Soldiers Unfit to Fight [The Natal Witness, 2006-01-28]

Publication: The Natal Witness Issued: Date: 2006-01-28 Reporter: Erica Gibson Reporter: Kavith Harrilall

Soldiers Unfit to Fight

Publication	The Natal Witness
Date	2006-01-28
Reporter	Erica Gibson, Kavith Harrilall
Web Link	www.witness.co.za

5 SAI has only 38 healthy members

Only about 38 members of the SA Infantry battalion stationed in Ladysmith are fit or healthy enough to be sent to war.

Statistics released this week showed that, nationally, only six percent *1 of soldiers are ready for combat duty, a state of affairs described as catastrophic *1 by military specialists.

According to the figures, only about 38 soldiers at 5 South African Infantry (SAI) at Ladysmith are eligible for deployment outside the country, out of a total complement of 755 soldiers.

A year ago the Ladysmith unit could deploy about 32% of their soldiers.

But by August last year, it was found that 60% of the soldiers at the SAI at Ladysmith were unfit for deployment.

The health status of a further 30% of the soldiers could not be determined, which also renders them unfit for deployment, as they had not undergone an annual health assessment.

There are 11 618 healthy soldiers in the army, compared to 10 711 who are too sick to be deployed.

The percentage of healthy soldiers in the army’s infantry formation which has the most foot soldiers for deployment, particularly in foreign countries has decreased by 19% to only 29%, while the number of sick soldiers has nearly doubled.

Only 31% of 1 Parachute Battalion’s soldiers down from 54% were healthy in August, and only 26% of Special Forces (Recces) were healthy, down from 53%.

The number of sick soldiers among the recces had increased from 12% to 21%.

According to Helmoed-Romer Heitman, a military specialist who writes for Jane’s Defence Weekly, these numbers confirm why the army cannot deploy a single complete battalion in a foreign country.

A battalion almost always has to get companies from other units to make up its numbers. As a result, the ideal situation of having full units deployed abroad never materialises.

On paper the army has 14 battalions, which are supposed to be its fighting force, but on ground level the position is poor, said Heitman.

“There can’t be another defence force in the world with so many sick or old soldiers.

“More than ever before it has become necessary to gather the healthy soldiers and put them into battle units, and get rid of the sick ones, who are only blocking the system. They should make way for young volunteers who are queuing to sign up.

“It is nearly impossible to do proper training with a battle unit with fewer than 30% fit soldiers. The defence force is developing into a huge welfare problem and cannot reach it’s primary aims.

“The old and sick should be included in service brigades and trained to help with basic construction work or building maintenance if it is too difficult to declare them medically unfit and send them home,” Heitman said.

“In the next couple of years the country’s involvement elsewhere on the continent will increase markedly. Something drastic will have to be done.”

With acknowledgements to Erica Gibson, Kavith Harrilall and The Natal Witness.

*1 Another chicken coming home to roost for the wildly extravagant Strategic Defence Packages (SDP) programme (the "Arms Deal"), including its state-of-the-art CODAG-WARP *2, ultra-low radar signature stealth Kamerman-Klas Korvette with its 50% over ceiling price *3 combat suite from the Korrupt Knoffellers and nKobis *4.

*2 Combined Diesel and Gas Turbine - Water Jet and Refined Propeller.

If one needs the best, one must get it.

*3 Cost price R2,599 billion in 1999 Rands c.f. ceiling price R1,414 billion in 1998 Rands (about R1,750 billion in 1999 Rands), let alone the 50% decrease in functionality from the specified tender baseline.

*4 Also purveyors of 1960s style combat suite architectures - with about the average age of the stormpoopers in the once mighty and proud 5 South African Infantry Battalion.