Bureaucracy
gone mad or a cynical way to save money?
Sergeant and Mrs Michael Anderson
Image courtesy of Jolene Anderson
The British Army considers itself a caring, sharing family – a
band of brothers and sisters – which places loyalty and support among its top
priorities. This, at least, is what we are led to believe but is there a limit
to the loyalty and support a serving soldier should expect? Apparently so. Consider
the case of Sergeant Michael Anderson. He joined the army as a boy of sixteen
and served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq. Subsequently he became
involved in welfare, supporting the bereaved and the maimed.
It was his expectation that the Military Covenant would ensure
that at the end of his military service he would receive a full military
pension. The pension is the major financial promise in the recruitment, retention
and promotion of personnel and is a resettlement payment to help soldiers make
the move from service life to civilian life. For some it provides the wherewithal
to secure a mortgage.
In June 2013 Sergeant Anderson was informed that he was to be
made redundant – his redundancy will be effective three days before the end of
his 22-year engagement, meaning that he will not qualify for his expected full military
pension. Consequently, he will lose almost half of his promised pension.
So, at 38, with a wife and two young children, he must think
again about his future in the civilian world, a future blighted by a broken
promise for the sake of three days.
It is to be hoped that David Cameron will read and act favourably
upon the petition Mrs Anderson has promoted and that Michael Anderson, and
others like him, will be treated fairly.
Three days – a long weekend – that’s
all, but it’s everything when a promise has been broken and long-cherished
plans and dreams have been shattered.
The Canadian government is doing the same with INJURED military personnel, letting them go just short of their anniversary date so that they will receive neither their pensions nor special medical help.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what the world is coming to, Janice. I am very upset about the injured Canadian military, and now to read about something similar happening to long-serving Brits is almost more than I can absorb. As a Canadian television personality said on his show this week, these people have promised to fight for us, and have kept their promise, but now the country fails to keep its promise to them.
K
That is disgusting.
ReplyDeleteWas Bureaucracy ever sane?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely deplorable! Sergeant Anderson - and his wife because we know military wives have to make sacrifices too - gave his country his all, and apparently that same country feels they can turn their back on him. It's disgusting but sadly not an unfamiliar story.
ReplyDeleteReading Kay's comment at the top makes me despair of how the military treats their people. Absolutely no loyalty and not exactly any encouragement for people to sign up any more.
That's not the first case I have heard off and in other countries too ! Apparently never trust the army. It's a real shame.
ReplyDeleteOh how horrible. I hope a decision will be made to give this man what he has earned and so well deserves!!
ReplyDeleteHi Janice .. thankfully I see it's resolved ... what a crazy thoughtless time for them - Hilary
ReplyDelete