The death and inquest of Geoff Gray
21/06/2019
The third re-inquest in relation to the four Deepcut deaths of young soldiers has returned a verdict of suicide despite lack of proof and illustrates again the imbalance of power between the institutions of the military and the individual.
The case for unionising the army
19/06/2019
With the military's complaints system being called 'fundamentally dysfunctional' and its justice system 'second rate', we look at calls for expanding the rights of military personnel and allowing self-organisation through unionisation.
The British military: protecting the Sultan of Brunei
05/04/2019
With the stationing of British troops in Brunei, the UK government has a powerful hand to play in challenging the new anti-LGBTQ+ law imposed by the Sultan.
New report calls for regulation of military marketing that targets young people
27/02/2019ForcesWatch press release
A report published today (27 February 2019) critiques the armed forces’ marketing practice in selling their careers to vulnerable adolescents. This comes in the wake of the Army's controversial new 'Snowflake' recruiting campaign.
Adverse health effects of recruiting child soldiers
27/02/2019BMJ Paediatrics Open
This editorial in BMJ Paediatrics Open (2019, vol 3, issue 1) discusses the issues raised in the Medact report, The recruitment of children by the UK Armed Forces: a critique from health professionals, which brought together evidence highlighting the increased risk of death and injury for those recruited under the age of 18. The authors, Reem Abu-Hayyeh and Guddi Singh, contributed to the content and launch of the report Selling the military: A critical analysis of contemporary recruitment marketing in the UK by ForcesWatch and Medact.
Sexual assault continues to plague women in the military
14/02/2019ForcesWatch comment
We look at the Lost Heroines campaign by specialist lawyers Bolt Burdon Kemp which highlights some of the issues facing women in the military, with a particular focus on sexual harassment.
Historical allegations: fact vs fiction
11/02/2019ForcesWatch comment
With the recent reporting about relaxed rules of engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan, we take a quick look at some of the key questions around the allegations of abuse and killing by UK troops.
Personnel are being failed by the military justice system
01/02/2019ForcesWatch comment
We welcome Liberty's Second Rate Justice report and the launch of their new Human Rights Helpline for the UK Armed Forces.
Martial Law and No-Deal War Games
31/01/2019ForcesWatch comment
The armed forces are engaging in 'war games', reservists will be mobilised and Brexit planners are reportedly looking at the possibility of martial law in the event of a no-deal.
RAF100: A Short Counterhistory of Britain’s Air Force
20/12/2018ForcesWatch comment
2018 has been the centenary year of the Royal Air Force. While many think of the RAF in the sepia tones of the Battle of Britain, and the RAF leans heavily on a mystique that sets it apart from the army and navy, there is far more to be said about the service. We explore the role it has played in the last 100 years in bringing the asymmetry of air power to conflicts with often devastating effect.