
We all know the importance of the work done by our armed forces. These brave men and women voluntarily put themselves in harm?s way so that we can sleep soundly in our beds. Sent to battlefields across the world at the request of our government, often at short notice, they give up a number of basic rights to protect the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy.
I am sure that we all appreciate the difficult and dangerous work done by members of our military, and Armed Forces Day today gives us a fantastic opportunity to show our gratitude.
Armed Forces Day has two crucial roles in developing the relationship between society and the military. First, it allows those serving in the forces to see just how much we all appreciate the work that they do. This is important for the morale for those serving in perilous conditions on the front line. Second, it gives us an opportunity to better understand the work that the Armed Forces do around the world. The 2008 Report of Inquiry into the National Recognition of Our Armed Forces, conducted by former Labour minister Lord Davies, found that although 80 per cent of people have a positive view of the military as an institution, only 48 per cent had an understanding of its work.
Showing support for our troops is important for their morale when they are away on the front line. The military covenant is an agreement between society as a whole and our armed forces that guarantees that when they return home from fighting for our safety we will look after them. In the past few months I have been shocked to learn about discrimination against the courageous men and women who serve in our military from some institutions and small minorities within society. This can range from difficulties in securing school places or mortgages because of the nature of their work, to verbal and physical abuse of service personnel and their families.
It is so important that we show how much we appreciate the work of our servicemen and women, and how grateful we are for everything they do. I have sponsored an early day motion in parliament that would extend statutory protection for discrimination against our forces and their families. It has been signed by 47 members of parliament and received cross-party support.
There are also a number of problems that members of the armed forces face that those of us in civilian life cannot understand, notably regarding mental health. While we can see scars from battle, the effects that war can have on a soldier?s mind are often far harder to detect, and consequently harder to treat. Charities like Combat Stress and the Royal British Legion have done fantastic work to highlight these issues and campaign for improvements in the services provided to veterans. By better understanding the nature of the work our troops do we can better understand the challenges they face, and provide more effective support when they return home.
So I would urge you to check out what events are taking place in your area to mark Armed Forces Day, and show our boys and girls in uniform just how much they mean to us.
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Nick Smith MP is a member of the public accounts committee
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Photo: armedforcesday.org.uk
armed forces, armed forces day, mental health, Nick Smith
Source: http://www.progressonline.org.uk/2012/06/30/recognising-our-armed-forces/
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