SQUADDIES risking their lives in Afghanistan are being refused time with their families because the Army is so short of soldiers.
Only ONE of eight units serving there had the breaks from combat they are entitled to, the MoD revealed. As a result soldiers are quitting in record numbers - making the manpower crisis even worse.
Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox said: "Families are being separated for longer which makes them unhappy.
"And if families are unhappy then so are service men and women and that causes problems retaining them."
Regulations say soldiers should get a two-year interval between serving in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. But the Grenadier Guards got only eight months and others 17 months.
Last week the MoD was slammed by a Commons committee for leaving our forces 5,850 under strength.
