                       Terms of Service


This short article is intended to give my US colleagues some insight into the
prevailing terms and conditions of service in the British Army.   it is by no
means official and any inaccuracies or errors in detail are entirely the
author's responsibility.   In no way does the article represent or putport to
represent UK government policy or opinion.

     With that out of the way, into the narrative.   Essentially, the soldier in
the British Army is committed to 22 years' service, with (up until recently)
options to leave after 3, 6 or 9 years.   Until 1988, the soldier enlisted for 3,
6 or 9 years and was paid at different rates dependent upon his engagement. 
The system now is that he is paid a reenlistment bonus of some GBP2000
($US2900 approx) at the 4 and the 7-year points.

     After his intial period of service, the minimum period for his trade (MOS)
varying according to the amount of time taken to train him, the soldier may
give one year's notice to leave and then go.   He is still committed to the
Section A Reserve up to his original 12-year point and remains liable for an
annual recall, for which a small bounty of some GBP200 ($US290) is payable.

     After completion of 12 years' service, should the soldier leave before the
22-year point, he is entitled to the so-called resettlement grant - currently
GBP5,200 ($US9880) (taxable at 25%) and a small pension of 12/37ths of a full
pension payable from the age of 55.   Complex, eh?

     The soldier completing 22 years' service gets a gratuity based on
achieved rank, ranging from roughly GBP20,000 to GBP25,000 and a pension of
22/37ths of a full pension, payable immediately but only inflation-linked after
the age of 55.   For all soldiers who have completed more than 6 years'
service, resettlement advice is available.

     This all sounds very complicated and indeed it is.   There is no
equivalent of the GI Bill and any insurance benefits for death or injury are
the individual's own responsibility, although death and wounding as a result
of terrorist activity may be compensated by the civilian criminal injuries
compensation procedure.

     The salary structure is comples as well.   The soldier's wages depend
upon his rank, length of service and trade.   Private soldiers and Junior
NCOs (Corporal and Lance Corporal) may be paid on Band One (lowest) to Band
Three (highest), depending upon trade and class within the trade (a soldier
may be class 3, 2 or 1, a Lance Corporal 2 or 1 and a Corporal must be class
1).   Senior NCOs (Sergeant and Staff Sergeant) and Warrant Officers Class
1 and 2 may be paid on any band from Band 4 (lowest) to Band 7 (highest) -
for example, an RSM is automatically paid on Band 7 as are some specialists,
while an Infantry Sergeant is paid on Band 5.

     Certain allowances are also payable - Special Forces Pay, parachute pay,
language pay and so on, as well as certain active service considerations - for
example, food and accommodation are not payable while on active service and,
for those serving in Ireland, an extra payment is made to compensate for the
frankly lousy conditions most of the troops find themselves in.

     Other than the above, the military salary is assessed on a daily rate and
is paid for a notional 7-day, 24-hour-a-day week.   While comparisons are
difficult, a Sergeant Band 6 with more than 12 but less than 15 years' service
earns about GBP44.50 a day or about GBP16,250 per annum, which compares
extremely well with the salary of a middle ranking civil servant or a very
senior schoolteacher.   The salary system is so organised that the senior NCO
makes approximately the same as a captain. (quite right, too)

     British to US rank comparisons are difficult - the UK army takes longer
to promote, but gives responsibility to lower ranks.   A comparison of infantry
appointments is probably the fairest:

British                                       US
_______                                       ___
Lance Corporal          Section 2 i/c         SPC?/SGT?
Corporal                Section Comd          SSG
Sergeant                Pl Sgt                SFC
Colour Sergeant         (Pl Comd)           
Colour Sergeant         CQMS                  SFC?
Warrant Officer 2       CSM                   1SG
Warrant Officer 1       RSM                   CSM

(Colour Sergeant is the Infantry term for the rank of Staff Sergeant)

     Apologies are tendered for any mistakes in rendition of US ranks.

     As to speed of promotion, a good soldier can hope to become a section
commander in about five years and achieve platoon sergeant in seven (though
that would be unsually fast).   Some are streamed off at the LCpl/Cpl/Sgt
level for officer training and the opportunity is there for the senior Warrant
Officer in his mid-to-late thirties to be commissioned as a so-called Late Entry
Officer, where he will perform many of the functions of the US Warrant
Officer.  It has recently become more common to see LE officers in
company/squadron/battery command slots - usually of HQ companies, although
some combat sub-units are now commanded by these very experienced men.  
This has partially been occasioned by a shortage of suitable captains and
majors, many of whom leave the Army young as a result of disenchantment
and heavy recruitment by civilian firms and agencies - recruitment which also
affects the senior NCO corps.

     It will be seen from the above that the British Army is a fairly
parsimonious organisation and that nobody joins to get rich.   Recruitment is
still fairly good, however - the recruiting organisation is still in a position to
pick and choose and rejects far more than it accepts!
