http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum This is an XML content feed of; Military Families Support Group : Last 10 Posts Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:52:13 UT Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:17:19 UT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 8.01 30 www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/RSS_topic_feed.asp http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_images/web_wiz_forums.gif http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=306&PID=8009#8009 Author: Elaine
Subject: Daily News
Posted: 31 Jan 2012 at 3:17pm

Widows are the 'forgotten ghosts of war' says wife of killed officer
The wife of Regimental Sergeant Major Darren Chant, the most senior non-commissioned officer to be killed in Afghanistan, has condemned the Government’s treatment of war widows claiming they are the 'forgotten ghosts of the war' who are condemned to live 'just above the breadline.'

Sheenie Chant saw her husband Darren as 'indestructible'
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent10:00PM GMT 27 Jan 2012
Sheenie Chant, who was seven months pregnant when she was widowed, said she has been forced to “go cap in hand” to private school to ensure her son has a good education as there is no provision for young children.
She has also accused politicians of “gross insensitivity” in failing to apply the Military Covent to war widows when it comes to taxing and assessing their pensions.
Regimental Sergeant Major Darren Chant was among five unarmed soldiers killed by a rogue Afghan policeman in Helmand in November 2009.
Mrs Chant had just given birth to their son George when it was assessed her widow’s pension was worth £19,000. The family’s joint income had dropped from £65,000 after she left her £22,000 job as an accountant at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to bring up George.
RSM Chant, who was about to be commissioned as an officer, had served in the Army for 22 years accruing a pension worth £15,000 a year.

Mrs Chant argues that this has only been topped up by £4,000 and does not recognise his future earnings, his age or her loss of employment as well as compensation for his death.
She is the first widow to speak out about the financial difficulties but says a number of Service widows share her distress.
“Widows are the forgotten ghosts of war,” she told The Daily Telegraph. “They give us enough not be on the breadline but not enough to give us the options that would have been there had our husbands lived.
“There is feeling of uneasiness to speak of the financial implications of our husbands’ deaths but on a personal level I was completely shocked on how clumsy and blunt it all is.”
“Tax is deducted, which essentially is taxing a dead mans pension. This is all nothing short of disgraceful and a money saving scheme.”
As an officer RSM Chant, 40, would have served a further 15 years during which he would have been entitled to the Continuity of Education that pays up to two-thirds of school fees.
But although George receives a MoD grant of £3,000 a year his mother has been forced to seek a bursary which has been generously granted by a top public school.
“I’m afraid they have acted with dignity where others have not.
“Darren made the ultimate sacrifice for Queen and country. How is the Govenrment honouring that sacrifice?”
She was shopping in a Camberley supermarket when her father called to say two Army officers were at the house.
“There was a rush of emotions kept thinking he can’t be killed, he can’t be dead.”
“You’re pregnant but the lioness of motherhood kicks in immediately and the little man is protected.”
RSM Chant’s funeral was in the Guards Chapel, London, where he had married Sheenie only four months earlier.
Having survived tours of Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan Mrs Chant saw her husband as “indestructible”.
“The only way Darren could be killed was in an unfair fight.”
It is understood that Gulbuddin, the rogue policeman, has probably been killed since the attack.
“When he meets his Maker I’m sure Darren will be at the door waiting for him ready to have a quiet word,” Mrs Chat said.
Her husband was demonstrably brave. On one occasion in Helmand in 2007 he carried a limbless soldier a mile to a helicopter following a firefight.
Since his death the Grenadier Guards have been “loyal, decent and shown genuine love for me and George” but have been “mortified” by her financial situation.
“It’s never discussed, the aftermath of what happens to widow,” she said, speaking from her home in Camberley.
Mrs Chant, 35, has raised the issue with ministers from the previous government and has yet to receive a reply to a letter she sent to David Cameron.
“With the Military Covenant coming up where are we in all of this, war widows and children of fallen? We don’t want token gestures.”
“Ultimately Darren died protecting the very freedoms they enjoy sat in Whitehall but our issues are just white noise to them.”
A MoD spokesman said: “Our thoughts remain with the families of those killed as a result of Service.
“Under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme the spouse of a serviceman who dies in service receives a lump sum payment equivalent to three times the individual’s salary and a pension for life.
“Benefits are also paid to families left behind following a death of service personnel.
    

Edited by Elaine - 31 Jan 2012 at 3:18pm]]> Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:17:19 UT http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=306&PID=8009#8009 http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=684&PID=8008#8008 Author: Elaine
Subject: FORCES SUPPORT want to help bereaved families
Posted: 30 Jan 2012 at 10:30am

In 2011 Forces Support commissioned a report on the needs of bereaved families, to view the report please see link below. The full report is also available on their website.

Meeting the needs of those bereaved through military death:-

http://www.forcessupport.org.uk/images/stories/meeting%20the%20needs.pdf]]> Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:30:40 UT http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=684&PID=8008#8008 http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=306&PID=8007#8007 Author: Elaine
Subject: Daily News
Posted: 29 Jan 2012 at 9:15am

THE grieving mother of a soldier murdered in Iraq has launched a legal bid to force the Ministry of Defence to hold a fresh inquiry into his death.


Corporal Paul Long, 24, was one of six Red Caps who were training local police officers in the town of Majar al-Kabir in June 2003 when the station was attacked by a mob of 300 civilians.

A series of investigations into what went wrong have taken place, including an internal Army Board of Inquiry and an inquest, yet last August the families were given the devastating news by the Ministry of Defence that nothing more could be done to deliver answers.

However, in a dramatic twist, the European Convention on Human Rights is now being cited by a top lawyer, giving renewed hope to the families, which also includes relatives of Cpl Simon Miller, of Washington, Tyne and Wear.

“We’ve enlisted Paul Shiner and he’s a top man who has won cases against the MoD so we’re very hopeful,” said Cpl Long’s mother Pat, of Hebburn, South Tyneside. “I have said all along that I will never give up until I get answers.

“What we are basically doing is writing to the MoD informing them that we intend to take them to the High Court and demand a new investigation and using the European Court of Human Rights to do that.”

Mr Shiner, from Birmingham-based Public Interest Lawyers, yesterday sent a 25-page letter to Defence Secretary Philip Hammond outlining calls for a fresh inquiry, while warning they could bring a judicial review challenge in the High Court.

The letter states: “At present, Mrs Long feels a strong sense of injustice, that the questions she has about her son’s death have not been properly answered and that, importantly, the lack of any accountability for the situation in which her son was placed does not do justice for her son.

“The circumstances of the deaths in this case reveal obvious defects in the systems which ought reasonably be expected to be in place to protect the lives of British soldiers.”

John Miller, father of Cpl Simon Miller, has also been involved in this new development, which he says has taken months to plan.

He said: “This is a massive step forward. It’s come about because last July the European Court of Human Rights placed the police station where Simon and the others were killed was put under the jurisdiction of the UK.

“It was placed there because of the investigation into the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, but now it can work the other way because it puts the lives of the Red Caps in UK jurisdiction.

“We say that the UK failed to protect them and that there hasn’t been an adequate independent investigation, and we want one to take place.”

Mrs Long continued: “The start of this long letter cites four parts of the European Convention on Human Rights. What we say is that the UK failed in its duty to protect my son’s life and his colleagues’ lives and that it needs investigation.

“It’s my name and Paul’s throughout the letter but I am doing this for all the families.

“And I fully recognise that this is just the start and it could take years to get justice for Paul ... but that’s all I have ever wanted.”

An MoD spokesman said: “We can confirm that we have received a pre- action protocol letter from Public Interest Lawyers regarding the deaths of six Royal Military Police in Iraq in 2003.

“We will consider the letter carefully and respond to Public Interest Lawyers in due course. Our thoughts remain with the families of the six soldiers who lost their lives.”

Read More http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2012/01/28/red-cap-families-given-fresh-hope-61634-30216308/2/#ixzz1kpxrm7Yj



    
    

Edited by Elaine - 29 Jan 2012 at 9:19am]]> Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:15:54 UT http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=306&PID=8007#8007 http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=235&PID=8006#8006 Author: Elaine
Subject: More loss of life in Iraq & Afghanistan
Posted: 29 Jan 2012 at 9:11am

UK soldier killed in Afghanistan named by MoD

A British soldier shot dead in Afghanistan has been named as Lance Corporal Gajbahadur Gurung by the Ministry of Defence.

The soldier, from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, was shot on Friday in the Khar Nikah area of Helmand.

Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Mackenzie said he was "fatally wounded in an insurgent attack while on a foot patrol to disrupt insurgent activity".

British military deaths in Afghanistan since 2001 now stand at 397.

L/Cpl Gurung, 26, was born in Majthana, Nepal. He joined the Brigade of Gurkhas on 18 December 2004 at British Gurkhas Pokhara, Nepal.

He served three times in Afghanistan during his military career.

His Company were responsible for holding the contested area north east of Helmand's second city, Gereshk.

On the afternoon of 27 January, L/Cpl Gurung's patrol came under small arms fire and he was fatally wounded.

He leaves behind his wife Manisha, father Gum Bahadur, mother Lekh Maya, his brother Buddha and sister Junu.

Lieutenant Colonel Dan Bradbury, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, said L/Cpl Gurung "touched so many lives for the better".

'A true Gurkha'
He added: "His peers in Delhi Company and all of us in the chain of command knew him as an intelligent, charismatic and inquisitive natural leader of men.

"Never one to let an opportunity go, he was constantly striving to know more, learn more and his ability to get on so well with the local people made him the natural choice to train the Afghan Local Police.

"He died as he lived - at the heart of the action, taking the fight to the enemy and resolute in the face of danger. He was a true Gurkha in body and spirit in everything he did."

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, said: "I was very saddened to learn of the death of Lance Corporal Gajbahadur Gurung, a young soldier who achieved so much during his few years as a member of the British Army.

"He served three tours of Afghanistan, fighting to safeguard Britain's national security and to give Afghanistan a peaceful future.

"My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family, friends and colleagues."

Some 500 of around 9,500 British servicemen and women in Afghanistan are due to be brought home in 2012 and Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated that more will leave in 2013.

He has said he wants British soldiers to end combat operations in the country by 2014.
    

Edited by Elaine - 29 Jan 2012 at 9:11am]]> Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:11:03 UT http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=235&PID=8006#8006 http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=306&PID=8004#8004 Author: Elaine
Subject: Daily News
Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 12:06am

Mother of killed soldier launches legal fight with MoD
By Alastair CraigJan 27 2012

THE mother of a British military policeman from South Tyneside killed by a mob in Iraq is planning legal action to force the Ministry of Defence to hold a public inquiry into his death.

Corporal Paul Long, 24, was one of six Red Caps murdered when about 400 Iraqis attacked a police station in Majar al-Kabir, Maysan, southern Iraq, in June 2003.

There have been a series of investigations into what went wrong, including an internal Army Board of Inquiry and an inquest.

But Cpl Long’s mother Pat, of Hebburn, South Tyneside, believes those reviews were inadequate and said she still has unanswered questions about what happened to her son.

Her legal team, from Birmingham-based Public Interest Lawyers, has now written to Defence Secretary Philip Hammond calling for a fresh inquiry and warning that they could bring a judicial review challenge in the High Court.

The 25-page letter states: "At present, Mrs Long feels a strong sense of injustice, that the questions she has about her son’s death have not been properly answered and that, importantly, the lack of any accountability for the situation in which her son was placed does not do justice for her son."

It continues: "The circumstances of the deaths in this case reveal obvious defects in the systems which ought reasonably be expected to be in place to protect the lives of British soldiers."


The letter calls for an independent inquiry with terms of reference broad enough to cover operational planning and the provision of equipment to British soldiers in Iraq.

It says it is "extremely doubtful" whether a fresh inquest would be the appropriate way of meeting the Government’s obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to life.

The letter says: "Mrs Long does not accept that there has been adequate investigation into the circumstances of her son’s death. She takes the view, therefore, that a full and proper understanding of her son’s death has not been realised."



Read More http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/breaking-news/2012/01/27/mother-of-killed-soldier-launches-legal-fight-with-mod-79310-30213051/#ixzz1khskMNg2
    

Edited by Elaine - 28 Jan 2012 at 12:07am]]> Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:06:46 UT http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=306&PID=8004#8004 http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=235&PID=8003#8003 Author: Elaine
Subject: More loss of life in Iraq & Afghanistan
Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 11:36pm

A British soldier has died after suffering a gunshot wound while on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment soldier was serving as a member of an International Security Assistance Force foot patrol to disrupt insurgent activity when he came under attack.
His family have been informed of his death.

Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Mackenzie, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "It is my very sad duty to inform you that a soldier serving with the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment was fatally wounded in an insurgent attack while on a foot patrol to disrupt insurgent activity in the Khar Nikah area of Nahr e Saraj district in Helmand Province.
"Our deepest condolences are with his family and friends at this tragic time."
His death brings to 397 the total number of UK forces personnel or MoD civilians to have died while serving in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001.
]]> Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:36:18 UT http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=235&PID=8003#8003 http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=537&PID=8002#8002 Author: Elaine
Subject: INQUIRY INTO IMPROPER VEHICLES
Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 9:15am

Family appeal to PM in search of answers
Published on Thursday 26 January 2012

THE GRIEVING mother of an RAF corporal killed in Afghanistan is taking her battle for answers to Number 10.

Teresa Woods is to write to the Prime Minister and military top brass expressing her concerns following an inquest into her son’s death.

Corporal Marcin Wojtak (24) was killed instantly when the lightly-armoured Vector Mark II troop carrier he was commanding was blown up by an improvised explosive device (IED).

A recently held inquest heard it was likely Cpl Wojtak, of 34 Squadron RAF Regiment, would have survived had he been in a more heavily-armoured Mastiff vehicle which arrived with the squadron just a day after the roadside bomb blast on October 1, 2009 and was in use within days of the tragedy.

Following three days of evidence, the coroner ruled Cpl Wojtak, of Croxton Kerrial, was unlawfully killed while on active service in Afghanistan.

But his family say they’re still searching for answers for why he died after hearing conflicting evidence from witnesses, including about the key issue of why the patrol Marcin was part of, had to go out that day and couldn’t have been postponed.

The inquest was told by Cpl Wojtak’s commanding officer, Wing Commander Shaun Ryles, that the core purpose of the ‘framework’ patrol had been to protect UK troop-carrying flights coming into base from attack and that it was imperative to carry out the patrol that day to counter insurgent activity.

But Marcin’s mother, Teresa Woods, accused the Government of a ‘catastrophic failure’ to meet the needs of troops and feels, that because of the conflicting evidence, a clear imperative for the patrol hadn’t emerged.

Now she is set to write to the Prime Minister, The MOD and top brass at the RAF and Army expressing concerns about some aspects of the inquest. The family is also set to seek legal advice on any future steps they could take.

Mrs Woods said: “I will still pursue this as I feel the RAF closed ranks and let Marcin down. The patrol should not have gone ahead and lots of errors were made by those in charge.

“The inquest heard from the MOD’s own expert witness that the Vector was able to sustain a 6-7kg blast, a typical IED when the Vector was hastily introduced in 2007, not the more prevalent 25kg device that destroyed this Vector killing Marcin.

“The inquest hasn’t given me answers and only opened up other questions.”

An MOD spokesman said: “Cpl Wojtak was conducting a critical patrol that directly contributed to the protection of UK troops at Camp Bastion. This patrol was essential to force protection and couldn’t be delayed for the 48 hours that it would take for the new Mastiff vehicle to become operational.

“A detailed Royal Military Police Service Investigation confirmed the Vector was rightly chosen for this mission as it was designed to withstand the existing bomb threat and offered the agility and terrain accessibility needed to undertake the patrol.”]]> Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:15:30 UT http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=537&PID=8002#8002 http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=373&PID=8001#8001 Author: Elaine
Subject: Military Inquest news & verdicts.
Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 9:14am

Family appeal to PM in search of answers


Published on Thursday 26 January 2012 11:30

THE GRIEVING mother of an RAF corporal killed in Afghanistan is taking her battle for answers to Number 10.

Teresa Woods is to write to the Prime Minister and military top brass expressing her concerns following an inquest into her son’s death.

Corporal Marcin Wojtak (24) was killed instantly when the lightly-armoured Vector Mark II troop carrier he was commanding was blown up by an improvised explosive device (IED).

A recently held inquest heard it was likely Cpl Wojtak, of 34 Squadron RAF Regiment, would have survived had he been in a more heavily-armoured Mastiff vehicle which arrived with the squadron just a day after the roadside bomb blast on October 1, 2009 and was in use within days of the tragedy.

Following three days of evidence, the coroner ruled Cpl Wojtak, of Croxton Kerrial, was unlawfully killed while on active service in Afghanistan.

But his family say they’re still searching for answers for why he died after hearing conflicting evidence from witnesses, including about the key issue of why the patrol Marcin was part of, had to go out that day and couldn’t have been postponed.

The inquest was told by Cpl Wojtak’s commanding officer, Wing Commander Shaun Ryles, that the core purpose of the ‘framework’ patrol had been to protect UK troop-carrying flights coming into base from attack and that it was imperative to carry out the patrol that day to counter insurgent activity.

But Marcin’s mother, Teresa Woods, accused the Government of a ‘catastrophic failure’ to meet the needs of troops and feels, that because of the conflicting evidence, a clear imperative for the patrol hadn’t emerged.

Now she is set to write to the Prime Minister, The MOD and top brass at the RAF and Army expressing concerns about some aspects of the inquest. The family is also set to seek legal advice on any future steps they could take.

Mrs Woods said: “I will still pursue this as I feel the RAF closed ranks and let Marcin down. The patrol should not have gone ahead and lots of errors were made by those in charge.

“The inquest heard from the MOD’s own expert witness that the Vector was able to sustain a 6-7kg blast, a typical IED when the Vector was hastily introduced in 2007, not the more prevalent 25kg device that destroyed this Vector killing Marcin.

“The inquest hasn’t given me answers and only opened up other questions.”

An MOD spokesman said: “Cpl Wojtak was conducting a critical patrol that directly contributed to the protection of UK troops at Camp Bastion. This patrol was essential to force protection and couldn’t be delayed for the 48 hours that it would take for the new Mastiff vehicle to become operational.

“A detailed Royal Military Police Service Investigation confirmed the Vector was rightly chosen for this mission as it was designed to withstand the existing bomb threat and offered the agility and terrain accessibility needed to undertake the patrol.”]]> Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:14:11 UT http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=373&PID=8001#8001 http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=306&PID=8000#8000 Author: Elaine
Subject: Daily News
Posted: 26 Jan 2012 at 9:10am


Kingsman Wilkie, from the Second Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was sent to Afghanistan aged just 17 when the standby battalion was called on to reinforce troops in Helmand.
Despite being too young to buy an alcoholic drink or get married without his parents' permission, Adam was able to serve in the battle against the Taliban, according to the Sun.
“It was like World War Two when recruits hid their age to enlist," a source told the newspaper.
“The lad was just desperate to get out there and prove himself. He knew he was underage. Wilkie does look a lot older than his years so no one thought to check how old he was.”
Adam, who is believed to be from the Manchester area, served with courage for the regiment knwon as the "Lions of England".

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that Adam, now 19, was just 17 years and nine months old when he served in Lashkar Gah, Helmand province.
A spokesman said: “It is regrettable and goes against stated MoD policy. This extremely rare situation was down to human error. The Army has taken action to try to ensure this does not happen again.”
    

Edited by Elaine - 26 Jan 2012 at 9:11am]]> Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:10:32 UT http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=306&PID=8000#8000 http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=235&PID=7999#7999 Author: Elaine
Subject: More loss of life in Iraq & Afghanistan
Posted: 26 Jan 2012 at 9:00am

Comrades of Signaller Ian Sartorius-Jones, who died of a gun shot wound at a base in southern Afghanistan, have described his death as a "shock".

Military investigators, who are not looking for any one else in connection with the death, said the solider, from 200 Signal Squadron, is not thought to have died as a result of hostile action.

The 21-year-old from Runcorn, Cheshire, died at a Nato patrol base in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province on Tuesday.

In a statement, his family said: "Ian was a lovable character, a devoted father to Dylan, who is eight months old, husband to Kellyanne, a wonderful son to Robert and Amanda and brother to Alan. He will always be missed and loved by all his family and friends."

The father-of-one enlisted with the the Royal Corps of Signals in February 2007. He joined his squadron in May 2008 and has since been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Staff Sergeant Paul Griffiths, Tigris Troop Staff Sergeant, 20th Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (200), said: "Signaller Sartorius-Jones, S-J, was one of the Troop's characters; a much liked and popular member of the Signal Squadron as a whole.

"S-J had a promising career ahead of him, whichever path he chose. A popular lad both in work and outside, he fitted in well with the small, tight knit team.

"He will be sorely missed by all those in the Squadron and not easily replaced. His death has been a shock to us all, our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, added: "I was saddened to hear of the death of Signaller Ian Sartorius-Jones. I understand that he was at the start of a promising career and showed real dedication to his fellow service men and women. My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."

A total of 396 British troops have died since the start of operations in Afghanistan in October 2001.]]> Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:00:14 UT http://www.mfsg.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=235&PID=7999#7999