Soldiers ‘at risk’ deserve a medal
Dear Editor, Even though the defence services secretary, Mr RT Coney at the MoD, accepts that all troops, both in the province and on the mainland, were at risk during the Northern Ireland Troubles, and “all” were considered legitimate targets by the IRA, it isn’t felt appropriate for all service personnel at risk to have received a medal.
Mr Coney admits: “Whilst I appreciate that all service personnel, regardless of whether they were serving in the province or the mainland, were considered legitimate targets for the provisional IRA, it would not have been appropriate to extend the availability of the medal to all troops. I accept that tragically some service personnel and civilians were killed and injured as a result of terrorist attacks on the mainland.”
So, even though there was a “heightened” risk and rigour to all British forces during this time, some died with a medal and some died without, at the hands of the same enemy, because the latter’s service wasn’t considered equally appropriate?
And now unfortunately and with great sadness two more of our service comrades – 23-year-old Royal Engineer Mark Quinsey, of Highters Heath, Birmingham, and Patrick Azimkar, of London – have been killed while serving in Northern Ireland, the first since 1997.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in a televised interview that these two young men were “serving their country”, a service that has claimed their lives and to this country’s eternal shame, will not be honoured by a medal for these fallen heroes. The threat remains so great that military sources have been reported as saying, at any equivalent base in Britain, soldiers would have a full SA80 assault rifle, loaded and ready to return fire.
Many who served in the province during various tours believe the soldiers serving in Norther Ireland are under no different “risk” than they were. Soldiers presently serving in Northern Ireland are still at risk from the same “enemy” with no General Service Medal.
This raises the same argument and, unfortunately due to recent events, highlights certain facts. Since the modern “Troubles” in Northern Ireland began in the late 60s early 70s the British soldiers have been at “risk” from terrorist activities, either in the province or elsewhere on the mainland, BAOR, Gibraltar any other country of the “enemy’s” choosing. We and our families have constantly had to ensure that we never set patterns, avoid being identified as a soldier and ensure that we maintain our personal security because of the risk. It looks as though this is going to continue to be the case.
Every soldier that has ever stood guard outside of a barracks, issued with live rounds, wearing a helmet, flak jacket and has been issued a “rules of engagement card” is by definition serving under severe risk (or is all the kit and equipment completely unnecessary?). I have never considered the service of any member of the armed forces outside of an operational theatre as “simple”. Indeed ,during the Cold War, the Troubles and now we have Muslim extremists, one could ask, have our troops ever really been outside of an operation zone?
The recent and past events have raised an interesting point. The Government’s policy is not to reward service personnel with a medal for being in the armed forces. However, their policy to place the armed forces in situations that results in them being at risk either on or off duty due to governmental decisions smacks of hypocrisy.
Mr Coney will have to reconsider his admission and restate the following: “... tragically some service personnel and civilians were killed and injured as a result of terrorist attacks on the mainland”, now adding to that “and in the province”. And due to Government policy will receive nothing as they were “simply being a serviceman”. Their families will receive no small token from a grateful nation of their service to national security.
Our forces should never be taken for granted. Not to understand their plight by politicians who defer answering direct questions to civil servants (Mr Coney in this case) with no military experience is a grave error of judgment. This is just one of many examples how our veterans are ignored.
Tony Morland,
Whitbred Road, Salisbury,
Wiltshire
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Why is BBC moving sports department?
Dear Editor, With ITV recently announcing falling profits leading to hundreds of jobs potentially being lost, it’s ironic the BBC is spending millions on staff relocation when it moves its sports department from London to Manchester.
Each employee is set to get up to £40,000 as part of a staff relocation package for the ‘inconvenience’ of having to move up North.
I have never heard of, at least in the private sector, such generous terms for people who have to relocate or lose their jobs. The normal scenario I would suggest is like it or lump it, but then this is the BBC.
It’s funny as well that this relocation will be happening just before the 2012 London Olympics, when, no doubt, the said staff will decamp back to London in their droves, so the overstaffed corporation can provide saturation coverage of one of the few sporting events it has left.
Paul Jenkins,
Riders Way,
Rugeley,
Staffordshire
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Banks still holding country to ransom
Dear Editor, Reading the Post’s article on the receivership of the Wrekin Group with 560 job losses I wonder how long we are to remain at the mercy of the banks?
Despite the huge public funds bail-outs, they are still effectively holding the country to ransom by a lack of flexibility and understanding of the business sector in particular. They are, on the face of it, taking little responsibility for helping us get out of the economic difficulties we now face.
Whilst circumstances are rarely as simple as portrayed within the press, inflexible withdrawal of funds facilities from businesses is a common story at the moment. But when that organisation is an award-winning business and has a healthy forward order book including “safe” orders, such as from the MoD and similar, such actions are perplexing to say the least.
And the consequences? Whilst many bank staff may still be looking forward to their bonuses, albeit possibly at reduced levels, 560 people went home yesterday knowing that they join the ranks of the unemployed. What happens now to the projects on that order book?
It is crazy in this time of much reduced activity within the construction sector, that what is able to be taken forward is being stopped in its tracks.
Debbie Walsh, head of public policy
and communications, RICS West Midlands
