This morning’s broadcasters report that the prime suspect over autumn's Paris terror attacks, Salah Abdeslam, will fight extradition to France. Prince Harry’s visit to Nepal is also reported with a note that he will meet Gurkhas whilst in the country.
OPERATIONAL HONOURS
The Sunday Express and Mail on Sunday report on the award of a Distinguished Service Order to Captain Dobbin of the Grenadier Guards in this year’s Operational Honours list. The articles state that it is believed he has been awarded this gallantry medal after action in the Middle East. Both papers report that Capt Dobbin was awarded the Military Cross in 2013 for gallantry service in Afghanistan and noted how rare it is for such a young officer to be awarded these honours. The Defence Secretary’s statement from the Operational Honours news story is carried in The Express. He said:
Members of our Armed Forces are deployed all around the world helping to keep Britain safe. These well-deserved honours reflect the dedication and bravery they display on a daily basis.
PIRBRIGHT
The Sun on Sunday claims that two Army male recruits were allegedly ordered to perform a series of degrading sex acts as part of an initiation ceremony to the Queen’s Guards. A short opinion piece by former officer Colonel Richard Kemp accompanies the article where he states that the Army will take the most serious disciplinary action and that this behaviour runs directly against the standards and ethos of the Guards.
There are a number of inaccuracies in the story; there was never any allegation of any coercion or a criminal offence being committed by either participant and those involved were never forced to do anything, by their own admission on interview. The incident was not part of an initiation ceremony. The unit initiated a Royal Military Police investigation, despite those involved not complaining, and their advice was there was no case to investigate.
The full Army statement is included in the article, and says:
We can confirm an incident did take place and details were referred to the Royal Military Police for an initial investigation. No allegations of coercive or criminal behaviour were made. However this behaviour is unacceptable and administrative action was taken against those present, with disciplinary measures taken against one individual.
WALKING WITH THE WOUNDED
The Sunday Times reports that the veterans’ street project by the BBC’s DIY SOS has been duped by a former soldier who lied about fighting in Afghanistan. The paper states that Aiden Giles claimed he suffered PTSD after a tour in Afghanistan. The article says that charity chiefs condemned his actions but said it illustrated a wider problem whereby military charities have created the expectation among the public that most of the money they donate goes to injured war heroes when many veterans who need help have never seen frontline action.
AIR CADETS
The Sunday Telegraph reports that thousands of Air Cadets will find it more difficult to gain flying experience after what has been called a short-sighted decision to disband more than half of their volunteer glider squadrons. The article says that Cadets will have to travel for hours to get their first taste of flying because of a money saving decision and that 14 of 26 volunteer glider squadrons are being disbanded. The statement from Minister for Reserves Julian Brazier is held in the piece, as below:
Air Cadet Gliding was paused in 2014 due to aircraft safety concerns, resulting in a period of reduced opportunities for our Cadets to fly. The recently announced reorganisation of Air Cadet Aviation will offer gliding again across the UK, alongside a substantial uplift in powered air experience flights and simulators. I am hugely grateful to all those in the Air Cadet organisation for their continued commitment and patience on this matter.
DEEPCUT
The Sunday Telegraph reports that coroners could be ordered to open new inquests into the deaths of three more soldiers who died in suspicious circumstances at Deepcut barracks. The piece states that lawyers representing the soldiers’ families have used the human rights act to obtain unseen documents which they believe will persuade the Attorney General to quash old verdicts.
TONY DOUGLAS
The Sunday Mirror reports that DE&S Chief Executive Tony Douglas, former Abu Dhabi Airports chief, is being paid more that £500,000 a year to lead the organisation in charge of buying military equipment. It notes that his basic salary will be more that the Prime Minister, the Defence Secretary and General Sir Nicholas Houghton. Part of the MOD statement is included and the full version is below:
We have one of the largest defence equipment budgets in the world and it is important that we are able to hire the strongest candidate with the right mix of specialist skills and experience to oversee it. That will enable us to deliver world class equipment for our armed forces and good value for the taxpayer.
This a very important post, responsible for providing the Armed Forces with the equipment they need and getting the best value for money for the taxpayer from DE&S’s £15Bn budget. It requires world-class programme management, commercial and leadership skills, and the MOD has to provide a salary that is competitive in the global market.
