Summary
On Saturday, the Guardian reported that a video has emerged online that appears to show a US helicopter crew singing 'Bye Bye Miss American Pie' before firing a missile at a group of Afghan men. | The Daily Mirror reported that there has been an increase in the number of military personnel with mental health problems, with nearly 10 per cent more going to clinics compared with last year. | The Times reported that British soldiers are training with the new Foxhound vehicles at Camp Bastion before heading out on patrol. | The Times also reported that Lance Corporal Cassidy Little, a Royal Marine injured in Afghanistan, carried the Olympic Torch through Peterborough on 4 July. | The Daily Mail reported that there has been no progress in Libya despite international intervention and it is 'back to bloody anarchy'. | The Telegraph reported that it is expected that the police in Northern Ireland will launch a murder inquiry into Bloody Sunday later this year. This could lead to prosecutions of British soldiers. | The Sun reported that changes to social care funding will mean that veterans injured in action will not lose their compensation when they go into care homes in the future. | The Times reported that Arctic Convoy veterans are campaigning for their own medal. An independent review of medals is underway and a decision is not expected until after the summer recess. | The Telegraph published an article looking at the effect reducing the size of the Army and withdrawing from Afghanistan is having on soldiers. | Various media reported that the wreckage of two RAF Tornados that crashed last Tuesday has been located on the seabed of the Moray Firth. | The Independent reported that the cost of outsourcing the management of the MOD's property estate has quadrupled to at least £40m a year. | On Sunday, BBC Online reported that there have been 266 fires on nuclear submarines in the past 25 years. | The Mail on Sunday's Peter Hitchens wrote that the recent 'green on blue' deaths are needless and proof that our policy to train the Afghans to fight is not working. | The Sunday Times reported that growing fears that the Taliban have infiltrated the Afghan Army and Police have forced a change in British tactics. UK troops are increasingly using the 'tiger watch' system where soldiers team up in pairs to watch each other's backs and ensure that no-one is ever left alone with an Afghan. | The Daily Star Sunday reported that a British patrol fought until it had almost run out of ammunition in order to save their interpreter. | The Sunday Express published a feature on the Taranis unmanned aerial vehicle which is due to make its maiden flight next year. | The Sunday Mirror reported that a charity set up for the children of Service personnel killed on operations has opened its first seaside holiday home. 'Scotty's Little Soldiers' was set up in memory of Corporal Lee Scott, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2009. | The Sunday Express reported that the Consortium of Trade Unions wants to set up a partnership with the MOD for injured Service personnel to work at Remploy sites. | The Sunday Mirror reported that the Royal Navy is launching a 'maternity buddy scheme' for pregnant personnel. The Naval Service Parents' Network will arrange for mentors to keep in regular contact with women during their pregnancy who often feel isolated and unsupported. | Various papers published comment and analysis following Thursday's announcement on the future structure of the Army. | The Sun on Sunday reported that the two Red Arrows pilots who died last year will be honoured in future displays. | The Sunday Times published an interview with 'Red 1', Squadron Leader Jim Turner, who talked about how the Red Arrows have regrouped after the deaths of two of their team and are now ready to play their part in the Olympics. | The Daily Star Sunday reported that the MOD is spending £36m a year to employ 310 lawyers.
Recruitment
The Sunday Telegraph speculates that the Army will be unable to recruit enough reservists to fulfil the structural changes to the Army announced under Army 2020.
We do not underestimate the challenge of achieving a trained Army Reserve of 30,000, but we are investing £1.8bn over 10 years to enhance their capability and strength. In autumn we will carry out a consultation that will look at how we can create a new relationship between the Armed Forces, individual reservists and employers, so it would be wrong to use past recruitment statistics to make assumptions about the future. We are confident that more individuals will volunteer to serve as reservists under our new plans.
As Chief of the General Staff General Sir Peter Wall said: "We will be relying on a much stronger Army Reserve. There will be more money and much work to do to turn this vision into reality. We need to make a new deal with employers to protect reservists' rights. We also need to train and equip this new Army structure for its different roles, making use of much of the equipment that has proved itself in Afghanistan. Put bluntly, we have to make best use of our resources to deliver the best Army we can for an uncertain world. That is what our plan will do and I am proud of it."
Mental health
The Mirror and the Mail on Sunday both report on the number of Armed Forces personnel seeking treatment for mental health issues as published in quarterly MOD statistics.
The mental health of Service personnel is a top priority and we have robust systems in place to identify and treat those with mental health issues, including when deployed on operations. These include raising awareness pre-and post-deployment and the availability of support, assessment and, if required, treatment, both in theatre and back in the UK. We are also committed to reducing the stigma associated with mental illness through briefing Service personnel, their families and chains of command.
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