I love pointing out the agendas of reporters when they put together these articles. If you notice the article below, their intent was to scare the audience into thinking that the evil PNC’s are poaching all of the navy folks. Although they make no mention as to how many seamen the Estonian Navy has, and how a few of them leaving to go to work for these companies constitutes an ‘en masse’ crisis? lol It sounds scary though….
And even so, all I have to say to the Estonian Navy and leadership is that you should pay better than the companies, or treat your navy better, and then maybe they might stick around? Just a thought. Or you can implement a draft and force these men to serve against their will?
Now for the sake of these Estonians seeking work with the companies, I certainly hope their government doesn’t play some kind of game with their careers. These men will be making good money, and spending it in their country. What we are talking about is jobs, and the rights of men to increase the quality of the lives by earning a decent salary. And with a global economy highly dependent on shipping, these men are providing a service to the world by putting their lives on the line to protect that shipping. If shipping is attacked, the supply chain is impacted by the loss of those goods, and everyone, to include Estonians, suffer because of increased costs. So with that said, protecting shipping is within the best interest of a nation like this, as well as the world.
Of course their navy needs to be strong as well. But if you are not doing the things necessary to attract and hang on to good people, you will lose them. People, ideas, and hardware, and a nation must focus on the people part if they want to hang on to them.
I also posted a quick blurb about the companies mentioned in this article. Advanfort has been doing well. They have four hundred employees and “announced that for the month of March 2011, the company completed a record 108 security missions, covering 127,000 nautical miles—a 35% increase in monthly escort missions compared to February, and a new milestone for the Company.” That indicates a dramatic increase in the maritime security market, and it goes along with the other increase of business that I have wrote about in the past. A media group like the Economist, could definitely put together an article that shows this dramatic increase in business. Hell, I would put it on the cover, because this is news! -Matt
Navy Officers Quit En Masse to Join Private Companies
April 12, 2011
Enticed by the action and higher salaries offered by private security contractors, dozens of professional Navy officers are quitting the national force, leaving at least one ship unmanned.
“One of the main reasons that people leave is money,” said a Navy officer, who wished to remain anonymous, to ETV. “Maybe also the monotony of it. For example, people from the Scouts Batallion, who go on missions, come back and again begin learning how to pull a weapon apart and put it back together – that’s not suitable for them.”
The officer spent six years in the Defense Forces and was sent on two missions. Last month, he began looking for a job in the private industry, reported ETV. (more…)