Military Covenant - what does it mean to you?

[The B Word]

I'm trying to get my head around all this "Military Covenant" stuff that the Government keep spouting on about - seems to me to be a bit of a self-licking lollipop to me...

Latest on the MoD website: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/boeing-flying-high-after-signing-the-armed-forces-covenant

In detail it says:

Boeing Defence UK is the latest of more than 300 companies to have signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant; pledging a range of support measures for the Armed Forces community.

Boeing Defence UK have, from today, pledged to:

- Support the employment of veterans and armed forces families

- Support employees who choose to become members of the reserve forces

- Give special consideration to holiday requests from service spouses and partners before, during and after a partner’s deployment.

So Boeing Defence have said they will employ people with a military background - surprise, surprise!!!

Boeing Defence will help the Govt with their Reserve problem and at the same time get the 'inside track' on the UK military by letting their employees serve.

Give consideration (that's not really a commitment, in my eyes) for holiday requests pre/post deployment.

Well, whoopy-doo, what does it mean to me?

The B Word

(Answer, like all the other "Military Covenant" b0ll0cks - sweet FA!!)

[taxydual]

(Answer, like all the other "Military Covenant" b0ll0cks - sweet FA!!)

I think you've answered your own question

[iRaven]

As I understood it the 'Military Covenenant' was an unwritten rule that Service personnel expected to be treated well for being messed about, not having Union representation and for being expected to do stuff that the rest of the country wouldn't do.

Now it has morphed into this written-down bunch of nonsense by the ConDem Government to try and appease the general populace's outcry when a couple of years ago we complained that this unwritten covenant was now broken.

Smoke and mirrors, anyone?

iRaven

[Pontius Navigator]

In plain English,

You play ball with me
And I'll stuff the bat right up your a...

[Lima Juliet]

Yup, plenty of others stating the same on these links:

http://www.bfbs.com/news/uk/military-covenant-does-not-work-62885.html

A soldier speaks: 'The covenant doesn't help anyone. it's just words' - UK Politics - UK - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/a-soldier-speaks-the-covenant-doesnt-help-anyone-its-just-words-8505845.html)

David Cameron accused of breaking Military Covenant on care | Daily Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2813493/We-failing-wounded-soldiers-PM-accused-breaking-Military-Covenant-care-heroes-face-postcode-lottery.html)

Former soldier who made crucial 999 call to catch murderer next door in Widnes in battle to move away from crime scene - Runcorn Widnes Weekly News (http://www.runcornandwidnesweeklynews.co.uk/incoming/former-soldier-who-made-crucial-8453393). Quote within: "left him calling into question the value of the Armed Forces Community Covenant, which was intended by the Government to ensure that services would support veterans, with Mr Pickford calling it ‘not worth the paper it’s written on’."

Yup, I agree, smoke and mirrors. I would far rather the MoD channel its efforts in something on a lesser scale that delivers or is deliverable!

LJ

[Al R]

As suggested, once you actually decide that you have to enshrine into law, something which should be achieved naturally, you know that wretched and ever increasingly intrusive and carcinogenic legislators and politicians have found a new way to further justify themselves. From yesterday;

Badly wounded British veterans using war pensions to pay for their care due to bureaucratic 'absurdity'* | Daily Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2944174/Badly-wounded-British-veterans-using-war-pensions-pay-care-bureaucratic-absurdity.html)

[MPN11]

From the moment when I handed in my F1250 on 19 Jan 1994 I have never felt "covenanted" in the slightest. 'They' pay my pension regularly, and that's it - otherwise I effectively ceased to exist at that moment in time.

I have RAFA and RBL to fall back on if the worst should happen, although I doubt I shall need them as I have made adequate provision for my old[er] age.

Reliance on HMG? ... don't make me laugh.

[4everAD]

I don't want to be treated any better than anyone else, however I also don't want to be disadvantaged for serving. One example is going to cost me a bundle soon, we have lost all our ncb serving abroad and my insurance here isn't recognised by British insurance companies so we go from 9+ years protected ncb to zero. Also the time spent here is killing my credit score as I don't have a UK address. If the covenant could help with these sort of issues where serviceman loose out for serving their country then it might be worth something.

[Brewers Droop]

4AD - Check PMs

BD

[Distant Voice]

Currently, it means that service people who die on duty in Scotland do not have the same rights as those who die in the rest of UK.

DV