Soldiers who are mentally unfit ‘won’t be told to man up’

SOLDIERS will no longer be told simply to ‘man up’ by top brass when they ask for help, Sir Michael Fallon said yesterday.

The Defence Secretary pledged to tackle the ‘hidden scars’ of mental illness in the Armed Forces, saying warfare is not just about ‘battles of the body’ but also ‘of the mind’.

Veterans minister Tobias Ellwood, a former Army captain, admitted there was a problem with soldiers being told to ‘suck it up’ when they were unwell and this needed to change.

The ministers were speaking at an event at the Ministry of Defence to mark the launch of a joint venture to tackle mental health issues in the Armed Forces with Prince Harry.

Prince Harry, a former Army captain, said a reduction in troop numbers meant those who were left were ‘prized assets’ who needed to be invested in.

He added soldiers should be thought of as top athletes carrying their kit and a rifle. ‘Crucially, fighting fitness is not just about physical fitness – it is just as much about mental fitness too,’ he said.

Sir Michael said the MoD’s sole focus could not be on the frontline to ‘the exclusion of those who don’t always venture beyond the wire’.

The partnership is the latest project in the Royal Foundation’s Heads Together mental health campaign. The MoD said it will build on efforts to improve mental health in military workers, civilian staff, their families and veterans.