Andy McNab on Psychological Support for Troops

Labour have screwed over the Armed Forces. Its hard to abuse a body of trained armed men and women but they've done it. What excuse can there ever be for breaking the covenant and sending men off to war zones without proper equipment? Is it the case that Politicians and Civil Servants are there to think and Soldiers exist to die?

The crass negligence and arrogance of Labour is tantamount to criminal behaviour and neatly sums up the kind of people at the top of the Labour hierarchy. An incoming government has much to do with regard to the Armed Forces. Time will tell to what extent the Conservatives sort things out. Cutting the defence budget whilst absurdly leaving the bloated monster of the NHS simply because they're too scared or witless to take on Labour's health and 'investment' lies is no excuse. Defence spending should not be cut.

One thing that most certainly needs careful analysis and assessment is the psychological support for soldiers who have been in warfare. More men killed themselves after the Falklands than died in the war itself. Its safe to say psychological support for these men is severely lacking - this must not be allowed to continue.

The text below is how Andy McNab signs off the end of 'Seven Troop' - his account of his group of comrades in arms in the SAS. There are so many things to take from this but i think the message is very clear.

"Soldiers hit by PTDS are casualties of war just as much as [soldiers injured or killed in combat are]. A major mental health crisis faces those who have served our country.

We need to do something now, before we discover that more soldiers – regular and TA – have killed themselves since returning from Iraq and Afghanistan than were killed there in action.

We need to remove the institutional and cultural barriers discouraging soldiers from counselling, therapy – whatever you chose to call it. Seeking help should be seen as a sign of strength and professionalism, a desire to keep yourself at peak efficiency. The US Delta Force have been doing this for years and I wouldn’t have them down for a bunch of wimps.

We shouldn’t be surprised by what happens to men who have been in conflict. The ancient Greeks recorded signs and symptoms in their soldiers after battle that we would now recognise as PTSD. We shouldn’t need secret places in Wales for soldiers to slink away to. They’re just like anyone else. They’re human. They need support, not just from the government but from all of us. There are hard pressed organisations that can help them recover but its up to us now to remove the stigma.

They need a little understanding and dare I say it? A whole lot of respect."