Letting standards drop in the Army would threaten national security

sir – The police came unstuck by downgrading vetting of applicants, which allowed criminals and coercive people to join – with tragic results.

Might not the Army learn something from that experience before taking a similarly wrongheaded decision that threatens national security in the name of diversity (“Army’s cash being squandered for political agenda, says Grant Shapps”, report, February 12)? Monty Taylor

Martock, Somerset

sir – The key to maintaining effective manpower in the Army is the retention of good soldiers beyond the minimum three years of service. This will be achieved by showing we care about those currently serving, rather than by schemes to attract replacements.

Personal equipment and clothing must look the best and be the best, and not simply be the result of the lowest tender. Fighting gear should be obtained by smart procurement and be ready in time for current warfare.

Perhaps most importantly, accommodation and leisure facilities should be of an acceptable quality. Soldiers leave because they and their families are expected to live in sub-standard quarters, often mouldy and plagued by other faults.

We risk losing good soldiers if we lower the standards of those joining them. It would please the current cohort if they were to read that the head of the Army is addressing these issues as his highest priority.

The British Army is still the finest in the world, but it won’t be for much longer if we continue with eyecatching schemes rather than fixing the real problems.

Colonel Mark Rayner (retd)

Eastbourne, East Sussex

sir – When I commenced my last sea job as marine engineer officer of a Type-42 destroyer, I told my new department that I was the most politically correct boss they would ever work for (which will probably come as a surprise to those who know me).

I told them I did not care where they came from or what colour their skin was. I cared even less whether they were male or female, which half of the species they chose to go to bed with, or which god they worshipped. I did, however, care passionately about their ability to do their job as a marine engineer in my department, which consisted of gay, straight, white and black men and women.

For most sailors, that is the priority: do your job to the best of your ability. Anything else is additional nonsense that we don’t need.

I pride myself on never having attended compulsory diversity and inclusion training in my career. Somehow, I managed to complete two challenging, back-to-back South Atlantic deployments without it. Maybe it was thanks to the excellent people who worked for me.

George Adams

Brading, Isle of Wight