Letter: Cuts to defence have gone too far

AS WE await the finer details of the defence review to be published, I am reminded of the last review which was done by the Labour Party, asked for by Gordon Brown who was looking for money and defence was an easy pick.

The chief of the general staff when studying the list where the cuts were to be made got halfway through it and declared that if the list was to be implemented he would need to look for a new set of generals. We are now well aware of these cuts with the main items being sending our troops into conflicts ill-equipped resulting in soldiers losing their life.

There is not much scope for any further cuts as the following was implemented by the last government: recruiting offices shut, barracks closed, drill halls closed, training depots shut, medical stations closed, thriving regimental headquarters now only a museum; Territorial drill halls closed and numbers cut.

The new Royal Regiment of Scotland caused by the merging of our famous regiments has still to set up an association or meeting point where their present soldiers can meet, visit, ask for advice or find out anything that will help them.

The British Legion in Scotland has closed many clubs, thriving regimental clubs and ex-servicemen's clubs have also closed. Soldiers leaving the armed forces now have no meeting point and have been flung onto the scrap heap.

Major Bob Ritchie, Livingston