The Armed Forces Covenant

History                                 

While recognition of a special bond of mutual obligations between the state and its Armed Forces dates back more than 400 years,[a] it was not until 2000 that the Army published 'Soldiering – the Military Covenant' setting out the obligations on the soldier to make personal sacrifices in the service of the nation, and stated that the armed forces must be sustained by the nation. The code had been drafted over the course of three years by senior officers led by a Brigadier.[7] The main author was Major-General Sebastian Roberts.[8]

The term 'Military Covenant' was heavily promoted by General Sir Richard Dannatt, who was Chief of the General Staff from 2006.[9] The existence of government obligations to the armed forces was accepted by the Prime Minister Tony Blair during a keynote lecture on Defence given on 12 January 2007 when he stated that the covenant needed to be renewed, and that "it will mean increased expenditure on equipment, personnel and the conditions of our armed forces, not in the short run but for the long term."[10]

Political debate

 In September 2007 The Royal British Legion launched a campaign which accused the Government of failing to meet its commitments under the Covenant. The Legion highlighted the case of a 23-year-old paratrooper, injured in battle, who was awarded £152,150 despite injuries requiring care for the rest of his life. It also criticized the practice of treating soldiers in wards alongside civilian patients.[11] In his conference speech that October, Conservative Party leader David Cameron referred to the Covenant and said "Mr. Brown, I believe your government has broken it."[12]

Responding to the Royal British Legion's campaign, the Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson announced in November 2007 that armed forces veterans would get priority treatment on the National Health Service, and those injured would be treated immediately in hospital rather than go through waiting lists. Prescription charges would also be waived.[13] A tight budget settlement for the Ministry of Defence in 2007 saw five former Chiefs of the Defence Staff launch personal criticism of Prime Minister Gordon Brown in a simultaneous House of Lords debate.[14]

In upholding the claim of six Gurkha soldiers for the right to settle in Britain at the end of their service, Mr Justice Blake's judgment in September 2008 recited the Military Covenant before observing that granting them residence in Britain "would, in my judgment, be a vindication and an enhancement of this covenant".[15]

In opposition David Cameron asked Andrew Murrison MP to establish the Military Covenant Commission. Chaired by the author and ex-RAF pilot Frederick Forsyth CBE and with experts including the Falklands veteran Simon Weston OBE its report[16] heavily influenced the current government's thinking. On 25 June 2010, The Times newspaper[citation needed] reported that Prime Minister David Cameron announced plans to enshrine the Military Covenant in law – such a development would allow British servicemen and servicewomen to sue the State for breaches of the Military Covenant

Short Bio data                                                                           

I am an Air Force Officer who retired early (21yrs) form Bangalore Training Command in 1998 after 21 yrs of service . Last Post held : Command Judge Advocate

Reasons for early retirement : Upset at the revolt in Air Force due to Fifth Pay Commission reports N question of Morale.

My article speaks for itself Data is copy cut paste but is an important issue & very relevant for a Rising super power. What with Officers shortage & qucikly receding status of the Armed Forces  My article is as under Sir, You may take it up so that the Tale of Vitai Lampada or Hohenlinden is not repeated in annals on Indian History.

I have seen your commitment which is a lagacy from your father 

MILITARY DOWNGRADE & ITS IMPLICATIONS ON YOUR SOVEREIGNTY

The government has assured the military that any disparity in rank structure of its officers with those in civil administration will be removed, slipping into damage control after a defence ministry letter downgraded the status of soldiers.

Any discrepancy in the ranks would be corrected in a week, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said on Tuesday, a day after the news was out about the changes in rank equation that have left the military fuming. The ministry had conveyed the changes in an October 18 letter.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a naval commanders’ conference, the minister said, “Military officers will be on same platform as their civilian counterparts.”

Defence Downgrade: Minister Parrikar says if there's any discrepancy in Oct 18 order downgrading military rank, will correct it in 7 days— Rahul Singh (@rahulsinghx) October 25, 2016

The letter, signed by a joint secretary, said the government had decided on the rank equation after looking at orders issued by the forces during 2003-08. The letter on rank-equivalence norms had Parrikar’s approval.

A civilian principal director, who was equivalent to a brigadier, has been equated to a major general, a director-ranked officer to a brigadier and a joint director to a colonel.

Till now, a major general was on par with a joint secretary and a colonel’s civil administration counterpart was a director. A lieutenant colonel, earlier equivalent to a joint director, has been scaled down to a deputy director.

The rank equation is followed while assigning duties; it decides the channel of reporting, plays a role when officers are sent for training courses and also determines perks such as stenographic and secretarial assistance.

Parrikar, who completes two years in office in November, said he had sought details of the October 18 letter and previous circulars/orders as well.

“Rank equation has gone wonky. It’s high time the government set things right and restore the status of defence officers,” say the army officers

Parrikar will scrutinize the orders to detect anomalies that threaten to widen the civil-military divide against the backdrop of the armed forces concerns over seventh pay commission report and the one rank-one pension (OROP) scheme.

“It is an incontrovertible fact that the status of armed forces has been progressively diluted over since Nehru days. This has created bad blood between the civilian and military services, which is best avoided,” said brigadier (retired). Several serving officers HT spoke to say the orders mentioned in the October 18 letter were only for internal management.

The Armed Forces are the sixth pillar of Democracy by stunting this pillar the House Of Democracy is going to crumble.

The Countries like Great Britain & USA have ensured covenant for Armed Forces The Covenant is a term used mainly by the British Army, other British armed forces and the media in relation to the question of adequate safeguards, rewards and compensation for military personnel who risk their lives in obedience to military orders derived from the policy of the elected civilian government. It is argued that armed forces personnel should expect to be treated fairly by the Crown and expect the support of the nation, society and the government.

The Ministry of Defence states "In putting the needs of the Nation, the Armed forces and others before their own, they forgo some of the rights enjoyed by those outside the Armed Forces. So, at the very least, British soldiers should always expect the Nation and their commanders to treat them fairly, to value and respect them as individuals, and to sustain and reward them and their families."

‘Soldiering – The Military Covenant’ reads:

“
Soldiers will be called upon to make personal sacrifices – including the ultimate sacrifice –; in the service of the Nation. In putting the needs of the Nation and the Army before their own, they forego some of the rights enjoyed by those outside the Armed Forces. In return, Indian soldiers must always be able to expect fair treatment, to be valued and respected as individuals, and that they (and their families) will be sustained and rewarded by commensurate terms and conditions of service. In the same way the unique nature of military land operations means that the Army,Air Force & the Navy differs from all other institutions, and must be sustained and provided for accordingly by the Nation. This mutual obligation forms the Military Covenant between the Nation, the Armed Forces and each individual soldier; an unbreakable common bond of identity, loyalty and responsibility which has sustained the Armed Forces throughout its history. It has perhaps its greatest manifestation in the annual commemoration of Armistice/Independence Day, when the Nation keeps covenant with those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives in action."
The Military Covenant is a term introduced in 2000 into British public life to refer to the mutual obligations between the nation and its Armed Forces.  "It is an informal understanding, rather than a legally enforceable deal, but it is nevertheless treated with great seriousness within the services". It was coined in Soldiering – The Military Covenant (booklet), UK: Ministry of Defence, April 2000, and has now entered political discourse as a way of measuring whether the government and society at large have kept to their obligations to support members of the armed forces.

 Is India democracy mature enough for drafting a covenant & to enshrine it in their Constitution & Psyche???

“What should be taken note of is whether the government is ready to act quickly or not,” Parrikar said. “When the seventh pay panel order was issued, there was some issue about a small paragraph. We got it removed.”He said the government was sensitive to the military’s concerns and whenever “lacunae or difficulties” were brought to his notice, he had acted on them

Why are these Super powers so sensitive & seized of their Institution called Armed Forces, whereas India as a nation has continuously been ignoring the honor & keen on downgrading their status since Independence. Is it their gory wish to be a slave nation again?

What keeps Nations going as superpowers – Their armed forces? If you want to be respected then be ready to respect your warriors. A look at the participation of US Senators & Presidents in American Military service

Participation of US Senates & Presidents in American military service.Why?

If you see the list of senators & Presidents of America below. You may understand why all battle worn soldiers have been elevated to highest leadership of the Nation? Every other President has history of participation in wars fought by Americans.

Is it because the citizens understand the immense contribution of the soldiers to the freedom the country enjoys? Or, they value their Armed forces & are keen to elevate them to highest ruling body? Who would be better to devote himself as an epitome of democracy?

So kindly frame the Covenant alongside Art 18 of the constitution Mr Prime Minister & give an eminence to this embattled Institution

The 114th Congress will be made up of 70 current members and 11 incoming members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have served or are serving in the U.S. military. Three of the incoming members are Democrats; the other seven are Republicans. A number of veterans who are currently serving in the House decided to retire this year, and a small number lost re-election.

On the Senate side, three incoming members (two of whom are currently serving in the House) are serving or have served in the military — Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Gary Peters of Michigan and Joni Ernst of Iowa. There are currently only 13 members of the Senate who served in the military.

In all, 97 members of the next session of Congress will have served in the U.S. military. That means less than 18 percent of the new congressional delegation served in the armed forces. (Note: This number includes one non-voting delegate from the Northern Marianas.)

Compared to the 113th Congress, which began with 108 military veterans, the drop-off for the 114th Congress is only slight, but over the past 25 years nearly every congressional delegation has had fewer veterans than the previous group. Sixteen percent of senators and 18 percent of representatives in the new class will be military veterans or are currently serving.

Jump back to 1971, when member military service was at its peak, veterans made up 72 percent of members in the House and 78 percent in the Senate. In 1981, that number dipped to 64 percent of members, but veterans still made up a majority of Congress.

However the ratio of veterans in Congress still continues to top the percentage of the U.S. population that has served in the military. The most recent data from the 2010 Census shows that only seven percent of Americans have served in the military, while veterans make up 20 percent of the current Congress.

Prominent Democrats

Rick Noriega, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Texas -- joined the U.S. Army in 1979; currently Lt. Colonel in Texas Army National Guard, served in Afghanistan. (1)
Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) -- rifle platoon and company commander with the Fifth Marine Regiment in the An Hoa Basin west of Danang; was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts. (1)
Representative Tim Walz, D-MN - Twenty-four years of service in the Army National Guard, retiring in 2005.
Representative Joe Sestak, D-PA - 31 years of service in the Navy, rising to the rank of Vice Admiral.
Representative Chris Carney, D-PA - Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve, Carney served multiple tours overseas and was activated for Operation Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle, and Southern Watch.
Representative Patrick Murphy, D-PA - extensive career in the U.S. Army from 1993-2004; earned Bronze Star and Presidential Unit Citation.
Representative Phil Hare, D-IL - Served in the United States Army Reserve for six years. 
Representative Jack Murtha (D-PA) - distinguished 37-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel in 1990. (1)
Former House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt - Missouri Air National Guard, 1965-71. (1, 2)
Representative David Bonior - Staff Sgt., United States Air Force 1968-72 (1, 2)
Former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle - 1st Lt., U.S. Air Force SAC 1969-72 (1, 2)
Former Vice President Al Gore - enlisted August 1969; sent to Vietnam January 1971 as an army journalist, assigned to the 20th Engineer Brigade headquartered at Bien Hoa, an airbase twenty miles northeast of Saigon. More facts about Gore's Service
Former Senator Bob Kerrey... Democrat... Lt. j.g., U.S. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam (1, 2)
Senator Daniel Inouye, US Army 1943-'47; Medal of Honor, World War Two (1, 2)
Senator John Kerry, Lt., U.S. Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and three awards of the Purple Heart for his service in combat (1)
Representative Charles Rangel, Staff Sgt., U.S. Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea (1, 2)
Former Senator Max Cleland, Captain, U.S. Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam (1, 2)
Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) - U.S. Army Reserve, 1968-1975.
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) - U.S. Army, 1951-1953. (1)
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) - Lt., U.S. Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74. (1, 2)
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) - U.S. Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91 (1)
Former Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) - served as a U.S. Army officer in World War II, receiving the Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons. (1)
Representative Leonard Boswell (D-IA) - Lt. Col., U.S. Army 1956-76; two tours in Vietnam, two Distinguished Flying Crosses as a helicopter pilot, two Bronze Stars, and the Soldier's Medal. (1, 2)
Former Representative "Pete" Peterson, Air Force Captain, POW, Ambassador to Viet Nam, and recipient of the Purple Heart, the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit. (1, 2)
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-CA: Staff sergeant/platoon leader with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, U.S. Army; was wounded and received a Purple Heart. (1, 2)
Bill McBride, Democratic Candidate for Florida Governor - volunteered and served as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam; awarded Bronze Star with a combat "V." (1)
Gray Davis, former California Governor, Army Captain in Vietnam; received Bronze Star. (1)
Pete Stark, D-CA, served in the Air Force 1955-57
Wesley Clark, Democratic Presidential Candidate - 38-year career of public service in the Army, culminating as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
Prominent Republicans

Senator John McCain - McCain's naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. Why did the Bush campaign smear him so in 2000? At least Senators Cleland (D-GA), Kerry (D-MA), Kerrey (D-NE), Robb (D-VA) and Hagel (R-NE) defended him. 
Former Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld - served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. (1) Served as President Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East Congressman Ron Paul - active duty flight surgeon from 1963-65; Air National Guard from 1965-68. (link)
Former Senator Bob Dole - an honorable man. 
Chuck Hagel - two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam. 
Duke Cunningham - nominated for the Medal of Honor, received the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, fifteen Air Medals, the Purple Heart, and several other decorations 
 Senator Jeff Sessions U.S. Army Reserves, 1973-1986
Colin Powell. What are we to make of Powell? On the one hand, a long career as a military manager. On the other hand, accused of covering up the My Lai massacre. Back on that first hand, one of the seemingly sane voices in this administration when it comes to Iraq (or at least he used to be). On the other hand, a clear hypocrite ("I am angry that so many of the sons of the powerful and well-placed... managed to wangle slots in Reserve and National Guard units...")
Representative Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), served in USMC in Vietnam; wounded in action.
In 1971, 73 percent of members of Congress were veterans, but veterans made up fewer than 15 percent of the American population. Ten years later, 62 percent of Congress had served in the military, while just 12 percent of the population were veterans. In 1991, 11 percent of Americans were veterans, but the number of veterans in Congress dropped to 48 percent. And in 2001, 30 percent of members were veterans, and nine percent of Americans had served in the military.

The final thing to consider is the number of active duty military personnel over the past 70 years. In the 1940s, during the height of World War II, nearly nine percent of Americans were serving in the military. During the Vietnam War, Gulf War, Iraq War and War in Afghanistan less than two percent of the U.S. population served in the armed forces.

 

The 114th Congress will be made up of 70 current members and 11 incoming members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have served or are serving in the U.S. military. Three of the incoming members are Democrats; the other seven are Republicans. A number of veterans who are currently serving in the House decided to retire this year, and a small number lost re-election.

 

On the Senate side, three incoming members (two of whom are currently serving in the House) are serving or have served in the military — Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Gary Peters of Michigan and Joni Ernst of Iowa. There are currently only 13 members of the Senate who served in the military.

In all, 97 members of the next session of Congress will have served in the U.S. military. That means less than 18 percent of the new congressional delegation served in the armed forces. (Note: This number includes one non-voting delegate from the Northern Marianas.)

Compared to the 113th Congress, which began with 108 military veterans, the drop-off for the 114th Congress is only slight, but over the past 25 years nearly every congressional delegation has had fewer veterans than the previous group. Sixteen percent of senators and 18 percent of representatives in the new class will be military veterans or are currently serving.

Jump back to 1971, when member military service was at its peak, veterans made up 72 percent of members in the House and 78 percent in the Senate. In 1981, that number dipped to 64 percent of members, but veterans still made up a majority of Congress.

However the ratio of veterans in Congress still continues to top the percentage of the U.S. population that has served in the military. The most recent data from the 2010 Census shows that only seven percent of Americans have served in the military, while veterans make up 20 percent of the current Congress.

Prominent Democrats

Rick Noriega, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Texas -- joined the U.S. Army in 1979; currently Lt. Colonel in Texas Army National Guard, served in Afghanistan. (1)
Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) -- rifle platoon and company commander with the Fifth Marine Regiment in the An Hoa Basin west of Danang; was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts. (1)
Representative Tim Walz, D-MN - Twenty-four years of service in the Army National Guard, retiring in 2005.
Representative Joe Sestak, D-PA - 31 years of service in the Navy, rising to the rank of Vice Admiral.
Representative Chris Carney, D-PA - Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve, Carney served multiple tours overseas and was activated for Operation Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle, and Southern Watch.
Representative Patrick Murphy, D-PA - extensive career in the U.S. Army from 1993-2004; earned Bronze Star and Presidential Unit Citation.
Representative Phil Hare, D-IL - Served in the United States Army Reserve for six years. 
Representative Jack Murtha (D-PA) - distinguished 37-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel in 1990. (1)
Former House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt - Missouri Air National Guard, 1965-71. (1, 2)
Representative David Bonior - Staff Sgt., United States Air Force 1968-72 (1, 2)
Former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle - 1st Lt., U.S. Air Force SAC 1969-72 (1, 2)
Former Vice President Al Gore - enlisted August 1969; sent to Vietnam January 1971 as an army journalist, assigned to the 20th Engineer Brigade headquartered at Bien Hoa, an airbase twenty miles northeast of Saigon. More facts about Gore's Service
Former Senator Bob Kerrey... Democrat... Lt. j.g., U.S. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam (1, 2)
Senator Daniel Inouye, US Army 1943-'47; Medal of Honor, World War Two (1, 2)
Senator John Kerry, Lt., U.S. Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and three awards of the Purple Heart for his service in combat (1)
Representative Charles Rangel, Staff Sgt., U.S. Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea (1, 2)
Former Senator Max Cleland, Captain, U.S. Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam (1, 2)
Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) - U.S. Army Reserve, 1968-1975.
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) - U.S. Army, 1951-1953. (1)
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) - Lt., U.S. Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74. (1, 2)
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) - U.S. Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91 (1)
Former Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) - served as a U.S. Army officer in World War II, receiving the Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons. (1)
Representative Leonard Boswell (D-IA) - Lt. Col., U.S. Army 1956-76; two tours in Vietnam, two Distinguished Flying Crosses as a helicopter pilot, two Bronze Stars, and the Soldier's Medal. (1, 2)
Former Representative "Pete" Peterson, Air Force Captain, POW, Ambassador to Viet Nam, and recipient of the Purple Heart, the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit. (1, 2)
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-CA: Staff sergeant/platoon leader with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, U.S. Army; was wounded and received a Purple Heart. (1, 2)
Bill McBride, Democratic Candidate for Florida Governor - volunteered and served as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam; awarded Bronze Star with a combat "V." (1)
Gray Davis, former California Governor, Army Captain in Vietnam; received Bronze Star. (1)
Pete Stark, D-CA, served in the Air Force 1955-57
Wesley Clark, Democratic Presidential Candidate - 38-year career of public service in the Army, culminating as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
Prominent Republicans

Senator John McCain - McCain's naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. Why did the Bush campaign smear him so in 2000? At least Senators Cleland (D-GA), Kerry (D-MA), Kerrey (D-NE), Robb (D-VA) and Hagel (R-NE) defended him. 
Former Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld - served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. (1) Served as President Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East Congressman Ron Paul - active duty flight surgeon from 1963-65; Air National Guard from 1965-68. (link)
Former Senator Bob Dole - an honorable man. 
Chuck Hagel - two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam. 
Duke Cunningham - nominated for the Medal of Honor, received the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, fifteen Air Medals, the Purple Heart, and several other decorations 
 Senator Jeff Sessions U.S. Army Reserves, 1973-1986
Colin Powell. What are we to make of Powell? On the one hand, a long career as a military manager. On the other hand, accused of covering up the My Lai massacre. Back on that first hand, one of the seemingly sane voices in this administration when it comes to Iraq (or at least he used to be). On the other hand, a clear hypocrite ("I am angry that so many of the sons of the powerful and well-placed... managed to wangle slots in Reserve and National Guard units...")
Representative Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), served in USMC in Vietnam; wounded in action.
 

In 1971, 73 percent of members of Congress were veterans, but veterans made up fewer than 15 percent of the American population. Ten years later, 62 percent of Congress had served in the military, while just 12 percent of the population were veterans. In 1991, 11 percent of Americans were veterans, but the number of veterans in Congress dropped to 48 percent. And in 2001, 30 percent of members were veterans, and nine percent of Americans had served in the military.

The final thing to consider is the number of active duty military personnel over the past 70 years. In the 1940s, during the height of World War II, nearly nine percent of Americans were serving in the military. During the Vietnam War, Gulf War, Iraq War and War in Afghanistan less than two percent of the U.S. population served in the armed forces.

 

 

Regards
WG CDR S K PAI