Up to 5,000 armed forces personnel could be discharged because they are not fit to perform combat duties, according to a leaked Ministry of Defence (MoD) document.
Some five per cent of the 102,000 army personnel are no longer able to be deployed in action, the document, called the Management of Army Personnel who are Medically Unfit for Service, revealed, and the worst affected will be discharged in the next few years.
Defence secretary Liam Fox has said the policy needs to be reviewed "to ensure that those who have fought and sacrificed for their country are treated in a proper and honourable fashion".
Recently, specialist recruiter Gemini Forces said there would soon be a surge in the number of ex-armed forces personnel entering the civilian jobs market.
The claim came amid reports that several regiments of the British Army could be scrapped as the government attempts to reduce funding for the defence sector.
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This is the sad but inevitable outcome of the conflict that PM Blair took the Armed Forces into without the right resources and the result of chronic underfunding for years. It is a measure of the success achieved by the medical services that many of these personnel, severely injured in combat, survived. The key factor is now that they are given proper, full-service, pensions and the necessary adjustments to permit them to have a good quality of life. There needs to be a proper aftercare service, modelled on the VA in America with education and the necessary health support so that they don't have wait in line with others. This will demand a new approach and commitment to the management of Veterans given the outcome of forthcoming CSR, which will probably seek to cut Veterans funding as well!