MPs say military stretch could hit operations

By Katherine Baldwin

LONDON (Reuters) - The armed forces, stretched by deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, are suffering shortfalls in personnel that could jeopardise their operating capability, a parliamentary committee said on Tuesday.

More staff are leaving the armed forces early, partly due to the pressures of long tours of duty overseas.

Recruitment is not keeping pace, leading to a shortfall of almost 6,000 personnel or 3.2 percent in April 2007, said parliament's Public Accounts Committee.

The Liberal Democrats, who were against the Iraq war, said the report showed personnel faced an "intolerable burden" and called for a timetable on withdrawal from Iraq.

But the Ministry of Defence said recruitment was strong and rejected the idea of growing personnel shortages.

The committee said the numbers leaving early are at a 10-year peak for Army and Royal Air Force officers. There are more acute shortfalls in specialised areas, notably medical staff, it said.

"The increasing frequency of deployments on overseas operations and time away from home are factors causing people to leave the armed forces," the committee said in a report.

"The impact of continuous downsizing, pressures and overstretch is affecting the (Defence) Department's ability to retain and provide a satisfactory life for armed forces personnel," it added.