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Are our service homes fit for heroes?

The welfare of our soldiers, sailors and airmen should be of paramount importance for without getting the basics right recruitment will continue to suffer.

Just consider these two quotes, that are applicable in the business world, and just as relevant with regards to our armed forces personnel.

“An employee who does not feel that their needs are being met will likely become extremely de-motivated and unproductive, and will more than likely be searching for another job elsewhere. This means that they will certainly not be giving their all to assist the company achieve its targets.”

“If you look after your employees, then your bottom-line will take care of itself.”

It is a clear sign that all is not well within our armed services when it is widely known that our forces are undermanned, struggling to recruit and are losing experienced personnel to better opportunities in civvy street. 

I don’t even need to ask the people concerned for the upkeep of Army quarters to know that their budgets are insufficient to maintain them properly.

First, I happen to know a painter and decorator who lives very near to me and who works for a firm that frequently gets the contracts to redecorate quarters in Warminster, Tidworth, Bulford and Upavon.

Over the years he reckons he has probably painted close to 50 houses for the MOD and his instructions are always the same which is to do the bare minimum and as quickly as possible.

Recently he was painting a Major’s quarter with peeling wallpaper and damp mould spots on the wall behind the paper and he was told, as he had been before, to stick the paper back with builder’s caulk (a substance meant for cracks and holes) and paint over it.

On another recent occasion there was obvious signs of a roof leak that was making a wall damp he was told to paint over the damp and the roof would be fixed later if anyone complained about the poor paint job they would then have to repair the roof leak and repaint the wall.

These two stories are in sharp contrast to an American base he was painting a while back in Norfolk where the doors, frames and skirting were all in genuine light oak and the walls and ceilings were washed down, treated if necessary, and given two coats of paint.

Second, I have the transcript form PMQs in May when the then PM Rishi Sunak replied to the Lib Dem MP Helen Morgan that there would be no extra money to address the many issues facing service accommodation from exploding boilers to collapsing roofs. In one case a constituent after major surgery was denied alterations to the entrance of their shower and it was only altered when Helen Morgan got involved.  

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation(DIO) is clearly not fit for purpose.

So is it any wonder the moral of our troops is low and recruitment and retention is a major issue when we cannot even get the basics of their accommodation right.

Then turning to another issue affecting moral and recruitment you have the complete mismatch between needing to train individuals prepared to kill and possibly be killed with the absurdity of indulging in diversity quotas. I believe it shameful that our Top Brass have not seen fit to challenge this policy and fight for common sense to prevail, for as I said in my previous article titled Why are our Defence Forces no longer fit for purpose “Going woke won’t produce warriors’ and further to that it discourages the alpha males, our fighting forces need, from joining up.

Unless and until our Admirals, Generals and Air Marshals improve the welfare standards for our forces and recruit the right types needed to fight then there is no hope that our armed forces will improve.

Finally, in writing this post I looked up The Armed Forces Covenant and I ask you to read it and ask yourself if our governments and Top Brass are fulfilling their obligations?

​THE ARMED FORCES COVENANT
An Enduring Covenant Between
The People of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty’s Government
– and –
All those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of
the Crown
And their Families

​The first duty of Government is the defence of the realm. Our Armed
Forces fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the Government, sacrificing
some civilian freedoms, facing danger and, sometimes, suffering serious
injury or death as a result of their duty. Families also play a vital role in
supporting the operational effectiveness of our Armed Forces. In return,
the whole nation has a moral obligation to the members of the Naval
Service, the Army and the Royal Air Force, together with their families.
They deserve our respect and support, and fair treatment.
Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those
who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage
compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial
services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for
those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.
This obligation involves the whole of society: it includes voluntary and
charitable bodies, private organisations, and the actions of individuals in
supporting the Armed Forces. Recognising those who have performed
military duty unites the country and demonstrates the value of their
contribution. This has no greater expression than in upholding this Covenant.

We used to talk about building homes fit for heroes – and that’s the very least we should deliver.

I believe that those responsible for the deteriorating state of our forces and the lack of attention to their welfare should hang their heads in shame.

Niall Warry
2nd August 2024​

general election

"We congratulate Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party on their General Election victory and we hope that the new Prime Minister will honour his commitment to increasing the UK defence budget to at least 2.5% of GDP. We welcome John Healey's arrival at the Ministry of Defence as the new Secretary of State. In the present highly unstable global situation, with Russia, China and Iran posing direct and indirect threats to Western democracy and international security, it is essential that the new UK Government acts fast to rebuild and strengthen our armed forces, our defence industry and sovereign defence capacity." 

Andrew Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Defence UK
​8th July 2024
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