the Army achieved its
best recruiting figures for eight years and the intake of women
across the Services was the highest for eight years.
— In 1999-2000 the Armed Forces succeeded
in enlisting almost 25,000 young, high calibre, motivated people,
representing 96% of the recruitment target.
2.4 This indicates that these differences
are not insurmountable, and that the challenges are being successfully
addressed. The challenge, variety and excitement of Service life,
security of employment and the benefits package (including medical
support) are valuable incentives. The comprehensive training and
education packages further demonstrate the Armed Forces' commitment
to supporting individuals who, unlike society in general, are
required to place themselves in danger. They also show a commitment
to the concept of life long training and development—the
equal of the very best practice in civil life.
2.5 Applicants for the Armed Forces are
unequivocally advised at the outset that they will be entering
a disciplined Service which may, at times, take priority over
personal needs and require them to serve in any part of the world
at any time of day or night, seven days a week. The Services require
individuals who are prepared to accept danger and work often in
stressful and poor conditions. This requires a high degree of
self-discipline and frequently means laying aside certain individual
rights and privileges when necessary for the good of the country
and the success of the team. A disciplined, supportive organisation
is needed to ensure that, in times of crisis/danger, individuals
respond as members of a cohesive, responsive and professionally
focused team.
2.6 Armed Forces training is designed to
develop in the individual recruit a sense of belonging. This training
can sometimes be seen as going to stressful extremes by critical
observers, but is essential if units, whether at sea, on the ground
or in the air, are to be operationally effective in the face of
hostile enemy action. The success of this training will ultimately
serve to save the lives of the recruits and their comrades; a
point amply demonstrated by the successes and international professional
reputation of UK Armed Forces on operations.
3. The Minister said in reply to a recent
PQ that consolidation of the three Service Discipline Acts would
be subsumed into the development of a tri-Service Act (HC Deb.
15 May 2000, c 15w). What are the key issues which need to be
considered in drafting such legislation? What is the timescale?
3.1 The existing legislation provides that,
where members of more than one Service work together, the lead
Service will exercise the prime responsibility for discipline
over personnel of all Services. However, difficulties can arise
in the increasing number of fully joint units and organisations
where there is no lead Service. In such circumstances, the solution
has been for each Service represented within such a joint organisation
to appoint one of its officers to be responsible for discipline
over its own personnel. This is unsatisfactory, in that it effectively
splits the responsibility for administering discipline from that
for command.
3.2 The key issue in developing a tri-Service
Act will therefore be to establish a structure which properly
aligns command and responsibility for discipline in all circumstances.
In doing so, it will be necessary to recognise that for the foreseeable
future most members of the Armed Forces will continue to work
in a single Service environment and to strike an appropriate balance
between harmonising the Services' procedures and the retention
of any essential distinctive features.
3.3 Thinking on this is still at a fairly
early stage. Substantive work on developing the new legislative
structure will get underway after the passage of the quinquennial
Armed Forces Bill, in 2001. As was stated in the Strategic Defence
Review, this will "be a substantial and complex undertaking
which will take some years to complete" . We would hope to
find the Parliamentary time for a Bill introducing the tri-Service
legislation as soon as possible after the necessary work has been
completed.
4. In what respects does ensuring compliance
with the European Convention on Human Rights continue to present
problems in drafting Service Discipline legislation? Will some
of these issues be dealt with in the quinquennial Armed Forces
Bill?
4.1 The Armed Forces Discipline Act 2000
addressed the key areas where there have been concerns that aspects
of the Service discipline Acts may not be compatible with the
European Convention on Human Rights. We are reviewing the Service
legislation to establish whether there are any outstanding Convention
points. If there are, the quinquennial Armed Forces Bill would
appear to be a natural vehicle for any amendments to the Service
discipline Acts that may be necessary.
4.2 Clearly, in developing any new legislative
proposals for the armed forces, it will be the intention that
they should be compatible with the Convention. Although the Armed
Forces Act 1996 and the Armed Forces Discipline Act 2000 have
both made important changes to the Services' procedures, to bring
them into line with the Convention, these have not been so fundamental
as to alter the nature of the discipline system. Any further changes
that may be required to reflect the Convention are similarly unlikely
to be unduly significant in their impact on the Services, because
the approach will always be to find solutions that reconcile the
requirements of both the Convention and operational effectiveness.
5. What training is given at the various levels
on command and staff courses on human rights issues and the relationship
between the Armed Forces and wider society?
5.1 The teaching of human rights and the
Armed Forces in wider society occurs in a combination of specific
teaching stages or as generic themes which recur in other related
teaching activities. Both subjects are underpinning themes in
a wide range of teaching activities, and not just discrete subject
areas in their own right. Both aspects of training also underpin
numerous exercises students undertake, culminating in the two
week Theatre War Game for the Higher Command and Staff Course
and the Advanced Command and Staff Course. Humanitarian issues,
the application of international law, generation of rules of engagement
and civil/military relations form an integral part of these exercises.
6. Leadership skills are a key factor not
only in operational effectiveness but also in retaining personnel
and ensuring their job satisfaction. How much officer training
is devoted to leadership skills and within that how much is devoted
to practical leadership arid personnel management issues? What
assessment has been made of the effects of good and bad leadership
skills? Where weaknesses are detected, what is done to address
them?
6.1 Naval Service.All young officers
joining Britannia Royal Naval College experience three one week
leadership training modules; each building on the previous one.
During these periods young officers spend approximately 70% of
the time putting the skills into practice in an increasingly demanding
practical environment. They also undertake a one week module of
personnel management training to enable them to manage the career
and pastoral care of up to 24 Junior Ratings, which is a requirement
of all officers in their first job on the trained strength: this
includes a one day counselling course. Augmenting this training
are two weeks of communications skills in which research, analysis,
briefing and presentation abilities are developed and tested.
6.2 Beyond this a large proportion of Officer
Cadets undertake tasks in which their leadership and management
skills are tested. In particular, additional responsibility is
given to most of the cadets over a further period of pre-specialisation
training. Approximately 75 per cent of all young officers in their
third term of training will undertake such secondary responsibilities
under varying degrees of supervision.
6.3 Young officers also undertake practical
boatwork. As small boat coxswains in charge of small teams in
a challenging water-borne environment their practical leadership
abilities are honed and tested. Similarly, they partake in team
sports with positions of management and administration being undertaken,
providing another vehicle for leadership and assessment.
6.4 A considerable period of time for debriefing
is allotted to all formal leadership training, and all young officers
are routinely debriefed in detail on their performance across
all aspects of their training. They are also encouraged to debrief
each other. There is additional training for those who show weaknesses
in any areas. There is a five week remedial package, predominantly
leadership orientated.
6.5 After the leadership training given
to young officers during their initial Naval General Training,
various aspects of leadership and management are addressed during
subsequent professional training courses and all officers attend
the Royal Naval School of Leadership and Management for further
training in the role of Divisional Officer.
6.6 Army. In the Army, formal leadership
training is delivered to all officer cadets on the year-long commissioning
course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). Leadership
training is the main effort at RMAS and this is reflected in the
substantial amount of time devoted to the subject. After graduating
from RMAS, every officer attends a "special to arm"
young officers' course, which will prepare him for the practical
aspects of commanding in his particular Arm or Service. Leadership
training is, however, an integral part of them all. The next formal
training in leadership for all officers on regular commissions
takes place on the Junior Command and Staff Course. The emphasis
here is Human Resources Management (HRM). Practical leadership
training is subsequently delivered to officers by their Arm or
Service on sub unit commanders' courses.
6.7 A selected number of officers will receive
staff training at the Royal Military College of Science (RMCS)
and the Joint Services Command and Staff College. HRM training
takes place at RMCS. This varies according to the postgraduate
course studied: ranging up to five weeks HRM training on the Master
of Defence Administration course. Further leadership training
takes place at the Staff College. Officers selected to command
units attend a two-week briefing on the Commanding Officers' Designate
Course.
6.8 RAF. A significant amount of
the RAF Initial Officer Training (IOT) syllabus concentrates on
leadership. This is further developed during the subsequent specialist
training, with particular emphasis on its application as an officers'
core competency but also in the given specialist environment.
The Junior Officer Command Course is the next residential stage
of an officer's staff training. It is aimed at developing junior
officers' effectiveness for early executive appointments and revisits
earlier leadership training, developing its theory using students'
practical experience. A similar approach is also taken for Squadron
Leaders at the Intermediate Command Staff Course to prepare officers
for command and staff appointments.
6.9 A major review of leadership training
within IOT was undertaken in 1998 with the primary aim of modernising
the course. This review included seeking views from a range of
commanders and took the opportunity to examine practices in industry
and developments in the academic world. As a result of the Study,
significant changes were made to leadership training, including:
the introduction of a modernised leadership theory package to
encompass a greater range of leadership styles; placing greater
emphasis on cerebral leadership exercises; changes to Command
and Staff training; the need to develop the potential of the individual
to improve the effectiveness of the team; greater practical experience
in the management of people.
6.10 All three Services also provide leadership
and management training for Non-Commissioned Officers. To use
the RAF as an example, the Junior Management Leadership course
prepares those selected for promotion to corporal. This is recognised
as a major milestone for non-commissioned personnel and a step
change in their exposure to the challenges of leadership. Subsequent
promotion to sergeant and flight sergeant have corresponding management
and leadership courses.
7. Some steps have been taken towards making
Service life less different from civilian working life, in areas
such as working hours, annual leave entitlement and parental leave.
What assessment has been made of whether further steps towards
"normalising" Service life are desirable or feasible?
7.1 Working hours, parental leave and regularised
annual leave entitlements have all been introduced into the Services
as a result of emergent employment legislation. Where possible,
consistent with the over-riding need to maintain operational effectiveness,
the Services try to reflect and endorse the full agenda of employment
and social legislation that is aimed at the general working population.
Where differences between Service and civilian life need to be
recognised this is registered with the Government Department raising
the legislation.
7.2 Whenever draft legislation is circulated
by other Government Departments (OGDs) for consultation or comment,
the Armed Forces collectively scrutinise the proposals to gauge
the effect on the Services. This is handled by an MoD body—the
Standing Committee on the Impact of Legislation on the Armed Forces
(SCILAF). The SCILAF meets regularly to ensure that any proposed
legislation with a Service interest is considered and acted upon
within a reasonable period, pertinent to the consultative time
allowed for the legislative subject. All key Service personnel
interests in the Department are represented, and discussions and
actions emanating from the SCILAF subsequently inform a much wider
Departmental constituency. The aim in SCILAF is to take a strategic
approach to emerging legislation, with more detailed debate taking
place between interested parties using normal Departmental machinery.
7.3 Either collectively or individually,
members of the SCILAF seek to protect Departmental and the Services'
interests against legislation which may have a detrimental effect
on the operational effectiveness of the Services. The Department
aims, where possible, to apply emerging legislation fully to the
Services whenever it is sensible to do so, whilst seeking derogations
or exemptions where risks to operational effectiveness are clear
and demonstrable. This approach maintains the necessary balance
required between individual rights and the needs of the Armed
Forces, and assists the Services to draw nearer to a more "normal"
civilian working life culture where this is possible.
7.4 Retention of trained Service personnel
is a major factor moving the Armed Forces towards "normalising"
Service life where practicable. Emergent European and domestic
employment and social legislation is characterised by a "Family
Friendly" agenda. For Service personnel, however, operational
commitments cause separation between families. A wide range of
measures has been implemented to improve retention including seeking
to reduce the amount of separation suffered by individuals by
spreading the burden of detachments more equitably. Improved living
conditions for Service personnel detached are being progressed.
Examples in this area are: the upgrade programme for Service Families
Accommodation, the modernisation of Junior Ranks/Rates Single
Living Accommodation, and a move away from communal mess decks
in next generation frigates.
7.5 Key components of the recently introduced
Armed Forces Overarching Personnel Strategy (AFOPS) are also attempting
to mirror Service life with civilian life where possible. Better
representation of women and ethnic minorities throughout the Services
will reflect much more closely the make up of society. The implementation
of the Learning Forces initiative will enable the Armed Forces
to benefit from the wider Government priority of education and
lifelong learning, through increased funds for the personal development
of Service personnel at all levels from recruits upwards.
7.6 Finally, the new Armed Forces Code of
Social Conduct is less prescriptive of the personal behaviour
of Service personnel than in the past. It respects the rights
and the private life of an individual, whilst providing an objective
measure for commanding officers to gauge whether the conduct of
Service personnel is appropriate or has impacted on the efficiency
or operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces. It will not
restrict personal standards of behaviour beyond those already
required in the special circumstances of the Services.
8. What assessment has been made of the importance
of maintaining the visible presence of the Armed Forces in national
life? To what extent have such developments as the closure of
recruiting offices, the reduction in the Army's "national
footprint" and the draw down of the TA reduced this visibility?
What measures are being taken to increase the military presence
in society?
8.1 The then Secretary of State for Defence
announced a more open approach to wearing uniform in public in
October 1998. Guidelines allow Service personnel to wear uniform
as they go about their normal business in our cities, towns and
villages, subject to the local security situation. This change
has been welcomed by the Services. More widely it should enhance
the public's awareness of the Armed Forces, especially in communities
with traditional Service links.
8.2 While the biggest single contributor
to public awareness is undoubtedly national advertising, the Services'
presence in the form of high street recruiting/careers offices,
attendance at public events, school support and the impact of
single Service's open days plays a highly significant part in
maintaining public awareness.
8.3 The closure of a number of recruiting
offices in the early to mid 1990s, and the transfer of their responsibilities
to Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) "Jobcentres",
reduced the visibility of the Services and did affect the numbers
of recruits applying to join the Armed Forces. Though "Jobcentres'
still advertise Armed Forces vacancies (and provide up to 5% of
recruits), the principal role of recruiting has returned to the
recruiting office. All three Services, acknowledging the effect
on recruiting that the reduction in the number of careers offices
had, embarked on a continuous programme of high profile media
and recruitment campaigns. Contact between the Services and the
public, in particular the young, has been enhanced through support
to schools and youth organisations. The Services' contact with
schools has benefited further through MoD's partnership with the
DfEE Careers Service.
8.4 A number of initiatives are in hand
to keep the Services in the public eye. A "Meet Your Navy"
UK deployment is currently taking place from 25 May to 10 July
whereby around 20 ships, including an aircraft carrier, are visiting
a large number of ports and cities to promote the image of the
Services and to help recruiting. The Royal Navy Reserve is expanding
its visibility in the community by creating sub-units in cities
that have not had a Naval presence for some years. By the end
of 2000-01, six such units will have been formed. There are also
a range of open days, air shows and ceremonial events, most notably
the Royal Military Tattoo 2000.
8.5 Internet. In order to exploit
the opportunities offered by modern technology, all three Services
now have a careers website on the Internet. These websites have
proved very popular. For example:
— Current use of the Internet in recruiting,
particularly in the Naval Service, is focussed on marketing careers,
and as a powerful communication medium. In 1999-2000, the Royal
Navy careers website received 2,488 officer and 5,710 rating/Royal
Marine other rank requests for information.
— The Army has found that the Internet
has become the largest single medium attracting requests for further
information from both potential soldiers and potential officers.
The Army website has been voted one of the top 300 websites in
the world; it hosts 4,000 visitors a day of which 800 go on to
the careers section. The Army also launched its "on-line"
recruiting office on 24 May 2000. This allows users (including
parents and other adult users, as well as potential applicants)
to have a one-to-one dialogue online with a Recruiter about life
in the Army. The site has over 4,000 pages, but this is due to
expand, and is seen as a central plank in the recruiting orientated
communications strategy.
— The RAF careers website continues
to be improved. It was recently measured as the fourth most visited
aviation website in the world, having received 1.5 million visits
in the period October 1999 to April 2000. It won the silver medal
in the "Other Media" category as part of the Creative
Circle Honours 2000. RAF officer applications from the Internet
have been accepted since October 1999.
8.6 Internet access has helped to ensure
that any negative effect from recruitment office closures is minimised.
It is too early to measure whether the number of enquiries and
applications to the Armed Forces has increased as a result of
the Services' websites. Nevertheless, the Services expect electronic
media to represent a significant growth opportunity and to be
a method of ensuring that the footprint is maintained in recruitment
terms.
8.7 Activities with Youth. There
are four Cadet Forces, together involving around 130,000 young
people aged between 12 and 22, supported by over 23,000 adult
volunteers. They are the Combined Cadet Force—based in 240
schools (independent and state), the Sea Cadet Corps, the Army
Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps.
8.8 The Cadets are all voluntary youth organisations,
sponsored and funded by the MoD, as part of the Department's contribution
to society and the community. They are not recruiting organisations.
Rather, by using military themes, based upon the culture and ethos
of the single Services, they foster an interest in the Armed Forces.
The aim of the cadet forces is to help the personal and social
development of young people. Cadet forces offer a wide range of
sporting, adventurous, military and community training activities.
All cadet forces strongly support the Duke of Edinburgh's Award
Scheme, and adventurous and expedition training. In addition,
many units participate in community initiatives sponsored by the
Home Office.
8.9 From the next school year, the Department
will also be piloting a new "Youth Initiative" in schools
in Newcastle and Norfolk. Participants—in Years 10 and 11
(15 and 16 year-olds)—are those who will have been disapplied
the National Curriculum. They will have around one day's contact
per week over a two-year period with their military instructors.
The US model, upon which our scheme has been based, sees around
40% of participants go on to adult military service of some sort.
A second phase of the Youth Initiative (Thinking Skills Challenge)
will be developed over the next 12 months.
8.10 The MoD is developing a formal arrangement
with the Prince's Trust Volunteers, whereby Team Leaders and soldiers
are provided for their Team Challenge. Military personnel will
use their skills to help increase self confidence and self reliance
in those most in need of this. It is hoped that this will allow
for development of closer links with the community and particularly
to make use of the Prince's Trust's excellent relationship with
ethnic minorities.
8.11 Territorial Army. In 1998, the
then Secretary of State set out the new role of the Territorial
Army (TA) in the post-SDR era in Modern Forces for the Modern
World: A Territorial Army for the Future. This acknowledged that
the TA makes a significant contribution to defence in the wider
community and, in many areas of the country, it has been the reserves
rather than the regulars who provide the visible Armed Forces'
presence. This helps to build links with, and informs the wider
community of the role of the Armed Forces, to promote their values
and support recruiting. This role of the TA was very much at the
forefront of the planners' minds as they developed the new structure
of the TA. Throughout this planning, they sought to establish
a widely spread representation of the Army across the regions.
As a consequence, although the overall numbers within the TA reduced,
the so-called "footprint" of the TA was maintained as
far as possible in the circumstances.
