Personnel based in Wales or with their family domiciled there, may wish to note that the Welsh Assembly Group is taking the needs of the Armed Forces community very seriously. Spurred on by the ‘Nation’s Commitment’ Paper, they have established an Expert Group to do as much as possible to remove any disadvantage and recognise the particular demands of Service life...
A letter written by the Chiefs of Staff has been published in the Times. In it they stand by the decisions of the SDSR. 'No-one would pretend that the SDSR has been painless...It has led to decisions that we would not have otherwise chosen to make...the decision to withdraw Harrier and to retain a Tornado force had to balance our needs in Afghanistan with the intent to rationalise our fast jet fleets.... More information »
The BBC are reporting that Armed Forces pensions will not be protected from the spending cuts. The Prime Minister's spokesman has said today that 'a policy decision had been taken'. The Forces Pension Society claim that Service widows and injured service personnel are likely to lose thousands of pounds if the inflation measure alters.... More information »
Armistice Day has been marked by millions across the world. At the Cenotaph memorial, LCpl Matt Croucher, who was awarded the George Cross after throwing himself onto a bomb to smother the explosion in Afghanistan said: "It's great there is so much support, it means a lot. As long as that public support is there, people will continue to serve their country...More information »
The MoD have confirmed that SAC Scott Hughes died of his injuries on Sunday morning after being hit by a speed boat while swimming on Friday. 'Scotty' along with the other members of 1 Sqn were taking part in a period of decompression in Cyprus after operations in Afghanistan. He was due to fly home the following day. Sqn Ldr Dave Crook said, His death is a tragedy, and words cannot express our sense of loss and shock.. More information »
Doctors estimate that 1 in 4 of us suffer some kind of mental health problem. In Andrew Murrison's report into mental health in the UK Armed Forces he cited Big White Wall in one of his recommendations. A pioneering on-line service Big White Wall offers support to those suffering emotional distress. The site is anonymous and safe to access and is there for Service personnel and their families... More information »
