A SHOCKING account of the "disastrous" living conditions endured by families of Scottish soldiers has emerged in an MoD document obtained by this newspaper.
Wives and girlfriends of troops from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders complained to military officials that they felt isolated, were treated like "scum", and repeated requests for help were ignored.
The litany of criticism also included part
ners being deployed for too long, their pay being regularly "messed up", and a cut in financial assistance for travelling back to Scotland from their barracks in Kent.
Morale in the Argylls is already at rock bottom after 17 members of the unit tested positive for banned drugs, and now face dismissal, while on a post-exercise break in Belize. Early next year, the unit will be sent to Afghanistan's war-torn Helmand province.
Nationally, there is mounting concern - much of it openly expressed by senior commanders - about the welfare of the armed forces and their dependants as a result of overseas commitments and spending cutbacks.
Last week, Defence Secretary Des Browne apologised to the families of the 14 troops who died when an RAF Nimrod crashed in Afghanistan. An official inquiry identified a catalogue of failings, including ageing aircraft components and a lack of modern fire suppressants. One relative accused the military of "incompetence" and "negligence" and said the dead were "betrayed".
The latest criticism emerged from families interviewed by MoD staff at the Argylls' barracks in Canterbury during the summer. They were prepared as part of a briefing for General Sir Richard Dannatt, the Chief of the General Staff.
Even though Howe barracks are supposed to represent "better" accommodation, comments included:
• "We are not respected or welcomed by the locals here at all. We have been made to feel like scum and have been treated unfairly all because we are in the Army."
• "We want to go back to Scotland!"
• "My husband's pay gets messed up every single month yet still nothing gets sorted out."
• "MHS [Modern Housing Solutions - meant to maintain living quarters] - what a disaster. What has been done to sort this problem out? If anything?"
• "Why do we not get the same amount of [free travel] warrants that we got in Northern Ireland? We are further away from Scotland now and we get fewer. Why?"
• "Deployments are too long. It seems our husbands are away for nine or 10 months not six. Can something be done about this?"
Some accused the army of "spinning" to the media, others said they were worried about the state of equipment their partners were using at the front.
Last night, forces groups and politicians said the findings from Canterbury proved urgent action was needed to help troops and their dependants.
Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, said: "This is very worrying but sadly all too typical of the complaints from forces families.
"It shows that equipment is a welfare issue for families because they are concerned whether their loved ones will be safe when they go into battle. Deployments are too long and too frequent and there is too little time between them. That creates pressure on families and leads to experienced members leaving."
He added: "This is both a Scottish and a defence matter and maybe [Defence Secretary and Scottish Secretary] Des Browne should have a chat with himself at Cabinet."
Doug Young, the chairman of the British Armed Forces Federation, said: "Howe Barracks Canterbury is supposed to be one of the better barracks in the UK, so it is worrying that so many of the wives had concerns about their married quarters and family facilities. It is good that these comments are in an official report.Will anything ever get done?"
Jeff Duncan of Re-instate Our Army Regiments, which campaigned against the mergers that combined the historic Scottish regiments into one, said: "It makes for depressing reading. Government ministers provide little or no real support, instead engaging in their own devious public relations spin. It is clear that morale and soldier welfare of our troops are at an all-time low. Gordon Brown must shoulder a sizeable proportion of the blame for starving the Army of proper resources to carry out what he and former PM Blair sent them into - Iraq and Afghanistan."
A spokeswoman for the Army said: "We are working to address many of the concerns raised and that is why we have these meetings. Their point about problems in the way that troops are treated by locals is true and we have been working hard to address that. We are working very hard on the housing issue.
"As regards the length of deployments, it is a challenge when our forces are engaged in both Iraq and Afghanistan."
Fight for rights
Soldiers' families have become increasingly critical of the treatment they have received from the MoD in recent months.
The Association of British ex-Service Personnel (Abex) is one group which has been campaigning steadfastly on their behalf.
Among the changes they have been calling for recently is improved mental health provision for soldiers affected by their time in combat zones.
Many families claim they are left to cope alone if a loved one suffers a breakdown while on active service.
Poor living conditions have been a regular complaint for many in the armed services and Abex believes rapid and widespread improvements in living conditions need to be introduced to boost morale.
The group is backing moves by families to have troops sent back to local bases if they are not involved in a conflict which directly impacts on British interests.
Families also believe that dedicated military hospitals should be reintroduced to help treat those injured or disabled while on duty.
Abex is also supporting a programme to retraining for soldiers leaving the army to help them adjust to civilian life.
The full article contains 976 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
