MACKAY, Ian

L'administration des forces armées de métier : l'expérience britannique - Paris : IIAP, avril/juin 1988

British armed forces have relied entirely on volunteers for 25 years. Much attention has been paid to recruitment policy, pays scales, career paths, living standards and job satisfaction in order to attract the right personnel. Reassignment of certain duties to civilian personnel has reduced costs. Reserve forces consist not only of veterans but of specially-recruited volunteers as well. Abolishing conscription does reduce materiel requirements, but greater savings have resulted from 'sleeping contracts' which provide for the callup of civillian materiel in case of conflict. The article concludes by reviewing the lessons of operational administration taught by the 1982 Falklands War