Surge in numbers leaving British Army since Iraq invasion

The number of experienced soldiers, sailors and airmen quitting Britain's armed forces early has risen by almost one-third since the invasion of Iraq, according to figures seen by The Herald. While the numbers of those abandoning military life with less than five years' service and those who have already achieved their pensionable 22 years have remained fairly constant or even fallen slightly over the period, the exodus of personnel with between five and 22 years' service rose from 6510 in 2003 to 9250 this year. Senior officers say they are particularly alarmed by the loss of the corporals, sergeants, captains and majors, who cannot be replaced quickly or easily. At the lower end of the scale, it takes four or five years to make the rank of lance-corporal and about seven or eight to gain enough experience and expertise to be promoted to sergeant. Captains routinely spend five to seven years as lieutenants. A tri-service internal survey published this summer showed that more than one-third of Britain's military personnel were unhappy about the effect of repeated operational tours in Afghanistan and Iraq on family life, Edward Leigh, chairman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, said: "The MoD has been relying for too long on the goodwill and courageous spirit of our servicemen and women to compensate for shortages of personnel. "Short-term financial measures to improve retention have had some success but the impact on family life is a huge factor, which cannot be brushed aside."