Government support to Service personnel - Have your say

[defenceheadquarters]

Have your say on how the Government supports our Service personnel.

Service personnel and their families are being asked their views on how the Government provides healthcare, childcare, housing and other services to the current and former Armed Forces.

In November, the Defence Secretary announced the launch of a cross-Government Service Personnel Command Paper to review the level of support given to serving personnel, their families and Veterans and to publish a coordinated strategy to improve that support.

This will be the first ever cross-Government strategy for supporting Service personnel, families and Veterans – covering all areas of support including accommodation, medical care, education, the transition to civilian life and veterans' welfare.

This cross-government review is led by MOD and is consulting closely with a wide variety of other Government Departments, as well as with the Charitable Sector and Service families' federations.

It is also consulting directly with Service personnel themselves.

The Service Personnel Command Paper team are keen to hear about the issues that are currently affecting you as a member of the armed forces, serving, reservist or veteran, or a family member (be it, parent, partner, spouse or child). In particular the team are keen to hear of your experiences of the delivery of services such as health, housing, childcare and education.

If you would like to make a contribution to the Command Paper consultation, please send them electronically via:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/ContactUs/OtherContactForms/ServicePersonnelCommandPaper.htm (http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/ContactUs/OtherContactForms/ServicePersonnelCommandPaper.htm)

or via post to:
Service Personnel Command Paper
Zone M
7th Floor
MOD Main Building
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2HB

Further information can be found here (http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Personnel/Welfare/ServicePersonnelCommandPaper.htm).

This information was posted by the Ministry of Defence. You can find a copy here (http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/DefencePolicyAndBusiness/HaveYourSayOnHowTheGovernmentSupportsServicePersonnel.htm).

[chappie]

forgive my sceptiscism but if you don't already know the true state of all these factors, making another dept to ignore us isn't really going to help. action not words. on one hand it's good to have an interest in the reality faced by those that serve you but on the other if you haven't listened yet why will you listen now? is this to really serve the interest of your soliders and families or is this to ensure that your reputation doesn't look as tainted as it already does? while i am ranting...one more point reviews are nothing but empty words. a review promises nothing. yes you can look at the problems presented to you but that doesn't mean you will actually change the problems.
make sure you follow this up.
do not let our troops down!

[HugoFirst]

Is there an election on the way?

[ZOFO]

Sorry, but this smacks of another "Jobs for the Boys" again, I would dare say that another team of "Consultants" will be guiding the MoD on this one, at great expense (again). I dare say another "Air Officer" will be in the chair for this and a new department created to come to the bleedin obvious "Your troops are not happy" Lets just hope that someone has the Golden ones to not hide this in "statistical" mumbo jumbo again!! :ugh:

Zofo

[C130 Techie]

Have to agree with Chappie on this one. The 'issues' have been aired time and time again at pretty much every level, Stn Cdrs, CAS, CASWO, AMPLT, MPs etc etc. Wives and Partners have aired their views through the HIVE organisation and there have been endless surveys.

The net result is that most of the issues have either had lip service paid to them or they have just been given a good ignoring.

Forgive the scepticism but it is bred from 30 years experience. I look forward, without too much hope, to being proved wrong but this appears to be just another pointless survey and a waste of money and resources that are much needed elsewhere.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Gents and Ladies

Please do not write this off too cynically. I am one of the world's greatest cynics, despite my boss trying to get me to become a sceptic! However, if we ignore "surveys" like this because we are all to cynical to reply then the results will always be skewed by the minority(?) who think life is rosy and who do take the effort to reply.

If you things have got worse (and I do) then let it be known - loud and clear. If you don't put your views across then your voice will never be heard. The MOD aren't going to come looking for answers on this site!!

[C130 Techie]

Roland

Whilst I take your point, the MOD shouldn't need to come here to look for answers. There are enough issues that have been raised as I described that have gone unanswered to keep the MOD busy for a very long time. Yes things are getting worse and there are new issues. All I see here is the unanswered pile getting larger and therefore remain unconvinced particularly in light of todays budget speech.

[Beatriz Fontana]

Surveys, yes all very well and good, but this does smell a tad fishy, coming off the back of all those other consultations the Brown regime has conducted of late.

The government are getting very adept at this, allowing the people to have their say when actually the people want a decision.

Half of me says this paper is long overdue. The other half of me wonders what real changes will come from it... And when. Of course, the defence budget being as it is, the MoD couldn't afford to implement any of it anyway.

[No idea]

Some back brief paper is floating round from the recent CAS Conference - AMP clearly said that the funding for 'People Issues' will come from re-balancing of the eqpt budget. If that happens then great and that is why we should put our cynical views to one side and at least contribute. You never know it may actually make a difference!!

[9.81m/s/s]

I have it on very good ( very high ) authority that the Government are going begging, cap in hand, to companies like BA and Virgin to ask if they will offer deals to serving forces personnel and families. In a similar vein as the US bends over backwards to look after their forces personnel, so Brown et al are grovelling to big business because they either don't have any ideas or money or both to do it themselves. Shame on them. They should be embarrassed that they can't look after their own forces and have to resort to begging. Of course the argument to this is the £2 bn they say they are going to spend.........we'll see how that is spent and more importantly accounted for as the bean counters have to pay for workshops, roadshows, brain storming sessions and re-fiting their offices in rare Canadian Oak to create the required ambience and mood for such deep thought.

[muppetofthenorth]

The scope of this survey doesn't seem very well thought out as one of my student colleagues on the UAS received one of these forms.

[Sentry Agitator]

DHQ - I admire your intentions but we really do not need a costly review THAT WILL TAKE FOREVER AND DELIVER NOTHING and most likely be over budget.

Just keep it simple as follows:
Q - What is wrong with the UK system?
A - Answer = pretty much everything

Q - What can we do to fix the problem?
A - Follow the US example and actually look after your people.

Examples -

Transit accom stateside is better than perm accom provided by UK PLC. For example - I was lucky enough to visit a US East Coast Navy station last year and the suite, yes that was suite! I had for a week had a lounge with TV, DVD, Video, free wi-fi, on-suite, bedroom with TV, DVD, Video. A kitchen with hob, microwave and crockery for 3 persons (family focussed), aircon throughout and daily maid service. That was available for all visitors - You can't even get a towel in UK messes??
US Vets are admired and cared for long after they have walked off base. They can even use the 'discounted' service facilities with a vets pass (xchanges, commissaries, gas stations). Proud to serve you see not ridiculed like in Pborough.
Families get welfare support to visit their families when the serving spouse is away TDY.
I think it is free dental and medical for all? but I could be wrong.
Schooling and creche' provided on base (at a cost) to allow people to work in the military and have a family life too.
Proper recreation facilities - Bk/Golden Arches, Pizza wotsit, Sub, Dunken Donuts etc etc all on stn. Cinemas, bowling alleys and numerous sports pitches. I have never been to a bad Gymn when stateside whereas ours can leave quite a bit to be desired at best. Likewise, the families stateside can use the on base gymn free of charge where my wife can use my station gym but she has to pay an annual fee! it is cheap but come on??
Lets not get on to the tax free wages when on ops and the phonecall contact sitch when deployed.
Compensation, compensation, compensation - can't say much more
Oh and one more thing - There's a bloke on here looking to get sponsorship for a charity cycle ride to raise funds for the Help for Heroes charity which aims to raise cash to build a swimming pool for all of our returning heroes from theatre that have had their lives turned upside down. A commendable gesture but why should we need to be raising funds??? The government should have sorted that as soon as the matter was raised last year.Just a few issues I rattled off in a couple of minutes and I'm sure I've missed loads more.

Quite simple Mssrs Brown/Browne - Try to follow an example that is 'fit for purpose' and the men you regularly s#@ft from your ivory tower may just put up with the shoddy way you treat them.

Review and improvements - not in my lifetime

SA

[In Tor Wot]

SA - nail, head, squarely hit! :D

[Roland Pulfrew]

SA

A brilliant start.:D

Now please don't forget to post them on the MOD survey as well. :ok:

[kaikohe76]

Perhaps it might help if both the CDS & CAS quietly, or not so quietly took both Brown & Browne aside & told them a few home truths!! Alas in my opinion, there is more chance of hell freezing over than this event taking place.

In my day in the forces, the men right at the very top of the tree, made no apology about speaking out openly for their personnel. Perhaps things have got too political these days & even these chaps are looking over their shoulders at their pensions, knighthoods, or possibly seats in the Lords. Mind you, kicking the backsides of a few of the scum in Peterborough would be a good place to start to put things right.

[follies end]

SA Absolutely spot on :D
I am appauled at the way that UK servicemen and women are treated by our so called leaders and the disrespectful minority in this great country. I am coming to the end to a long career and quite frankly I can't wait to leave the military. Government, dont pay our Armed Forces lip service, SORT IT!!

[L J R]

1. See reply Title.
2. for the hard of seeing - 1. Bin JPA

3. see above

oh and by the way, ...did I say Bin JPA