According to reports, the government’s recruitment drive has proved to be a disastrous flop after the failure of a hugely expensive TV ad campaign launched in February.

This comes as the confidential army memos disclosed the fact that only 367 people have registered to serve as the Army Reserve, the new name for the Territorial Army, in the past three months. This is barely a quarter of the target set, British media reported.

The regular army is to endure a 20,000 cut from its current number of 82,000 troops. This is while that the government’s plan is to have a fully trained reserve force of 30,000 by 2018.

Earlier, shadow armed forces minister Kevan Jones announced that in its attempts to get employers on board, the government is required to provide a "package of workplace support".

"There are concerns over the recruitment crisis that has hit the reserve force," he said.

"Many are concerned that employers' skepticism has not been allayed.

"We hope ministers have a package of workplace support, including legislation to protect reservists from discrimination", the minister added.

Expanding the reserves is at the heart of the coalition government’s new defence strategy, however, successive wars and long-term deployments as well as a feeling of being viewed as arrogant and occupier prevent the strategy to work properly.

SHI/SHI