The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
Lt Gen
Palmer told the Inquiry:
“… free
parcels, two kilograms, engraved on my heart … this was a debate
about
how far we
could stretch the logistic operation. I mean, delivering two
kilograms of
parcels to
everybody in theatre over distances with … not enough helicopters
for
operations,
let alone for administration, was a real issue, but it was critical
for the
families
back in the UK that they could send to their loved ones … things
that would
The free
service was terminated in April 2004.24
In a
written statement to Parliament,
Mr Ingram
stated:
“The
provision of a free packet service recognised the difficult
conditions Service
Personnel
were operating in and that it was not possible to provide the full
spectrum
of welfare
support normally available to Service Personnel on operations.
Whilst
southern
Iraq is not yet a benign environment, the level of welfare support
and the
facilities
available on Operation TELIC are now comparable to those provided
in other
operational
theatres.
“It has
therefore been decided that from 8 April 2004 … this free service
will cease.”
31.
Mr Ingram
visited Iraq from 13 to 15 May 2003.25
His Military
Assistant reported that
the
Minister had been impressed by the morale of the troops, but he had
been briefed
that it
could be undermined by (unspecified) small-scale and easily
rectified “irritants”.
Mr Ingram’s
Military Assistant concluded:
“The
Minister would be disappointed if we lost opportunities for ‘quick
wins’ here
(though he
appreciates that troops in theatre examine these issues from one
end
of the
telescope).”
32.
On 22 May,
Major General Robert Fry, Deputy Chief of Joint
Operations
(Operations)
(DCJO(Ops)), listed those irritants and the actions being taken to
rectify
them in a
report for Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Sir Anthony Bagnall, Vice Chief
of Defence
Staff
(VCDS):
•
insufficient
portaloos (more could be supplied);
•
insufficient
fresh rations (sufficient fresh rations were available;
commanders
had chosen
to mix these with ration packs);
•
a desire
for a second Op TELIC medal covering Phase IV
operations26
(being
discussed
by Chiefs of Staff);
23
Public
hearing, 21 July 2010, page 27.
24
House of
Commons, Official
Report, 27
February 2004, column 69WS. The free parcel service
was
reintroduced
in November 2007.
25
Minute
MA/Minister (AF) [MOD] to Sec(O) – Iraq, 16 May 2003, ‘Minister
(AF) Visit to Iraq’.
26
Phase IV is
the military term for the post-conflict phase of
operations.
8