Gurkhas Get The AX

[Bookie]

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The Gurkhas, who will celebrate their 200-year anniversary for service to the Crown this summer, will be targeted as part of further defence cost-cutting measures which may see the British Army shrink to as few as 60,000 troops.

Those affected will be the 1st Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles, as well as 600 Gurkha specialists.

Former SAS commander Major-General Mark Carleton-Smith has been drafted into Whitehall to shape future strategy and decide where cuts to the British Army should be made.

The plans, if implemented, will see around 1,500 Nepalese soldiers taken off the Order of Battle “within three years”.

 

[Jens Schuetz]

Hmm. A former SAS General deciding where to save money on Ghurkas.
Isn't that like some former Admiral deciding over Airforce budgets?
Or some former Dallas Cowboy coach now firing the best players of the SF 49ers.

Sad thing is being foreign I doubt the Ghurkas have any good high ranking representative of their own arguing their case in the British military.
However I know their own merits will speak loud enough on their behalf.

Not that we ever get to see it but I would love to see a cost benefit analysis on a decision like this.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Gehazi]

amazing that they would consider diminishing such a proud history of respect and service

 

[trentu]

I think I would want to keep them on my payroll. I hope they find it in their budget to keep them. They are just as iconic as the royal family.

 

[Silverjohn]

Hmm. A former SAS General deciding where to save money on Ghurkas.
Isn't that like some former Admiral deciding over Airforce budgets?
Or some former Dallas Cowboy coach now firing the best players of the SF 49ers.

Not quite He's an extraordinarily well experienced military man: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Carleton-Smith

I agree it's sad to see the number of serving Gurkhas reduced, but cuts are being made everywhere in the UK right now. I don't see it as "diminishing a proud history of respect and service" it's just a pragmatic reduction of our military in a time of crushing 'austerity' in which all of our public services are under attack.

Saving the jobs of 'foriegn mercinaries' at the expense of British soldiers (up to 30,000 jobs could go) would not go down well either. The Empire folded long ago, we're just a little island with the entire of mainland Europe between us and any "bad guys". On top of a nuclear arsenal 60,000 troops ought to be plenty. At least I guess that how they see it.

Anyway, whenever I go back to my home town I'm still guaranteed to see Gurkhas everywhere

 

[Gehazi]

canada is proof the empire never fell ! they have queenie on their money!--0 but very fair points silverjohn, if cuts are going down everywhere, makes sense it would hit the gurkha too

 

[Moonw]

All in all, this is sad news.