Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
London Daily Telegraph
April 19, 2008
Gordon Brown wants to create a British Purple Heart - the medal awarded to American troops injured in battle.
Aides travelling with the Prime Minister on his three-day official visit to the US said that he believed Britain could learn a lot from the way America treats its military.
He was said to have been impressed by the way the US celebrates its Armed Forces through homecoming parades, appearances at sporting events, and regular television coverage.
He now wants officials to look at the possibility of instituting a medal for combat casualties, although any decision would be a matter for the Chiefs of Staff.
Mr Brown has already commissioned Labour backbencher Quentin Davies to carry out a review of civil-military relations in Britain.
One aide said that Mr Brown had noticed during his visit the way the the Armed Forces were "a constant feature of American life, while it is all too often a forgotten feature of life in Britain".
The premier was said to also be looking at what Britain could learn from America's treatment of military veterans - particularly the assistance offered in finding work when they leave the Forces.
April 19, 2008
Gordon Brown wants to create a British Purple Heart - the medal awarded to American troops injured in battle.
Aides travelling with the Prime Minister on his three-day official visit to the US said that he believed Britain could learn a lot from the way America treats its military.
He was said to have been impressed by the way the US celebrates its Armed Forces through homecoming parades, appearances at sporting events, and regular television coverage.
He now wants officials to look at the possibility of instituting a medal for combat casualties, although any decision would be a matter for the Chiefs of Staff.
Mr Brown has already commissioned Labour backbencher Quentin Davies to carry out a review of civil-military relations in Britain.
One aide said that Mr Brown had noticed during his visit the way the the Armed Forces were "a constant feature of American life, while it is all too often a forgotten feature of life in Britain".
The premier was said to also be looking at what Britain could learn from America's treatment of military veterans - particularly the assistance offered in finding work when they leave the Forces.