Naval service numbers fall below 800, over 200 below its minimum staffing level
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The navy’s strength has fallen below the 800-personnel mark, over 200 below its minimum staffing level of 1,094.
There are cavalry squadrons with no captains where they are supposed to have at least three, infantry battalions with three when they should have eight, and there is also a serious shortage of doctors in the Defence Forces.
An ever-worsening personnel crisis has led the president of Raco, the officers’ association, to maintain it is time to say no to certain demands military management might make.
While there are vacancies across all three wings of the Defence Forces, the navy continues to suffer the most.
Personnel numbers have fallen to 799. The understands that so far this year 102 people have quit the navy, with just 28 recruits joining the force.
In addition, there are currently another 22 personnel awaiting to be discharged and they are expected to leave within the next two months.
One source said the number leaving is speeding up.
Raco president Commandant Martin Ryan said the navy has zero of the seven electrical engineer officers they require.
He said there were far too many demands on the Defence Forces to meet the output they are supposed to deliver. Overall, Defence Forces numbers are about 8,000, well short of the 11,500 the Government says is needed.
“As officers, the only way this can improve is by saying no firmly through our chain of command.
“If we take a step back it should be no surprise that everyone is doing more when we are under-strength for tasks.
“The can-do approach of the Defence Forces has arguably served us poorly and has fostered a culture internally of never saying no.
"It’s all well and good being the State’s insurance policy, but we must be protected and supported by Government, which currently is far from the case,” Comdt Ryan said.
"One could accuse those in authority at all levels of not taking care of our personnel’s employee rights but ultimately the overall responsibility falls with military management and the minister.
"Therefore, the introduction and compliance with the Working Time Directive is critical and is the only true way that DF personnel’s time, wellbeing and working conditions will be protected,” the officer said.
Comdt Ryan said many Defence Forces units are operating with chronic shortages in terms of manning levels.
“I know of units in my own brigade, including my own, that are operating at an overall working strength in station of 27%.
“At the heart of this problem is an inadequate establishment that is driving up workload, driving down job satisfaction, and impacting retention,” he said.
A contingent recently deployed to the Golan Heights without a doctor as there was not one available.