Another Britishness Project From Cameron

My apologies for not mentioning this before now, but I make no apology for this being a continuation of yesterday's post.

David Cameron wants to spend more that £50 million on nationally commemorating the Great War under plans to mark its centenary starting in August 2014 and finishing on Armistice Day 2018.

I'm not going to discuss  the history of WW1 because it's too lengthy a subject and most of us have some idea of its origins, but I wonder at David Cameron's idea to involve children in events such as football matches to mark the 1914 Christmas Day Truce or sowing commemorative poppies, the best use of money?  Schools have the use of modern technology nowadays and there are plenty films and video documentaries which convey the horrors and history of WW1.

If teachers are unable to convey the history of WW! to pupils in the classroom a better method of educating children about war, including WW1, would be to take them round the streets and let them talk to the veterans who can't get homes once they leave the armed forces or take them to their local BLESMA home to talk to war veterans or contact the local SSAFA office and they would put the school in touch with local organisations which cater for veterans.

Sadly the last WW1 veteran died not so long ago but there are still plenty suffering the consequences of wars which involved our armed forces in more recent times. Children would learn much more from speaking to a veteran rather than being taken out of school on a trip to the battle fields.

Of course this event is planned to coincide with Scotland's independence referendum and Cameron blatantly describes it as "a commemoration that captures our national spirit in every corner of the country". At the end of the brief article the MP likens the commemoration events to those of the Diamond Jubilee.

Certainly the centenary of WW! needs to be commemorated, but does it have to turn into a sordid kind of circus rather than a dignified, solemn occasion?

The clock doesn't need to be wound too far back to the days when such a commemoration would mainly involve a day of quiet prayer and contemplation.  We now live in a country which has lost our spiritual core and therefore has yet to find a replacement.

For a little satire regarding Cameron's plans read here.

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Afghanistan

The Ministry of Defence has named the soldier killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday.  He was Lance Corporal James Ashworth from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards and was only 23 years old.

Yesterday another soldier was killed.  He was from the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment and has yet to be named.

Since 2001, when this war began, 419 UK military personnel have been killed and countless civilians.

David Cameron's policy is to keep a military presence in Afghanistan - for an unspecified number of years - to 'mentor the Afghan military'.  I wonder if he's read this.  Living and working in such an atmosphere every day for months must place considerable stress upon these soldiers.  Is it any wonder cases of PTSD are rising rapidly?

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The Police Say No To Ex-Army Personnel

A Sandhurst Parade

This weekend the MSM report that Downing Street wants to create an 'officer class' in local forces by fast tracking Army officers into the highest police ranks.

A Sandhurst-style police training college is also being considered by ministers for university graduates says The Times. Tom Winsor, the former rail regulator, has proposed this change since he was called in by the westminster government to advise on a future structure of the police force.  He is also the government's independent reviewer of police pay and conditions.

Last week David Cameron suggested senior officers from abroad could be brought in to 'turn around' the police force.  His government is introducing elected police and crime commissioners to ensure there is an individual holding their local force to account.

Will all these reactive decisions make a difference to the police service?

There is one rather large obstacle in the way and that's the culture within the police force. Police have no love for the military or those who have undergone military training. The military reciprocate the compliment.

I can't see many Army officers taking positions in the police force. To quote a couple of post-graduate youngsters who couldn't decide which service to join upon leaving university: "the police force has little camaraderie and the atmosphere is very competitive, whereas the Army's priority is team working which develops a strong camaraderie involving trust."  I'm paraphrasing here because it was a few years ago I spoke with these young people who had spend some days attached to both a police force and an Army battalion.  Both joined the Army and have never regretted it. They cite living together, eating together and working together as making the unique culture and strong bonds - something which they feel is missing in the police force.   Both have had dealings with the police in the course of their work and say the animosity directed at army personnel is more pronounced an ever.

The chairman of the Police Federation isn't happy with the prospect of Army officers joining his organisation:

"... it was important that recruits began as constables "in order to understand and appreciate the importance of policing by consent".

He also said it was imperative that senior officers had an "understanding and real experience" of working within Britain's legal system.

Some Army officers know as much about Britain's legal system as the police and many are very well educated and highly skilled people who, when they leave the armed services, will quite easily acquire very well paid jobs in civilian life.  Why would they want to join the police - particularly when the ACPO feels this way:

Peter Fahy, of the Association of Chief Police Officers, warned that allowing people from outside policing direct entry into senior positions would like "a medical student acting as a surgeon".


The police have created, with the help of politicians, an unyielding culture which will be extremely challenging to eradicate and I doubt if many retired/redundant Army personnel of any rank would enjoy the task.  Dare I once more suggest that David Cameron disbands ACPO first - and the Scottish government gets rid of ACPOS - for a start?

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Fox By Name, Foxy By Nature

On what he thought was the last day of Parliament it took only ten minutes for Liam Fox to announce his Defence Transformation which included the closure of RAF Leuchars and simultaneously 'save' RAF Lossiemouth. The grapevine was partly correct, although Leuchars is not to be sold but turned over to the Army along with RM Condor near Arbroath.

The closure of Leuchars as an airbase was upsetting enough to locals here but when Liam Fox emphasised that the threat of an independence referendum from the SNP Scottish government had played a significant part in the way he had decided to reconfigure the armed forces across the UK, I gasped in astonishment.  Surely such reviews should be undertaken for reasons of security and practicality?  Since the demise of Scottish regiments by the last Labour government and the introduction of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, I am convinced our military are political pawns. One of my readers is so incensed, he has written to the Queen to express his anger about the politicizing of certain military events.

Liam Fox insisted the changes would save money but, as Leuchars had a multi-million pound refit only a few years ago and now it will be necessary to spend more millions in order to convert it to an Army base, I only see expenditure.  The new barracks at Kirknewton, near Edinburgh, has no price tag attached, although it's been reported in the press that the sale of Craighall, Redford Barracks and Dreghorn Barracks (all Edinburgh area) could release a sum around £50 million. Many are unhappy at the closure of these Army bases.

£1.5 billion is to be invested in the reserves over the next 10 years, building up the Territorial Army as the regular force numbers decline. It is expected that 30% (36,000) of the armed forces are to be part-time TA by 2020.

As my title denotes Dr Fox's plans may be more relevant to this rather than the security of these islands, even though William Hague currently disagrees.

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Love

Please don't immediately think this is only a post about an Army officer's wedding because, when you read on, you'll find it's much more than that.

Mike and Kady Parke were married in England a week past Saturday, 1 October.  It was a grand affair with a church wedding witnessed by 240 guests.

Let me tell you a little of the story.  Mike Parke is 36 years old and joined the Army from school.  He was soon recognised as being officer material and quick-marched to Sandhurst where he completed his officers training.  He's what is known in military circles as a 'ranking officer' and those people are highly regarded by all personnel as they are few and far between.  Mike then joined the Royal Signals, worked his way up the ladder and is now a Major.  The signals are seconded to every  area of military deployment.

This summer Kady, a senior cardiac nurse, and himself were finalising their plans for a small, quiet wedding on a Greek island next year, when their lives took a completely different direction.  For a couple of months previously Mike had been complaining of headaches, which he eventually realised were nothing to do with his alcohol intake, so he consulted his GP.  I'll leave him to tell you the story.  It's an exceptional diary so do read the links in succession.

So often these days we hear marriage doesn't matter but this story shows the commitment of marriage is still strong.  Hopefully it also gives a small insight into military life and how our armed forces pull together, regardless of rank. Some question why anyone would join today's military - I've wondered that myself - but trust, loyalty, respect and friendship are the values which hold our military together.  We hear of some service personnel having difficulties adjusting to civilian life once they leave the services.  Could it be that they see little evidence of these values in today's society?

Channel 5 News broadcast the following item on Friday.

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One Stop Shop

Our military veterans haven't been treated too well over the decades but it's encouraging to know that military charities continue to do their best for those who have served this country.

The new Armed Forces Advice Project (Asap) has been set up by Poppyscotland, Citizens Advice Scotland and a number of other groups. It has been funded to the tune of £600,000 by Poppyscotland, the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, The Maritime Charities Funding Group, ABF the Soldiers' Charity, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen and Families Association Forces Help (SSAFA), The Robertson Trust and Turn2us.

The above charities already provide a range of help, but the new project aims to streamline the service and speed up the process for veterans. We may have many more veterans returning to civilian life and some will find it difficult to adjust after the family-type unit the military provides.

Now anyone who is serving in the armed forces or has previously served, and their families, will be able to access help through a national helpline or by turning up at one of the 83 Citizens Advice Bureaux across Scotland. It's can be difficult for those who have never had connections with the military to understand how confusing returning to Civvy Street can be for those who joined up when they were young. One example is when the 'new' veteran may suddenly realise they need to see a doctor. In the military they go to the Medical Office at an appointed time each day. In civilian life it can be complex if they haven't registered with one and even more confusing when they're told they have to wait days to see a GP. They're used to seeing a doctor within 24 hours because the military don't want staff off sick longer than is absolutely necessary, so attending to their needs promptly is the policy and ensures they're back at work as quickly as possible.

If this is successful it would be good to see it rolled out throughout the UK. There is help there for veterans, but with so many charities offering different services, a veteran can be innocently pushed from pillar to post in their time of dire need. The national helpline is 0845 231 0300.

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Sir Richard Dannett Quits

General Sir Richard Dannatt, the former head of the Army, has stepped down from his role as an advisor to David Cameron after a stay of only nine months. He was appointed to the post during last year's Conservative Party conference - just weeks after retiring as chief of the general staff.

An attempt to install him in the Lords was blocked in April on the grounds that he should wait at least a year before taking up a political role.

He clashed with Liam Fox, who has since been appointed Defence Secretary, for saying publicly he was brought in because the Tory front bench lacked 'expert understanding'. He was quite right and it still does.

Sir Richard said he always intended to step down after the election. On Saturday, in an interview on Sky News, he appeared to criticise George Osborne for insisting that the Ministry of Defence budget bears the full cost of replacing Trident.

“It is effectively being put on the table for discussion by asking the Ministry of Defence to pay for it, so the issue really is: how much safer will we be with a replacement nuclear deterrent as opposed to how much safer will we be with fast jets, aircraft carriers, lots of soldiers, tanks and artillery?”

If he's done nothing else in his short tenure, it is to be hoped his comments will widen the debate about Trident. Why are we storing a weapon we can't use without the authority of another country? Scotland doesn't want it and we have to make our voices heard.

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Justice At Last

Judges have thrown out a government appeal by deciding that the Human Rights Act can apply to British troops, even on the battlefield.  The judgement the MoD appealed against said "right to life" meant it had a legal duty to supply proper equipment. 

The rulings centred on a case brought by the family of Private Jason Smith who died of heatstroke while serving with the Territorial Army in Iraq in 2003.  Pte Smith's mother Catherine said she was overwhelmed with the verdict and was angry at the MoD for going so far to fight the case.  

However, the MoD have been given leave to appeal again, to the House of Lords.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission's group legal direct John Wadham said, "Our service personnel are sometimes required to lay down their lives for this country.  In return we should afford them the same human rights protection as every other citizen."

The MoD and the Westminster government have done everything possible to stop this becoming law.  The latest spin from Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth, after the judgement, was 'they were surprised and disappointed by the judgement.'  I bet they were because their incompetence regarding troop equipment and their hiding of facts at inquests will now have to be addressed.

Our troops deserve nothing less.

My thanks to JessTheDog for bringing this to my attention.

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