BRITAIN'S most senior military commander has called for the families of UK service personnel to receive better treatment because of the sacrifices they make for the country.
Sir Jock Stirrup, the chief of the defence staff, said privileges could include being prioritised for NHS hospital and dental care, school places and council housing.
He said: "They should be treated a little bit better because of the service they
give to their country and the sacrifices they make."
The UK government is currently drawing up a cross- departmental strategy to improve the conditions for military families.
Problems can emerge if families are required to move between bases, potentially losing their place in hospital or school waiting lists. The new rules would prevent this from happening, and could even provide military "bonus points".
Sir Jock repeated his concern that Britain's armed forces had been left "very stretched" by simultaneous deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying that they did not have the structure or resources to fight on two fronts.
Evidence of this was the lack of helicopters in both countries – one of the reasons for troops having to travel by road and face the risk of ambushes and roadside bombs.
Sir Jock said: "We are not structured or resourced to do two of these things on this scale on an enduring basis but we have been doing it on an enduring basis for years.
"Until we get to the stage when one of them comes down to small scale, we will be stretched beyond the capabilities we have."
He said the UK's involvement in Afghanistan was "a long-term endeavour" but needed to switch from military to aid and redevelopment.
The full article contains 284 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
