The British Army has been ordered to take an extended 25-day Christmas holiday or “work from home” in an attempt to cut its gas and electricity bills.
In a move that former military commanders say is UNPRECEDENTED, a leaked memo from a general says all military and civilian personnel in land forces — amounting to 110,000 men and women — are to take “block leave” for 25 days from December 14 until January 7.
The decision means all army barracks, Territorial Army buildings and other military sites in Britain will close for almost four weeks to provide “an opportunity for utility savings”.
Although it says the closure is in recognition of the extra workload for the Olympics, which involved 18,000 personnel, the order applies to almost the entire army. It adds that the aim is “to fully exploit the utility efficiencies available by closing down buildings/working areas over this period”.
This applies not only to the UK but also to troops stationed in Germany, Nepal and Brunei, Canada, Belize and Kenya, too.
So basically all British troops (at least in the UK) will be stationed at their homes around the country for December 2012.
Is this really a cost cutting measure? Or a way to get well-trained troops positioned around the UK without causing panic in preparation for something?
( via thesundaytimes.co.uk)