16.1 |
The welfare of Service Personnel
•
the recent
decision to withdraw the second free welfare families
warrant
(that decision
had been waived for Land forces deployed on Op TELIC);
•
the troops’
desire to be able to send parcels back to their families without
charge
(that
facility was not available for any other operation, and would not
be provided
for Op
TELIC);
•
inadequate
access to TVs (the absence of a final UK “disposition plan”
for
Phase IV
and the low standard of camp infrastructure, and in particular the
lack
of reliable
power supply, was hindering the installation of equipment);
and
•
inadequate
access to the internet (equipment was being rolled
out).27
33.
Maj Gen Fry
concluded that sufficient weight was being given to providing
support
for
deployed Service Personnel, who would see “incremental
improvements” in the
delivery of
the OWP and infrastructure.
34.
Mr Ingram told
the Inquiry that he saw his role as one of getting “ground
truth”
of what
was happening in Iraq, including by talking to soldiers in
theatre.28
35.
A small team
from the Army’s Personnel Directorate and PJHQ visited MOD
civilian
staff in
Iraq from 18 to 20 May.29
They
reported that comments on the OWP:
“… ranged
from a claim that there wasn’t a package in existence to the fact
that in
reality it
didn’t run smoothly. At Basra there was only one internet terminal
available
from 0000
to 0700 for [military and civilian] staff to send messages home
…
Telephone
facilities were similarly limited …”
36.
The team
reported that other issues such as the availability of exercise
equipment
were being
addressed by local purchases in theatre.
37.
The 28 May
meeting of the SPB was advised that Service Personnel were
currently
living in
“basic tented accommodation, existing Iraqi buildings, or fighting
vehicles”.30
Tier 1
facilities (hard-skinned or tented accommodation with
air-conditioning) should
be fully
deployed by September and Tier 2 facilities (hard-skinned,
semi-permanent
accommodation)
by December. A limited OWP, comprising telephone facilities,
British
Forces Post
Office mail, British Forces Broadcasting Service radio and an
electronic
letter
service, was currently available in all locations; internet and TV
were available
in some
locations. PJHQ intended to provide the full OWP in all
locations.
38.
The SPB was
also advised that a rest and recuperation (R&R) package
would
be
introduced once roulement and force alignment had taken place;
“Operational
Stand‑Downs”
would begin on 30 May.
27
Minute Fry
to MA/VCDS, 22 May 2003, ‘Minister(AF) Visit to Iraq’; Email
MA/DCDS (Personnel) to
MA/VCDS, 29
May 2003, ‘Minister (AF) Visit to Iraq’.
28
Public
hearing, 16 July 2010, pages 13-14.
29
Minute
PS/Personnel Director to Brooke, 22 May 2003, ‘Visit to Iraq 18th –
20th May 2003’.
30
Minutes, 28
May 2003, Service Personnel Board meeting.
9