The latest feedback to CGS's briefing team, summarised in Soldier magazine, has highlighted concerns about cuts in Army numbers and spending on accommodation, and deep worries about future pension cuts. CGS used an article in the same issue to respond to the concerns raised, saying he sympathised with some of his soldiers’ complaints. From a report in The Daily Telegraph:

Fear of reputational damage and political controversy gags senior officers.

Supreme Court hearings began today (Mon 18 Feb) in three long legal battles by dead soldiers' families against the Ministry of Defence.

BBC News reports (12 Nov 2010) that Downing Street has rejected calls to protect the armed forces from cuts to public sector pensions:

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.

Badly wounded soldiers are subjected to a “postcode lottery” of care on the NHS when they leave the Services, charity chiefs have told MPs.From the Daily Telegraph:

Labour Party leader Ed Miliband has appointed the new Shadow defence team. Shadow Secretary of State Jim Murphy will be supported by former Defence Minister Kevan Jones, along with Russell Brown, Michael Dugher and Gemma Doyle.

Sky News reports that Defence Secretary Liam Fox has set out how the Government's new military covenant will be enshrined into law:

Ahead of the T2 redundancy announcement, the Independent's Defence Correspondent writes that the blueprint for shape of the army will be submitted to the Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, in the next two months. The plan will reduce Regular Army numbers to 82,000, and a  number of historic regiments may be merged and bases more dispersed throughout the country.

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.