|
|
Military 'under strength'; DEFENCE FORCE
- Article from:
-
The Press
- Article date:
-
November 23, 2007
- Author:
-
|
Copyright informationCopyright 2007 The Press. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
|
The Defence Force is so stretched by operational deployments it
could face difficulty responding to a crisis in its own backyard,
senior officers warn.
The situation is made more critical because attrition rates are
rising again after being reined in over the past two years.
Defence Force chief Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae told a
parliamentary select committee yesterday: "Unfortunately, the recent
data indicates that attrition rates are on the rise again,
reflecting the appeal our people have to employers and at a time of
strength in the national economy."
The annual attrition rate as of October 31 had risen to 14.12 per
cent, from 13.28% on June 1, a Ministry of Defence official ...