A former British army leader says Christians are “desperately needed in the military” as the armed forces battle with “a recruitment and retention crisis.” Major General Tim Cross who was a commander in Iraq and Kosovo called on the UK government and army to start planning now.
He was responding to comments made by the army’s top general, Sir Patrick Sanders, who warned that members of the public may need to be called up if there’s a war. There has even been speculation about a need to return to conscription after 60 years. A senior NATO military official warned that private citizens of member nations should prepare for an all-out war with Russia in the next 20 years, which would require wholesale change in their lives.
Major General Cross who became a Christian while serving in the army, says believers can play a major role in the military. He told Premier Christian News that Christian soldiers are needed to bring the essential basics of their faith which he believes strengthens their leadership and people management skills. He is currently an advisor to the House of Commons Defence Committee.
“We need to be prepared to stand up against some pretty brutal people around the world. And I find myself engaging quite a lot of them. There are surprisingly, for many people, a lot of Christians in the military, and a very strong armed forces Christian Union. A lot of senior people who I served with over the years are very committed Christians. And they’re important because when it comes to the debates about strategy and campaign planning, and how you conduct operations, they have an impact.”
The major general cited the huge contribution of Christian servicemen and servicewomen when he led the building of refugee tents while serving as a brigade commander in Kosovo.
The Telegraph reports that the army is currently in the process of reducing its strength from 82,000 to 73,000 by next year, its smallest size since the Napoleonic era, with the RAF’s numbers cut by 50% since 2010. This year, having been given the task of recruiting 9,813 people, Capita, the army’s contracted recruiter, admitted it has so far only recruited 5,000.
