Fear of reputational damage and political controversy gags senior officers.

The lot of our wounded, injured and sick (WIS) personnel has changed very little in the last thirty years.  If we are going to change this situation, the first step we must take is to appoint an Armed Forces Ombudsman.  

BAFF members attended a RUSI Members' Discussion Panel this week to discuss the security implications of Scottish Independence, should that be the outcome of the referendum on Thursday 18 September 2014.

BAFF submitted evidence to the Armed Forces Bill Committee in 2011 on a number of points, including the recruitment of young people into the armed forces. With MoD policy on that issue again coming under attack, below for reference is what the British Armed Forces Federation said at that time in part of our written evidence:

The Ministry of Defence went some way to meet our point, but not far enough in our opinion, by introducing the Armed Forces (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. These regulations extended entitlement to Discharge as of Right (DAOR) to some trainees who would previously have lost their right to discharge before reaching 18. BAFF's view remains that under-18 enlistment subject to all necessary safeguards should not lightly be withdrawn from young people.

Ministry of Defence announcement:

Service personnel and their families are being encouraged to register to vote in this year's upcoming elections.

Today’s Mail on Sunday claims that “Britain’s compensation culture” has now “infected” our armed forces.

A story by respected defence journalist Sean Rayment says that since 2005, more than 16.000 troops have been paid almost £341 million under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).

If you have any kind of issue with the Ministry of Defence as your current or former employer, it is very important to be aware of time limits.

The Armed Forces complaints system is still inefficient and undermines confidence in the chain of command, says the Service Complaints Commissioner (SCC) in her fifth and final Annual Report to Parliament. The report quotes the British Armed Forces Federation (BAFF).

The influential House of Commons Defence Committee has backed BAFF's call for the role and powers of the Service Complaints Commissioner to be enhanced to that of a full Armed Forces Ombudsman.

The House of Commons Defence Committee's report of its inquiry into the work of the Service Complaints Commissioner for the Armed Forces (SCC) will be published at 0001 hrs (BST) on Tuesday 26 March. Written evidence to the inquiry, including a memorandum submitted by BAFF, is already available at the link below.

BAFF called for the SCC's powers and role to be increased to those of a full Armed Forces Ombudsman responsible to Parliament. BAFF also highlighted perceptions - especially in the current atmosphere of redundancy and uncertainty - that submitting a service complaint may not be in the best interests of the potential complainant.

UPDATE 26 Feb 2013: Defence Committee backs BAFF call for Armed Forces Ombudsman.