Lord Ashcroft KCMG
THE MILITARY IN BRITAIN
employers and the A
s we mark thirty years since the Falklands’ liberation, it is worth asking whether our Forces get the recognition
they deserve. What everyday problems do our personnel encounter and what can we do about them? What are their hopes and fears about their return to civilian life, particularly when it comes to their career prospects?
To help answer these questions, General Sir David Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff, kindly allowed me to conduct the biggest ever independent survey of our Forces. We also spoke to veterans, employers, American Service personnel, and the public in Britain and the US.
Not surprisingly, the public declared strong support for the military – people gave higher marks for the Forces than for other popular national institutions like the NHS and the BBC.
through the eyes of Service personnel, public
Long-serving personnel said they thought public support was greater than ever. Some, though, feared this may start to wane once current high-profile missions ended.
Disturbingly, ninety per cent of the public thought it was common for those leaving the Forces to have some kind of physical or mental health problem. Personnel did not share this view, and did not want sympathy to play too big a part in the public attitude to the Forces.
Service personnel are the last people to demand public praise. Even so, many felt there could be more recognition in society for what the Forces do and the sacrifices they and their families make.
The public, in fact, were much more likely than Service personnel themselves to say there was too little recognition for the Forces,
but they were often unsure how to express their goodwill. Two thirds of Americans in our survey said they had personally thanked someone in uniform or could see themselves doing so, compared to just a quarter of the public in Britain. But the British personnel we spoke to were usually pleased and encouraged when people took the trouble to speak to them.
Shockingly more than one in five Service personnel said they had experienced strangers shouting abuse at them in the UK, and nearly a fifth had been refused service in pubs or hotels. Nearly one in twenty had even experienced violence or attempted violence.
British personnel were sceptical about the way Americans celebrate their military. But one thing they did like about the American way of doing things was the routine availability of discounts for serving personnel and veterans, which made them feel valued.
Generally, personnel did not want any special treatment, they just did not want to be disadvantaged. Three quarters of personnel serving overseas said companies had refused to send goods to BFPO addresses or charged over the odds for doing so. More than a quarter said they had been refused credit in the last five years, and nearly a fifth had had trouble getting a mobile phone contract, as frequent changes of address counted against them in credit checks.
Finding a good job was the biggest concern about leaving the Forces. Many feared civilian employers would not understand what their military career had given them. RAF personnel were particularly likely to think they would have to take a pay cut when they left.
We found employers have a positive view of those leaving the Forces, but may underestimate their skills and experience. Though they thought Service leavers were much more likely than civilians to be able to
16 Envoy Summer 2012
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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