Armed Forces day recommended
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Members of the Armed Forces and veterans should be celebrated by a public holiday, a study into raising awareness of the military says.
The National Recognition of the Armed Forces study aims to identify ways of encouraging greater appreciation of the military by the public.
The Government-commissioned report also proposes included encouraging service personnel to wear their uniforms in public, expanding cadet forces in comprehensive schools and holding more homecoming parades for returning troops.
The study, requested by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and conducted by Tory-turned-Labour MP Quentin Davies, said Armed Forces Day should take place on a Saturday at the end of June, so that children and working adults can attend events.
Last year the head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, warned that a lack of public appreciation for Britain's military effort in Iraq and Afghanistan was in danger of 'sapping' the willingness of troops to serve on such dangerous operations.
In March, it emerged recently that RAF personnel were told not to wear uniform in parts of Peterborough, after consultation with police, because of abuse of some service staff by members of the public.
However, an expansion of cadet training would improve both discipline among teenagers and the public perception of the Armed Forces, according to recent reports.
Currently only there are only 60 cadet forces in the comprehensive school system in England and Wales, compared with 200 in the grammar and independent sector.
But, the proposal to expand them, which would see pupils who sign up given weapons training, is likely to prove highly controversial. In March teaching unions denounced schools-based cadet forces as a questionable recruiting tactic.
Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, welcomed the recommendations, saying: 'I believe Combined Cadet Forces can make a huge difference to the young people who join them and the schools and communities in which they are based and I look forward to discussing the expansion of CCF in state schools with the MoD.
'This is about encouraging young people to volunteer, to develop a service ethos as well as keeping fit and doing activates out of doors.
'It's also important young people understand the diverse role of the Armed Forces. There is already scope to explore these issues in citizenship classes and we will continue to work with MoD to improve understanding.
'This is not just about recruitment, this is about personal development and educational opportunities.'
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