FULL LEAVE DEMANDED FOR SERVICE PERSONNEL.
Service personnel should receive their full leave allowance with no reduction for travel time.
SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson has written to Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth [1] and lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament [2] calling for the MoD to revise its rules to ensure the time it takes service personnel to travel home is not counted within their leave allowance.
The MoD publication “A guide for the families of deployed Regular Army Personnel” (Dec 2008) states “Remember that the 14 days R&R includes travel time - expect your soldier to be home for about 12 days.” [3]
In contrast leave allowances for US or Canadian service personnel do not include the time it takes to travel home.
A list of Frequent Questions for US service personnel states ““Rest and Recuperation Leave consist of one 18-day block of chargeable leave plus travel time.” [5]
Canadian service personnel on missions overseas receive up to 2 days travel each way when taking leave. [6]
Commenting Mr Gibson said;
"Our service personnel do a difficult, dangerous and stressful job often in hostile territory thousands of miles from home.
"Time spent with loved ones is both precious and essential to ensure our troops recuperate fully, operate at peak efficiency and maintain high morale regardless of circumstances.
"Ironically the more dangerous and far flung a posting the more time it takes to travel to and from postings, the less time service personnel can enjoy with their families.
"By effectively cheating our troops out of some of their leave, the MoD are devaluing the job they do.
"It would be a great boost for our service personnel to be given the same consideration taken for granted by the armed forces of our allies and I urge the MoD to implement such changes forthwith."
More information on this official SNP press release!
1. In his letter to Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth Mr Gibson writes
Dear Mr Ainsworth
Many of my constituents are now or have been on deployment in the Armed Forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, or elsewhere in the world, as I am sure many of yours have been also. I am sure we can agree that we owe the highest respect and honour to those who put themselves in harm’s way to serve their country.
Service personnel today however can expect to be separated from their families on almost constant deployment. This makes the privilege of time away from the theatre of operations for R&R all the more crucial.
I understand from Ministry of Defence publications that the allotted time on a standard deployment is 14 days, but that, since this also includes the substantial travel time to and from where personnel are deployed, the publications recommend families expect in practice only 12 days with loved ones when they return from deployment. I would draw to your attention that both Canada and the United States count journey time as separate from and additional to R&R periods. This is surely the only fair and reasonable way to avoid disappointment and give our service personnel the R&R they deserve.
I know there are many other very substantial concerns amongst service personnel and their families regarding housing, equipment and other policies. Changing this begrudging approach to leave would be an important and I believe much-appreciated symbol of goodwill and commitment to the Forces and their families. I urge you to do so at the earliest possible opportunity.
Yours
Kenneth Gibson
2. Parliamentary motion below
S3M-04437 Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (Scottish National Party): Service Personnel Travelling Time— That the Parliament notes with disapproval that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) currently counts travel time to and from service areas as part of service members’ well-deserved vacations; believes that service men and women, who risk their lives for their country, should be afforded full 14-day vacations excluding time in transit and therefore enabling them to have more contact with friends and family; calls on the MOD to make the necessary changes as soon as is practically possible, and believes that the inaugural Armed Forces Day on 27 June 2009 would be an appropriate date to make such an announcement.
[3]UK Government advice http://www.mod.uk/
[4] The Army Families Federation’s Families Journal in December 2005 included a “mini-survey” by the editor about coming home from operational tours. This issue was raised there: “Some felt that when soldiers came back on R and R the leave should start from when they arrived home and not when they left their Unit – travel time can sometimes reduce R and R by up to two days!”
http://www.aff.org.uk/
[5]US guidance
http://www.armyg1.army.mil/
See also: http://www.armyg1.army.mil/
[6]Canadian guidance
http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.
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