More to the military than fighting wars

THERE has been much concern that there was no extra funding for the MOD in the latest budget.

This was very short-sighted of Chancellor Hunt. The military don’t just fight wars, they do many things, such as; search and rescue, assist the police and security services. They step in to empty our bins, guard our prisons, drive our ambulances and put out fires when the militant and strike-bound down tools and walkout.

Indeed, I was part of the triservice medical personnel deployed to cover the nationwide ambulance strike of 1989-90. Thirty five years ago the military had the resources to ensure people who needed emergency medical help received it. Today I doubt it does.

Also, the military is not just made up of squaddies, it offers a huge number of jobs, qualifications, learning and skills to applicants. The following is a tiny example of the wide ranging roles it has – pilots, engineers, paramedics, HGV drivers, electricians, vehicle mechanics, police officers

The military will educate, train and qualify any tri-service staff who want to do these and other roles. Furthermore, applicants will be paid while they learn and qualify so, unlike many university students, they won’t be saddled with huge debts early in their adult life.

Furthermore, perhaps unknown to many, is that when any military personnel are ready to leave, the MOD will fund training courses to help them in civvy street. In my case, I was sent on a condensed course to do a Diploma which helped me secure a job when I was discharged.

Another huge economic benefit of having a large military is it creates, people who are smart, fit, punctual, disciplined, determined, have high standards and are able to work in teams or alone. And thus, when they leave are often a great benefit to employers in both the public and private sectors.

It is clear that there is so much more to the military than defence of the Realm and I trust, whoever sets the next budget, earmarks a decent sum to the MOD as the benefits are wide reaching for many. ANGUS LONG, Newcastle