Servicemen families and Human Rights case

[Tiger]

Read in the paper this morning about the cases of servicemen's families taking the MoD to court for compensation due to the failed provision of critical equipment being a breach of their human rights and consequently leading to their demise. The case was unsuccessful though the families may appeal. In another case a child successfully sued for negligence over the death of his father.

I know there are a fair few people either in the armed forces or that did serve previously and I'd really like your opinion. Effectively my understanding of the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan etc is based on what I read in the media. I'd be grateful to understand how bad this equipment situation is because if I'm at least informed I can make an intelligent personal lobby to my MP. It won't amount to much in the grand scheme of things but at least I'd be doing something.

What I understand is that our Armed forces strategy is based on defence. As a result our equipment is designed for use in defending the UK and therefore not wholly suitable for conflicts in the Middle East (which by their nature are more offensive). However, the gaps in equipment provision don't seem to be linked to that issue.

Looking forward to being educated chaps.

Thanks in advance

Tiger

 

[Midnight]

Hi mate,

can not comment on if it has improved or not, I was involved in the first gulf war, and we did not even get issued desert boots, I remember having to write to one of the local shoe shops and asking if they could donate a load of boots for us to wear(thankfully they did).

Also our equipment was so crap that we ended up swapping things with the yank troops as they all thought the British gear was the best. (more fools them).

As said, can not comment on if it has improved since then (1990), but I hope so.

Cheers

Midnight...

 

[Toby_LeRhone]

The basic premise that the Defence equipment situation is 'bad' is almost entirely faulty. The British Army in particular are better equipped than they have ever been in their entire history, whether that be for operations in general or contemporary operations in Afghanistan in particular. Whilst by definition there will always be some kind of policy or technical short-fall that can be pointed at as causal in the event of a casualty, the demise of soldiers in war is a tragic but very real fact (that families are rarely prepared for).