The First UK Independent Defence Authority
 

This may be of interest....

As for Pilots and Engineers in our Armed Forces, expect to see a mil equiv of BALPA in the coming weeks, built on a similar Operating Model.

EMBARGO – 0001 hrs 1 Dec 2020

CREATION OF THE FIRST UK INDEPENDENT DEFENCE AUTHORITY

PRESS RELEASE

INTRODUCTION

For years, even before Deepcut[1], injustice in your Armed Forces has been a problem that Defence leaders have failed to address. Be it rape, sexual assault, assault, discrimination, victimization, bullying, extending to possible war crimes, those who lead the UK Armed Forces have failed to address injustice in our Armed Forces. It is the case that, more often than not, injustice in our Armed Forces is concealed by those who lead our Armed Forces. This adversely impacts on the security needs of the UK as well as the reputation of your Armed Forces. We need to change the narrative.

The Armed Forces continues to investigate itself, by itself, for itself in order to protect itself. It then chooses to inspect itself. So bad has this been that Parliament had to create a Service Complaint Ombudsman (SCO) in 2015, at huge cost to the public purse, with the aim to address injustice in our Armed Forces. It has failed to do so, a fact acknowledged by the SCO herself. Those who lead our Armed Forces failed to embrace the role and denied the role the independence, resources and the power it requires, to create meaningful change. There is no trust in the SCO to effect change.

What we see today in our Armed Forces is the failure of the Chain of Command to provide justice. We see a failure in the ability of the Ombudsman to correct that injustice. We see a failure across a wide element of the MP cadre to embrace the reality and challenge Government to mandate a solution that will give confidence again to those who serve. We recognise, support and applaud the work of Sarah Atherton in this regard[2]; a leading light along with other notables such as Emma Norton.[3]

Those entrusted to lead those who serve, have betrayed those who serve. We see an immediate need for Government working with an independent body to re-balance the relationship between ‘The State’ and the ‘Service Person.’ We are that body.

INTENT

We announce intent to assist those who lead, to better serve those they lead. Serving and retired military personnel across the UK Armed Forces announce, today, intent to create the first Independent Defence Authority for the UK on 1 Jan 2021.

The Independent Defence Authority (The IDA) aims to educate, encourage and help Defence leaders with solutions to an age-old problem that continues to plague the reputation of Defence – injustice within. The IDA affords holistic integrity, by being able to talk truth to power without fear of retribution – because we are independent of Defence and not funded by Defence.

The IDA focused nationally, will engage with international partners to address common issues. This puts these issues, in the UK Armed Forces, on the international stage. The IDA offers useful solutions then to what are common problems.

We are pleased to announce a joint venture with Euro Mil and the representative member States, Unions and Associations across Europe[4] as we aim to create a Safety Culture, through a Questioning Culture, delivering a Just Culture (Haddon-Cave refers)

THE PROBLEM

Air Chief Marshal Wigston stated in his Review of Jul 2019[5] that:

- We must do more to stop instances of inappropriate behaviour occurring.

- It is about leadership at every level in the organisation, setting the culture and standards, and ensuring people meet those standards consistently.

- We have to do better when instances of inappropriate behaviour have occurred or are alleged to have occurred.

- A significant number of our people have experienced bullying, discrimination and harassment, including sexual, but have not felt able or been able to come forward to report it

- A call for evidence from people affected is to be commissioned by Defence

- It is about the determination of leaders to change the culture

Since this declaration, those who lead Defence, despite having accepted every recommendation of the Wigston Review, have failed to implement that which they agreed they would do. This fact underscores the need for greater holistic integrity.

Defence leaders have focused on Equipment whilst forgetting that their greatest asset is their People. There is a need to put our people back to the front of our thinking. The latest figures drawn from the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey in May 2020 show that half of the men and women who serve and die for our country won’t complain about injustice because they don’t believe anything would be done about it. The other half feel that they will suffer if they do try to address it. These figures are nothing new. Repetition of the same concerns over years suggests that the mental health of our Armed Forces as a whole could be at a significantly low point given the lack of justice and trust within the system.

Since records began post Deepcut, the Service Complaint Commissioner has been reporting that the Complaint system in our Armed Forces is unfair. The Service Complaint Ombudsman (SCO) who replaced the Commissioner, with greater powers, recorded in May 2020, for the 4th year running, that the Complaint system in our Armed Forces is still unfair. Even the new Ombudsman does not have the power to correct the problem. She records that our leaders ‘simply find a loophole to sidestep’ injustice[6]. This means injustice within our Armed Forces can be buried, at Board level, with our troops being unfairly treated, impacting on the Veteran community, NHS and local councils – the bill (costing billions) defaulting to the public purse.

The SCO noted to the Parliamentary Defence Select Committee that 90% of those who should raise complaints do not. She added that 75% of the complaints through her office could and should have been resolved much earlier. She clearly stated that the process has a detrimental effect on the mental health of all involved and in the 14 years her office has existed, not one target had been met. Yet the SCO has failed to improve the power imbalance. It is Parliament that is ultimately judged to have failed those who serve. We believe there is a solution. The new IDA will represent both veterans and those serving – to resolve the power imbalance, helping those who lead both Defence and those entrusted to serve in Parliament.

The Wigston Review[7] in Aug 2019 promised a solution for our troops, but defence service chiefs have prevaricated. They have failed to enact their own recommendations. In the last few years, the problem has significantly worsened.

There is clear evidence that those who serve in the Armed Forces today have, literally, no place of mental safety, nor any psychological or peer-to-peer safe zone where they can find respite. Too many service personnel serve in fear with nowhere safe to run or share concerns. Now all who serve, have served, and their families will have a voice through the IDA.

Not all the costs to defence are human. An unfair and unjust complaint system within our Armed Forces directly impacts on UK defence operational effectiveness, through damaging morale and early departures from service due to poor treatment. Those who do make a complaint are often tied up for years, confronting service lawyers employed at tax payer expense to represent service chiefs (not the complainant). This drawn out process costs millions, and wastes millions - the overall expense to the public purse is billions – needlessly so.

THE SOLUTION

The IDA has been launched to provide solutions to the problem, both in terms of supporting the individuals affected and to help Defence do better. It gives a safe space for all to seek advice whether serving or veteran, subject to the Chain of Command or acting on behalf of the Chain of Command. It gives a solution space without fear. The Chief of Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter himself recognises the problem in the Service Complaint system, partly due to ‘upwardly looking leadership’ returning an outcome that leads to national morale to be ‘fragile’. This reflects an erosion of values-based thinking across the Defence leadership domain – one that must be corrected urgently if we are to succeed in re-balancing the relationship with the Nation.

INDIVIDUAL STORIES

Justice4Troops (J4T) was set up in 2019 to shine the light and allow people to emerge from the shadows of stigma, frustration, fear, and retaliation that are so pervasive across the Armed Forces. The IDA is a natural build on J4T and intends to operate at both the national and international stage, giving a powerful voice to all who serve and have served.

Lt Bruce Menzies (RN) – his poor treatment will alarm you

Sgt Mark Rycroft (RAF) – his experience fails the service values test

Morgan McLellan (British ARMY) – his experience will upset you

Linda Sprouting – her experience, following the death of her husband Captain Dean Sprouting whilst on operations in Iraq in Jan 2018, will disgust you.

END

EMBARGO – 0001 hrs 1 Dec 2020

Who is actually behind this? Nothing on the MoD site?

There is no identity of the author?

FB

Could be...

https://justice4troops.co.uk/who-we-are/

Best of luck.

A defence union?
Regional soldiers and mainline soldiers?

Sounds like s*** stirrers..................

Stop posting and promoting people every 2 years - especially at senior level - and you will reduce the focus on a£se covering to climb the greasy pole.

The way I read it, there is a connection to the Minister of Veterans Affairs; perhaps recently retired staff setting up this venture with Ministry approval, perhaps even financial aid.

I can see no connection - they keep saying "we" but never say who they are

They say "We are pleased to announce a joint venture with Euro Mil and the representative member States, Unions and Associations across Europe" But don't say which or who

I'd advise great caution :cool:

If they advertise the membership fees in Bitcoin- run away, run away.

CG

The fact the thread starter's name is Graham House and his location is St Mawgan should ckue ex Nimrod types into who he is. For those who don't know Graham 'House is also the name of an ex CO of St Mawgan

'Sheds' has set this up with the best of intentions. Some of you will know Graham from past service. His heart is behind the Service personnel who've received a very bad deal from MoD over the years. I don't doubt that some of you will view the support of EUROMIL with scepticism, but they've achieved significant improvements to TACOS.

Whats the story with the RAF Sgt then?

The UK military, for all the 'Investors in People' plaques that littered the place in the early 2000's, are shockingly bad at dealing with people, and as Crab points out, posting those further up the chain every 2 years exacerbates the situation by absolving them of responsibility for their decisions.

But, there is no way in god's green earth I would ever support some union of malcontents backed by some Eurotrash organisation.

Quite a change from what Baroness Goldie said just over 4 months ago:

https://questions-statements.parliam...0-07-10/HL6714

It seems an element of ‘self appointing’ of this new “authority” may be the case again?

http://independentdefenceauthority.org

Anyone know what an ‘asstet’ is? :}

Oh my, this is what I noted from that link: “A group of like minded individuals from different areas of defence, with different backgrounds but one common story. We have been let down.”

So is this just a bunch of folks with an axe to grind? It also looks like the Justice4Troops gang that troll on just about every defence post on Twitter from the likes of CAS, CASWO, ACAS, etc...

Here is an example of the organisation’s nasty trolling on Twitter about a retiring 1-star who has served from Aircraftsman to Air Commodore over 42 years. Accusing him of covering up a rape. Is this the sort of ‘justice’ I want to see - no thank you! Even if he was guilty of this allegation, then trolling on Twitter is hardly the way to meter out justice!!!

https://twitter.com/fpcomd/status/1332238260039528449?s=21

https://twitter.com/troopsjustice4/status/1332465078575263745?s=21


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....d19886aa8.jpeg

EUROMIL was informed that on 1 December 2020, the first Independent Defence Authority in the United Kingdom (UK) has been created. This is the first initiative to represent military personnel in the UK through an independent body.

The mission of the Independent Defence Authority is to provide more cost effective independent representation for all uniformed members of the UK military and veterans in order to enhance the moral component of fighting power. The objective is to better authenticate the authority of the Chain of Command in order to better deliver critical Defence output, by providing an independent safe space for an unsafe conversation. The remit is to eradicate the concealment of injustice in the UK Armed Forces and improve operational effectiveness.

EUROMIL congratulates its colleagues in the UK on the creation of this body, wishes them all the best and stands ready to support them in their challenges.

ACAS may be of interest here....ACAS as in Susie Clewes, DG Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Services - their function being to improve organisations and working life through the promotion of, and the facilitation of, strong industrial relationships (taken from her own Directive)

According to ACAS, the cost of bullying (as one example) not only to the individual, not only to the organisation but specifically to every householder in the UK who funds Defence is £500 per year. Defence can continue to pull people out of the water who endure such injustices within (Wigston 2019 refers) or Defence can go upstream and try to understand who or what is pushing serving personnel into the river in the first place. The UK loses a really good investment here...

Defence only has the nonsense of 'make a service complaint' as a means of dispute resolution yet there are so many more effective models out there to resolve dispute, quickly, purposefully and, seen through the lens of all parties, properly.

We have cases before us that continue to play out today that are 14 years in the making.....we even have cases that led to loss of life - needlessly so.

Why does this matter, beyond the fiscal picture?

...for example, those in the Civil arm of Defence, have a Union representative to, one hopes, positively contribute to deliver enhanced organisational performance. By contrast those in uniform, also in the same organisation of Defence, have no independent representation at all....returning an unbalanced work force where some are supported, others perhaps not...counter to the One-Team Defence pushed by PUS. See the parity here?

This is why we set up what we now have as an operation - a pilot study that by way of an independent body, directly contributes to the ACAS function in a more holistic way for Defence

Who would not want for independent representation for those in uniform?

Do please encourage support to this important issue.....The Defence Committee is today launching an inquiry on Women in the Armed Forces: From Recruitment to Civilian Life, with the intention of this becoming a Sub-Committee, chaired by Sarah Atherton MP. For this inquiry, the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has lifted the usual restrictions, allowing female service personnel to participate in the inquiry.The Committee will look at the experience of female service personnel from recruitment to transition and consider whether there are unique challenges that are not adequately addressed by the current policies and services.

The Committee will look at:

• Whether the Government and MoD is doing enough to address any additional challenges
• how easy it is to make a complaint, and identify what barriers there are to female personnel complaining
• whether the experiences of female BAME personnel differ
• why women chose to leave the Armed forces
• whether ex-servicewomen face different challenges to men during their transition to civilian life
• whether the needs of female veterans are currently met by the available services; and
• the effect that the introduction of the Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Act (2010) has had

Other areas of interest that the Committee are keen to cover within the scope of the inquiry include issues around pensions, terms and conditions of employment, housing and general wellbeing.

Lima Juliet

Not to divert from the original post, but to make such an open accusation one would have to be certain of one's position. Or barking mad. It would be interesting to know if action was taken following the accusation. Has it been made before and perhaps rejected by MoD? And it's not as if MoD doesn't routinely blame those it knows are innocent. As matters stand, your post has certainly raised the profile of the issue, for which I'm sure Justice4 Troops are grateful - but not the good Air Cdre or his unamed 2 Star.

I appreciate the concerns of apparent trolling on tw@tter with serious allegations etc, but knowing Sheds as many here do, I can vouch that his heart is in the right place.

I, along with many others, in the 90s and 00s were right proper shafted by the Air Secretary (head of PMA), and the assorted Desk Officers who badly mangled the aircrew headcount and destroyed many careers. They know who they are. Shame on them.

Women in Defence
 

Chair of the planned Sub-Committee on Women in the Armed Forces, Sarah Atherton, said:

"Women make a vital and valued contribution to our Armed Forces and to our country. However, serious challenges remain. Female personnel are more likely to make complaints, more likely to report mental health difficulties and more likely to be subject to sexual assaults. We need to understand the scale, nature and root of the challenges that female personnel face. Only then can we begin to address the incidence in which the services have failed female serving personnel and identify the solutions.

My hope is that this inquiry will provide servicewomen and veterans, who have too often struggled to get their voices heard, with a platform to discuss their experiences frankly, freely and without fear of repercussions. There is worrying data to suggest a disparity in the experiences of women and men both during and after leaving the Armed Forces that demands serious examination. Neglecting to do so is a disservice to those prepared to lay down their lives for our safety and protection.

Our Forces are stronger, richer and more capable when they are diverse and inclusive. A robust Armed Forces includes personnel from all walks of life, with different experiences and fresh perspectives. This is not only the right thing to do but contributes directly to operational effectiveness. We need the right person for the right role, and it is in no one’s interest to discourage women from joining and remaining in the Armed Forces."

Deadline for submissions

The Committee is asking for initial written evidence to be submitted by midnight on 31 January 2021.

Pse PM if you need guidance on how to submit to such an inquiry, or go direct to Sarah

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....aa65e5a93d.jpg
The RCAF knew why during WW2.

Wensleydale
 

That’s brilliant. Hard to believe that was the mindset only 80 years ago.

Of course if it had had a picture of a blunty (ethnically and gender diverse of course) and a caption that read “they (gender neutral pronoun) serve so they (image of ethnically and gender diverse aircrew member) can fly” it would be as relevant now as it was then.

BV

You're so diplomatic. :}

JAJ
 

I do try!

BV🤣

Part of why this issue is so important if Defence wishes to be relevant....which I offer you here....

1 - When a CO...an allegation of rape perpetrated by a RAF Instructor on a 13 yr old girl when on summer camp on my base was reported to me. My Chain of Command (22Gp) directed me to not entertain the allegation nor initiate investigation (22Gp owned the Air Cadet organisation). The rationale of the CoC being that such an allegation would in itself adversely impact on the anniversary of the Cadet organisation which was imminent. There was then no military investigation despite the military having lead jurisdiction. Not content with this, I went to the civil police, there was an investigation, there was a due process and there was a conviction - the RAF Instructor went to prison.

2 - When a CO, I also received a Service Complaint from a female officer made against me - she had every right and reason to complain! I then became 'RESPONDENT' to the 'COMPLAINANT'. What astonished me was the Lines to Take presented to me by HQ Air which was an implicit and explicit intent to defeat the Complaint, at all costs, and deny her access to justice. Moreover, I was told that this 'handy tactic to keep in the back pocket' had been used, and is still used, and is successfully used to defeat any Complaint. I objected, strongly....and that led to the point that we are at today, supported of course by ACM WIgston who rightly is trying to shake this all out

Why does it matter? Because Defence is a values-based organisation and today those values, that you all hold dear, are clearly under great pressure due operational and fiscal challenge - suggest listen to The Reith Lectures today to understand why?

I am now aware of thousands of women, and men, who once served well, have since been truly ruined by the organisation they held in high regard. That in our book, true to those values you hold dear, is not acceptable if Defence wishes to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Debate....!

We are really interested in any counter view as to why those in uniform should not enjoy independent representation, as the Civil Servant does, and look forward to receiving a convincing view.......

The word ‘Authority’ in the title of this new organisation is jarring; the intent must be to give an impression of power and/or official backing to disguise the seeming absence of either characteristic. Together with the click-baity description of each case in the OP press release, this creates a negative first impression of the initiative to the sort of people it should be trying to influence.

You lost me at 'Relevant'.

This example, and the JTAC role will not be lost on our aviation community.....is an example of thousands that have come to J4T on a scale hitherto never seen before. The IDA was set up to convert that knowledge into meaningful, transformative change.

Current policies, current processes and some people deny the Senior Leaders holistic integrity - what is really going on in the 'PEOPLE' space? The IDA offers that.

Anyone who has a compelling counter as to why there is need for an IDA, we stand ready to think on it.....meanwhile....do pse take a moment and read this reality....an all too common one going on in YOUR Armed Forces. Like so many, they are silenced into submission - sometimes suicide. I left the British Army in 2018 after struggling with my mental health, a back injury that prevented me from promoting any further and suffering with tinnitus/hearing loss. After joining the British Army in 2004 I passed out into the Grenadier Guards and deployed on three operational tours to Afghanistan in 2007, 2009 and 2012.

It was during a battalion battle PT session in 2014 that I was injured, I fell and struck the ground after pulling a military vehicle using rope attached. Since the injury in 2014 military doctors would tell me, ‘you just need some rest, take these ibuprofens and you’ll be fine’. It was only after leaving the military and receiving a copy of all my medical documents held by the MoD, that I see that one Army doctor decided to write in my med records, ‘He’s just trying to get out of the upcoming overseas exercise’.

I had reached the rank of Lance Sergeant and due to promote to Sergeant, all my reports predicted I would make Warrant Officer. This injury prevented me from progressing, I tried to get through Senior Brecon with the injury, failing at the first hurdle (8-mile combat fitness test). I’d gone from a highly capable Lance Sergeant and performing top of my peer group, to not being able to pass the most basic army fitness test.

I knew something wasn’t right, but with this type of attitude to soldiers medical care and rehabilitation from the MO, it made me feel that I was somehow crazy and that the pain was all in my head. It wasn’t until this month that the true extend of what was wrong with my back was found out. I was sent for an MRI by my GP and the scan showed that I had two slipped disks and damaged vertebrae.

I’d served with the Grenadier Guards for 12yrs, then another 18 months as a JTAC full-time within the Royal Artillery, transferring to them in the hope that it would be less physically demanding and the hope that I could continue to serve. This didn’t work, my mental health and injury deteriorated even further.

Prior to sustaining these injuries, I was a very fit and abled soldier, managing to achieve a distinction at the IBS Brecon, I loved running and carried out daily fitness.

When I was forced to leave due to my injuries, I received no help during my transition, the MoD paid me approximately £3k for my back injury. I felt a deep betrayal, after I had shown nothing but complete loyalty since I’d joined at the age of 15.

Even whilst I was still serving and up until recently, I’d been suffering severe panic attacks and ending up in hospital or paramedics being called out to give me the all clear, this even happened on a family holiday last year. Every time this happened, and I’d be given a clean bill of health, it made me feel even worse, I thought I was ‘wasting resources. However, at the time of these panic attacks I had an overwhelming feeling that I was somehow about to die. I find it hard to explain, but it was like a crushing feeling in my chest, I couldn’t breathe, the room was spinning and I had sense of needing to be curled up on the floor in a ball, begging that all of the symptoms would just go away. I knew I had to get things sorted, but I didn’t have the courage or the nerve to seek help, ‘why should they help me? There are plenty of ex-forces in a worse position than me’.

I’m currently due a tribunal against the MoD they have made the process as difficult as possible. Battling the MoD has been more daunting than any of the armed insurgents I’d been fighting in Afghanistan during past decade. When I first left the army, I studied a post-graduate diploma in multimedia journalism at News Associates and managed to pass and get through all my exams, with the amazing help and guidance of their tutors.

After graduating I quickly found a job at British Forces Broadcasting Service, joining an amazing team there who were very supportive, and was a brilliant place to work. However, the stress of the job, back pain, tinnitus, and dealing with transitioning from the forces and the daily 4 hours commuting took its toll and regrettably I eventually had to leave.

Until I found myself at the lowest of the low, I could never understand why a veteran could be driven to want to end their life. After going through what I have done during the past 5 years, I now know why some do.

I’m fortunate enough to have family members who have looked after me and a wonderful partner XXX, who has supported me at every turn. Without these people in my life, I would most definitely be in a very different set of circumstances. After encouragement from my partner XXX and a former BFBS colleague, I finally found the courage to get myself sorted, and for the past ten months the NHS and other charities have gotten me back on my feet.

They have helped me with receiving mental health support, fitted me with hearing aids to help with the tinnitus and I’m now in a much better place. The only thing I’m missing now is job and reason to get up each morning. I’m now settled into my new home with my partner XXX in Norfolk, I still can’t do the things physically that I used to, as I live with daily back pain that I try to manage with over the counter pain killers, but now I have an orthopaedic surgeon looking into the correct pain relief and potential surgery/treatment.

Due to my partner working full time earning 24k a year, the only help I can receive is job seekers allowance. I’ve been in work since the age of 14 – cash in hand, washing up at my local restaurant, then at the COOP, before joining the Army at the age of 15.9 months. Ideally, I’m looking for journalism work, but I’m happy to turn my hand to anything, right now. However, due to back pain, highly physical or hard manual labour is out of the question. I have applied for countless jobs, but not having any joy. I understand there are many people struggling to find work during these difficult times, due to Covid19.

I have recently had to drop RBL as my representation for the upcoming tribunal, due to the lack of real, independent support. Right from appointing them as my representation, it felt like they were trying to get me to quit proceeding to tribunal. With this new evidence from the recent MRI scan, I am hoping that I can receive proper support from Justice 4 Troops at tribunal.
My future goals are to help raise awareness in any way that I can, so that others do not have to endure what I, and many others have had to go through. Policy change, and an official organisation appointed to independently and vigorously support service members and their families is the only way to achieve this.

Going by the majority of the RAF’s current publicity, I had assumed that the RAF is >80% female.

There is a fine line between independent representation to support individuals when faced with an organised organisation that attempts to subvert 'natural justice' and independent representation to support individuals who do not agree with the way that they have been treated. Who decides who to support?

Not unconnected is the quite justified hesitation about creating any 'independent' representative body for the armed forces that could be subverted by any political factions.

I find it incredibly sad that such 'closed ranks' attitude and behaviour that you highlight still exists.

Good luck. I hope that you can engender an ethos where you will not be required.

"the intent must be to give an impression of power and/or official backing"

That's my beef - the whole tone s that this is Official - whereas it clearly is not

Self -appointed and clearly designed to mislead

​​​​​​​Its nearly as good as some other "front" groups I've seen on the other side

Unless I missed something, these were not motivated by the sex of the individuals involved!

This is why these initiatives lose credibility as a lot of the time they 'find' evidence... that isn't.

Much like the 'racist' police shootings in the USA... despite no evidence proving racism other than a white cop shot a black man.

I am 100% behind women being given equal rights and treated fairly, this extends to everyone belonging to whatever demographic. But we seem to be falling over ourselves to burn the organisation to the ground by 'finding' faults that may not exist.

A case in point, I was given a formal warning (eventually removed) for being homophobic because I said "I dont care what group people belong to, just be a good person, work hard and treat everyone how you would like to be treated."

This was in reference to the flying of the rainbow flag at RAF stations a few yrs back.

The only thing that saved me was that I had been a gay ally for 6 months when at Air as part of the LGBT forum. I argued that I could be bisexual and was being discriminated against by the system because it was assumed I was straight, as I was married.

An absolute waste of time, effort and resources and the defining act that made sure I will be leaving at my pension point on PVR. I would have had an extra 8 yrs to serve beyond that.

The system is broken... I am not sure more committees will make things better overall.

This is an anecdote. Where is the data to support your claims?

Claim?
 

To correct the narrative if we may? This is not 'my' claim at all - this is the experience of a 32 yr soldier who sent this over to the IDA today - I understand his experience will be in the sunday papers....

What we ought not to do is immediately jump in and suggest 'claim' when it is clearly 'evidence'...evidence that 'the system' denied to 'test'.

We respectfully refer you to the good Air Chief Marshal Wigston.....

n=1 does not show evidence, it shows an anecdote. I am meaning as a systemic problem, not the individual.

There is a fine line between independent representation to support individuals when faced with an organised organisation that attempts to subvert 'natural justice' and independent representation to support individuals who do not agree with the way that they have been treated. Who decides who to support?

Not unconnected is the quite justified hesitation about creating any 'independent' representative body for the armed forces that could be subverted by any political factions.

I find it incredibly sad that such 'closed ranks' attitude and behaviour that you highlight still exists.

Good luck. I hope that you can engender an ethos where you will not be required.

grahamhouse - Sheds, in reference to this:

The civil police should have been your first point of call. This is a criminal matter regardless of whether it happened on your Stn or not. It also sounds like justice was served out too. But please can you stop your team from the incessant trolling on Twitter. It does your cause no good and everyone deserves a fair hearing in Court rather than a baying social media mob!