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Army discipline rules are ‘bullies charter’

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The rules on handling discipline and complaints in the British Army have created a ‘kangaroo court’ system and act as a ‘bullies charter’ for senior officers, an Army officer has reportedly claimed.

Channel 4 News, quoting a report submitted to the Defence Select Committee’s inquiry into the work of the Service Complaints Commissioner, said that an unnamed officer believed the current system was “rarely transparent or accountable and frequently unlawful”.

The officer called for a “root and branch overhaul” of Army General Administrative Instruction 67 (AGAI 67) saying it contains “no safeguards to protect junior personnel from the chain of command… and nothing to prevent dishonest commanders from pursuing vendettas against those over whom they exercise power”.

According to the report, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force lawyers have questioned the legality of AGAI 67’s power to deny legal representation, refuse witness and protect favoured individuals.

The summary hearings allowed by the rules, which are said to have a 90 per cent conviction rate, are in breach of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the officer wrote.

“I would argue that the military’s behaviour should be transparent, accountable and lawful – and that at present it is rarely transparent or accountable and frequently unlawful,” he concluded.… Read more

Concern over Government schemes promoting ‘military ethos’ in education

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The organisation ForcesWatch (1), which monitors the way young people are recruited into the military, have expressed concern about the announcement made by Education Secretary Michael Gove of four projects which promote ‘military ethos’ in order to improve achievement among pupils disengaged with education

The projects will receive £1.9 million of government funding. In June this year the Department of Education announced another £10.85 million to expand cadets into state education (2).

The schemes are part of a wider package of measures in the DfE’s ‘military skills and ethos programme’ which also include the future development of military academies and free schools in which every pupil in the school would be educated with a ‘military ethos’ (3).

Emma Sangster from ForcesWatch said, “We question the one-sided view of ‘military ethos’ being promoted here and whether it is appropriate within an educational context. The development of values and life skills are of course vital but why is a military approach a necessary component?

“Who will actually benefit from the promotion of military ethos in education. Certainly the government are keen to provide employment opportunities for ex-service personnel and they also need to increase future recruitment capacity into the armed forces, so they will definitely benefit.… Read more

Judge fears ‘Deepcut’ culture remains after ‘cover up’ of army recruit sexual abuse

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Military staff have failed to learn the lessons of the Deepcut Review and continue to turn a blind eye to the bullying and abuse of young recruits, a judge has claimed.

Judge Michael Mettyear said there remained a “worrying culture” of secrecy after a military college tried to cover up the sexual abuse and ritual humiliation of a teenage female recruit.

He said he was “concerned” that attempts had been made to make the victim withdraw her complaints and “keep the mouths shut” of five other witnesses.

Eventually the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had to go to the police for her accusations to be taken seriously.

Today, as a jury found a trainee guilty at Hull Crown Court, Judge Mettyear said it was “chilling” that there were still echoes of Deepcut, the barracks in Surrey where four recruits allegedly committed suicide between 1995 and 2002 amid reports of systematic bullying by senior officers.

“There was a chilling moment when she (the victim) mentioned Deepcut and we know what’s gone on there with people withholding information and suicides,” he said.

“I’m worried if there is something in the culture of the Army and people training in the Army to keep their mouths shut.… Read more

Cadet plan needs consultation

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This week the Ministry of Defence released news that the City of London Academy Islington (formerly Islington Green School) is to host a cadet unit. ForcesWatch urge parents, governors, teachers and students of the school not to accept this development until after a public consultation on the matter.

This is the first in a proposed 100 new cadet units in state schools across the country.

The move is described by the MOD as throwing the school a ‘lifeline’ – language which we find to be in poor taste given the potential negative effects of such a move.

Although volunteers with the cadets frequently express anger at any suggestion the cadets are a recruitment tool, the facts remain that an estimated 15-25% of serving soldiers were members of the cadets, and the in the MOD’s recently published Defence Youth Engagement Review, Brig. James Plaistow outlines just how valuable a recruitment resource the cadets are. In light of these facts, it is hard to view the institution of a cadet unit in Islington’s worst performing school without a little cynicism at the motives for such a move.

The recruitment tactics of the military and the often misguided information given out during the recruitment process are the subject of ongoing criticism by organisations across the UK and any move to further increase armed forces engagement with schools should be the subject of serious critical inquiry.… Read more

Recruiting officers told not to warn would-be soldiers about true horrors of Army life

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Recruiters who refused to hide the truth were sent back to their barracks to face disciplinary action.

Army recruitment staff claim they have been ordered to lie to get youngsters to sign up.

The Scots soldiers say they were told to hide the horrors of war from the potential recruits.

Those who refused in disgust to follow the orders have been taken off recruitment duties and sent back to their barracks to face disciplinary action.

At least four recruiters have been taken off their duties in the last month, the Daily Record has been told.

One recruiter who refused the orders said a captain told him and his comrades: “Don’t tell them the truth, let them find out the hard way – the way we did.”

He described it as “manipulation at the highest level” and added: “To get told to lie to these kids was not acceptable to us.”

Last night, defence chiefs launched an inquiry into the damaging allegations.

The claims come at a time when the Army are struggling to recruit – despite the worst recession since the 1930s.

Another of the recruitment soldiers, based at Edinburgh’s Redford Barracks, said: “We’ve been told to tell people what they want to hear to get them signed up.

… Read more

Figures reveal high number of visits by armed forces to Norfolk schools

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Figures obtained under Freedom of Information reveal that the armed forces are visiting nearly all secondary maintained schools and academies in Norfolk and some schools have activities run by the military many times a year.

Event: Questioning the presence of the military in schools, Tuesday 23rd October, The Cube Room, The Forum, 2 Bank Plain, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 1TF, 6.30-8pm

Figures obtained under Freedom of Information reveal that the armed forces are visiting nearly all secondary maintained schools and academies in Norfolk and some schools have activities run by the military many times a year. (1)

Since September 2010 there have been a total of 231 visits to 60 schools and colleges (2).

Over 90% of secondary maintained schools and academies and colleges in Norfolk were visited by the armed forces an average of 4 times during a two year period.

Several primary schools also had the armed forces visiting year 6 classes with careers presentations. Only 3 independent schools in the whole county were visited.

East Norfolk 6th Form had the highest number of visits, with the armed forces recording having been at the educational institution 18 times since September 2010. The majority are for careers briefings, award evenings, curriculum support, presentations and team building events.… Read more

Figures reveal high number of visits by armed forces to Edinburgh schools

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Event: Questioning the presence of the military in schools, Thurdsay 11 October, St Augustine’s United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL, 7.30-9pm

Figures obtained under Freedom of Information reveal that the armed forces are visiting nearly all schools in the Edinburgh area and some schools have activities run by the military many times a year. (1)

Of the 23 state secondary schools in Edinburgh, 22 were visited by the armed forces an average of 7 times during a two year period. A further 11 independent schools and FE Colleges also had visits. Since September there have been a total of 225 visits to 33 schools and colleges (2). Balerno High School had the highest number of visits, with the armed forces recording having been at the school 22 times since September 2010. Some of the visits are for individual interviews, but the majority are for careers briefings, award evenings, curriculum support, presentations and team building events.

The figures have been obtained by ForcesWatch who are concerned about the level of military involvement in UK schools and colleges across the UK (3).

Event: Questioning the presence of the military in schools, Thurdsay 11 October, St Augustine’s United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL, 7.30-9pm

Figures obtained under Freedom of Information reveal that the armed forces are visiting nearly all schools in the Edinburgh area and some schools have activities run by the military many times a year.… Read more

Press release: Questioning the involvement of the military in education: a series of public debates

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On 18 September ForcesWatch (1) begins its national series of public events that will debate whether the armed forces should be involved in education activities in UK schools and colleges.  Events will take place in Oxford (18 September), Bath (20 September), Edinburgh (11 October), Norwich (23 October) and London (25 October).

Speakers, including ex-Army officers, education professionals, local politicians and academics, will join ForcesWatch and teachers, parents and governors, to discuss the ethical concerns around the involvement of the armed forces in young people’s education and the rise of militarism in schools.

Whilst politicians and senior armed forces officers call for more armed forces-led activity in education, the panel will be responding to the question: ‘Does the military have a role to play in schools?’ The event aims to encourage a healthy debate exploring whether the agenda of the armed forces is compatible with that of the schools they visit.

The armed forces visit around 8,800 state and private schools each year engaging in the region of 900,000 students (2). During these visits they provide free resources, presentations, cadet forces and a variety of other activities. Recruitment of young people into the forces is identified as one of three outcomes, along with raising awareness about the armed forces and social development (3).… Read more

One sex attack reported by Armed Forces every week… but real figure could be much higher

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One rape or sexual assault is reported by members of the Armed Forces every week.

The MP who released the figures believes they could be a huge underestimate, with the true figures closer to an attack a day.

Over the past two and a half years, there have been 53 reported rapes and 86 reported sexual assaults in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

Labour MP Madeleine Moon, who received the figures in a parliamentary question, said she was concerned there was a ‘culture of silence’, with hundreds of victims never reporting attacks.

Only nine rape cases and 45 sexual assault complaints have ended in conviction.

The figures only include reports made to the Armed Forces’ service police departments, meaning the cases are perpetrated by servicemen and women on their compatriots.

The Ministry of Defence could not say how many victims were male and how many were female.

Madeleine Moon, MP for Bridgend, said she was concerned there was a ‘culture of silence’, with hundreds of victims never reporting attacks

Mrs Moon said she looked into the issue after reading that the US Department of Defense estimates that only 13.5 per cent of assault victims in the Armed Forces report the attack.… Read more

Military and education not compatible

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Letter to the media in response to article by Labour MPs inviting the ‘military to invade our schools’.

Stephen Twigg and Jim Murphy’s call for the military to invade our schools (July 9th) demonstrates a misunderstanding of the incompatible roles of the military and education sector as well as a selective use of evidence. Schools exist to provide a well-rounded education for their students, enabling them to make informed decisions about their future. However, internal Ministry of Defence and Army documents are clear in their emphasis on recruitment as the primary rationale for engaging with schools and young people.

Using The Duke of York’s Royal Military School as an example of the benefits of a military education is deceptive. That school was, until two years ago, an independent school and still has a significantly lower than average number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

There are numerous examples of schools working with challenging students and performing above average without the military’s assistance.
Assumptions about the appropriateness of a ‘military ethos’ within education need full examination and an understanding of incompatible agendas and the problems reported to exist within the military itself – including alcohol abuse and consequent violent behavior (Telegraph 03/11/07 and 13/05/10) – that may not make it such a good role model for young people.… Read more