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  • I just found an old Jane's Pocket Book of mine from 1981: Armies of the World, and thought it would be interesting to see how some of the armies have changed in the last 40yrs.
    (Figures are rough and could be out of date for 2020 status)

    Australia
    1981 Army: 32300, Reserves: 23800
    2020 Army: 29511, Reserves: 18738

    Canada
    1981 Army: 28500, Reserves: 15200
    2020 Army: 23000, Reserves: 17000

    Ireland
    1981 Army: 13500, Reserves: 18600
    2020 Army: 7310, Reserves: 1840

    New Zealand
    1981 Army: 5600, Reserves: 1500, TA: 6000
    2020 Army: 4539, Reserves: 1569

    UK
    1981 Army: 160000, Reserves: 125000, TA 59000
    2020 Army: 75000, Reserves: 27250

    Comment


    • I can't speak for any other country but Irish Army of 1981 has a very high age profile, with lots of very old privates hanging in there for the duration. It is deployed to numerous battalion sized units to protect the Border to the north, and much of its barracks and equipment is obsolete.
      The army Reserve of the same time is armed with a WW2 vintage rifle and LMG, It's cavalry use vehicles from the War of Independence, it's artillery has no guns to call their own, and it's transport corps consist mostly of people too young to drive. It has no combat uniform, and has only recently taken delivery of new SD1s. While it has large numbers on the books, it's active numbers would struggle to put together 1/3rd of it's strength at any time. I remember one Muster parade (prior to the Paddys day pissup/parade) our company managed to put 102 on parade, half of whom were recruits, most of the rest would not be seen until the following Paddy's Day. Age limits and medicals were a rubber stamp affair. Those who served ranged in age from 12-13 to unknown, I know that I served in 1988 with a Sgt who wore both a ONUC medal and an Emergency medal. Now my maths isn't great but.... My CO at the time had to retire early, because they realised as he had joined when he was 12, done a Pot NCO course at 15, Pot Offr course at 18 and had become CO when he was 21, and nobody had "realised the error" and corrected it when he became an Officer.
      The UKDF at the time was deployed far and wide in the remaining UK colonies, territories and of course BAOR, not to mention NI. Its Regular reserve was a paper army, designed to draw in specialised skills when needed, as well as former servicemen, and the TA was going through a position of Transition following a white paper of the 1960s, with no real identity, the regimental system having been abolished(temporarily).
      The numbers are only half the story.
      Now if only we had today what we are supposed to have in establishment.
      For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

      Comment


      • Originally posted by EUFighter View Post
        I just found an old Jane's Pocket Book of mine from 1981: Armies of the World, and thought it would be interesting to see how some of the armies have changed in the last 40yrs.
        (Figures are rough and could be out of date for 2020 status)

        Australia
        1981 Army: 32300, Reserves: 23800
        2020 Army: 29511, Reserves: 18738

        Canada
        1981 Army: 28500, Reserves: 15200
        2020 Army: 23000, Reserves: 17000

        Ireland
        1981 Army: 13500, Reserves: 18600
        2020 Army: 7310, Reserves: 1840

        New Zealand
        1981 Army: 5600, Reserves: 1500, TA: 6000
        2020 Army: 4539, Reserves: 1569

        UK
        1981 Army: 160000, Reserves: 125000, TA 59000
        2020 Army: 75000, Reserves: 27250

        Is that Army numbers only or the entire DF?

        Comment


        • Originally posted by A/TEL View Post
          Is that Army numbers only or the entire DF?
          Only the Army numbers

          Comment


          • Originally posted by EUFighter View Post
            Only the Army numbers
            Everybody implementing the Peace Dividend offered through Gorbachev but not noticing Putin, Ping, Jong Un, and steady hand Trump. Just a thought , why do we call our soldiers SAIGHDIUIR, it is an unpleasant title as it literally means STABBER. Surely we can do better like Cosantoir AND it would make the magazine relevant.

            Comment


            • WHAT Magazine? It is being allowed to disappear next month.
              "Let us be clear about three facts. First, all battles and all wars are won in the end by the infantryman. Secondly, the infantryman always bears the brunt. His casualties are heavier, he suffers greater extremes of discomfort and fatigue than the other arms. Thirdly, the art of the infantryman is less stereotyped and far harder to acquire in modern war than that of any other arm." ------- Field Marshall Wavell, April 1945.

              Comment


              • Originally posted by apod View Post
                WHAT Magazine? It is being allowed to disappear next month.
                It is supposed to remain in online form (if they manage to find any staff to compile it).
                For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

                Comment


                • Originally posted by EUFighter View Post
                  Only the Army numbers
                  In today's Irish Examiner the recruiting Drive has been described as a pronounced Failure. I suspect, as with all Public Service Job Projects , it was DRIVERLESS and in the hands of naysayers. There was nothing flexible in assessment and selection as they managed to come up empty.
                  The selection process needs to be driven at the uniform end with definitive lists passed to MOD for call up and travel vouchers as necessary. The Brits are taking back former service persons up to age 56. It won't work unless we do the call up for interview and also the selection.

                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by ancientmariner View Post
                    In today's Irish Examiner the recruiting Drive has been described as a pronounced Failure. I suspect, as with all Public Service Job Projects , it was DRIVERLESS and in the hands of naysayers. There was nothing flexible in assessment and selection as they managed to come up empty.
                    The selection process needs to be driven at the uniform end with definitive lists passed to MOD for call up and travel vouchers as necessary. The Brits are taking back former service persons up to age 56. It won't work unless we do the call up for interview and also the selection.
                    The Brits have been far more open minded with regards to recruitment. Technical positions in particular, people with technical aptitude but no qualifications were taken in and trained up to PO Technician grade on a short term contract. If you can make the fitness level appropriate to age, why not?
                    For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

                    Comment


                    • Interviews for re-enlistees took place in 1BDE during the week.
                      "Let us be clear about three facts. First, all battles and all wars are won in the end by the infantryman. Secondly, the infantryman always bears the brunt. His casualties are heavier, he suffers greater extremes of discomfort and fatigue than the other arms. Thirdly, the art of the infantryman is less stereotyped and far harder to acquire in modern war than that of any other arm." ------- Field Marshall Wavell, April 1945.

                      Comment


                      • Now usually a Parody Twitter account appears after the real account but...
                        DoD Finally have a Twitter account, 11 years after the Defence Forces, 5 years after the Chief of Staff and 1 year after the Parody Account

                        It was the year of fire...the year of destruction...the year we took back what was ours.
                        It was the year of rebirth...the year of great sadness...the year of pain...and the year of joy.
                        It was a new age...It was the end of history.
                        It was the year everything changed.

                        Comment


                        • The parody account has left them with big shoes to fill.
                          For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

                          Comment


                          • Want to know why the Department is in charge ?

                            Army mutiny of 1924 threatened to ignite a new civil war

                            https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0302/1435152-mutiny-one/

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by DeV View Post
                              Want to know why the Department is in charge ?

                              Army mutiny of 1924 threatened to ignite a new civil war

                              https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0302/1435152-mutiny-one/
                              You'd think a century on, government might have more trust in the Defence Forces? If it could forgive Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein etc?

                              Pub raid heightens tensions amid 1924 army mutiny (rte.ie)
                              For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

                              Comment


                              • You must listen to this. Well done whoever he is. Skip to 40 minutes in.

                                Week 9 - Friday - Midlands Today with Will Faulkner - Midlands 103
                                For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

                                Comment

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