NSW: Army Reserve at lowest strength in 50 yrs

AAP General News (Australia)
04-21-2001
NSW: Army Reserve at lowest strength in 50 yrs

SYDNEY, April 21 AAP - The Army Reserve is at its lowest strength in 50 years, The
Sunday Telegraph reports today.

The newspaper said 4,000 reservists have quit in the past nine months, leaving only
14,000 in the ranks.

This figure is down from a high of 26,000 five years ago.

Major General Warren Glenny told the newspaper the Reserves were facing the greatest
crisis in recruiting and numbers since being reformed in 1948.

He said the Army was not publicly recognising the Reserves, who made up one quarter
of the soldiers sent to East Timor and Bougainville in recent years.

A parliamentary inquiry has been established to look into the problem and the federal
government has begun a saturation advertising campaign to attract reservists, the paper
reports.

AAP nf/jas

KEYWORD: RESERVE

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