A personal view from Mel Pullan, Director of Communications of the Army Families Federation
Advantage point
I REPORTED last month that Gordon Brown had said the Government would do everything to improve conditions for the Armed Forces, but that I wouldn’t be holding my breath.
Well, after the publication of the Service Personnel Command Paper I can hold it for a short while at least.
The bottom line was “no disadvantage” for Service personnel and families, and on the face of it it goes a long way to achieving that goal.
The media picked up on the doubling of the compensation payments for the most seriously injured. It is a huge increase and it has to be applauded, especially when we read that the mother of LBdr Parkinson said it would give peace of mind and security for the soldier and his family.
Who better to endorse the increase than a family experiencing the effects of war at first hand?
As a delegate at the AFF Conference in June, I awaited this publication with baited breath. The stock answer to questions at the conference was: “The Service Personnel and Command Paper will address that issue.”
So, I thought, will it be a panacea to all ills? To some issues raised at conference, I hope that it might be.
Since 2004 families of Foreign and Commonwealth soldiers have been asking why they are so disadvantaged in terms of visas, benefits and education when their spouses are fighting on behalf of the nation. A brave lady asked the question again in June: “Why do I have to wait two years more than my spouse for naturalisation?”
This has been addressed by the paper, but with the proviso “where practicable”. So what changes will families actually experience?
Another regular complaint is that of Service families’ access to National Health Service dentists. While finding an NHS dentist is difficult for everyone, it is more difficult for Service families because of their constant moving around.
Well, the paper says that it will help families with dentistry by making use of facilities on military bases. Does this mean that our families can now visit a military dentist?
And what about school place allocation? The paper says that the Department of Children, Schools and Families is seeking Service families’ views on improving admissions.
This is all very well, but the issue cannot be viewed in isolation; our ability to access a school place for our children is dependent on the timely receipt of a posting order and the allocation of a suitable quarter – and neither of these factors are likely to be in time for the key entry dates for schools. Applications are required as much as 11 months in advance.
I really hope the paper does much to address the reported low morale among Service personnel because undoubtedly, behind a soldier with low morale will be a family with low morale.
Soldiers claimed that they do not feel valued, nor supported, nor feel that their pay and housing reflect the job they are doing.
And the number of operational tours and persistent overstretch means that many families are experiencing excessive separation.
But the paper does not address the overstretch. Nor does it address upgrade of Single Living and Service Families Accommodation. Nor does it address the rights of Ghurkas, an issue again highlighted in the press last month with a headline that read: “Ghurka dies from residency stress”.
While I welcome this cross-Government initiative to secure a better deal for the Armed Forces, I wonder how some of the initiatives will work on the ground.
While I remain positive that measures are in place to ensure the initiatives are delivered, I am glad the Chief Executive of AFF is a member of the external reference group and so ideally placed to put pressure on the Government to deliver what it has promised.
I will hold my breath for a short while longer, but if I start going blue in the face please give me a prod. 
www.afj.org.uk
Soldier magazine is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
|
Prop idols, but not real heroes
THE British public have long suffered at the hands of sporting idols who promise so much but ultimately deliver so little.
Errant spot kicks from messrs Waddle, Pearce, Batty, Southgate and Beckham put paid to hopes of glory in football’s recent World and European Cups, while Tim Henman made a career of so-near-yet-so-far forays into the final rounds of Wimbledon.
So rare is it to see a home-grown sportsman lifting a major trophy that when it does happen, those involved are immediately labelled as heroes.
Take our cover star Martin Johnson. Already a much-medalled player for Leicester Tigers, at Six Nations level for England and with the British Lions, the 6ft 7in man mountain reached new heights when he captained his country to World Cup triumph against Australia in 2003.
Perhaps understandably for a country that had not tasted a major team success since the 1966 football World Cup, England collectively fell at the feet of its all-conquering rugby stars, lining the streets of London and dishing out MBEs like they were going out of fashion.
But ask Johnno about the backs-to-the-wall achievement Down Under and he is quick to dismiss talk of heroism. That, he says, should be reserved for the men and women serving their country in boots of a different kind in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Proof that his staunch belief in the value of the Forces’ work is not just a cliché can be found in the eight pages detailing the actions that have earned several gallant soldiers recognition in the latest operational awards (see Op Honours). As undeniably sweet as beating Australia in their own back yard was, the tales of heroic actions under the toughest of conditions show that the big man’s modesty is not ill-founded.
The national side’s new head coach is not alone. Fellow World Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio joined his former captain in agreeing to come out of retirement for September’s Help for Heroes challenge match at Twickenham (www.helpforheroes.org), insisting that helping injured Servicemen is the only cause that could have convinced him to do so.
Our exclusive interviews with two of rugby’s greatest talents (See Help from heroes) reflect a growing appreciation and admiration at all levels of society for the work being carried out by troops on front-line operations and for the bravery and determination of those who battle back from life-changing injuries.
Veterans of the 15-year campaign in Bosnia showed a different kind of heroism. Rather than supporting each other through intense contacts, they put themselves between warring ethnic groups to bring peace to the volatile region .
|
|
