NGO Military Contact Group conference 2015
Speech by Mark Francois, Minister of State for the Armed Forces.
Introduction
I鈥檓 delighted to be here
And first鈥et me thank鈥� the Red Cross, the Foreign Office and the NGO Military Contact Group for organising this conference today
On a light-hearted note, the programme kindly says I鈥檓 down as the keynote speaker
鈥ut I鈥檓 then followed by an expert
鈥ou quickly learn in this business that humility is a fundamental part of the job!
For those who don鈥檛 know鈥hat my job does involve鈥s responsibility for operations in the armed forces
It鈥檚 a unique privilege
One that has afforded me the rare opportunity to see our brave servicemen and women in action in theatres right across the globe
And it鈥檚 emphasised something I knew in theory but only really grasped in practice when I became an infantryman in the Territorial Army
鈥uring the height of the Cold War
That while the primary purpose of our armed forces is to keep you and our country safe
鈥e do much else besides
Operational versatility: at home
For instance鈥ver the last few years鈥e have displayed considerable versatility in providing assistance to our own domestic civilian authorities when it鈥檚 been required
In 2012 in Operation Olympics 鈥ith the world watching on鈥ur armed forces helped secure鈥� at short notice鈥 great and glorious Olympic Games鈥aking sure people left those marvellous arenas with smiles on their faces
In 2014 in Operation Pitchpole 鈥hey rescued people and possessions in flooded areas of England鈥� helping provide vital reassurance鈥ot just to those affected but to the wider public watching on TV at home
Recalling these events I remember one rather sodden Saturday morning鈥elping to build a sand-bag wall鈥longside army reservists from 7th battalion the Rifles鈥o protect an electricity substation in the outskirts of Reading
It was raining and we got soaked
鈥or that morning at least I was鈥� unquestionably鈥� a wet Tory!
And 鈥n the last few months in Operation Prismed鈥ur armed forces have stepped up once more鈥riving ambulances during a period of industrial action
鈥howing again that 鈥n a time of difficulty鈥� our military are there to help
Operational versatility: abroad
But our armed forces have not just provided resilience on the domestic front鈥hey have continued to show their mettle abroad as well
As part of Operation Recsyr 鈥scorting chemical substances and weapons out of Syria for safe destruction 鈥nd in Operation Patwin 鈥� sending HMS Daring and HMS Illustrious to the Philippines in the wake of the devastating Typhoon Haiyan 鈥elping鈥iterally thousands鈥f people who had lost almost everything
The proud crew of HMS Illustrious were subsequently celebrated at the 鈥淢illies鈥�, The Sun Military Awards in December last year [2014]. I was there on the night to see it.
One of the crew members who was interviewed for the award ceremony explained that鈥hen the ship鈥檚 Commanding Officer realised what was happening鈥he risk to life and limb
鈥e accelerated his 20,000 ton warship up to 27 knots
鈥hich is a speed more familiar to a frigate than an aircraft carrier.
According to said crewman in the interview 鈥︹�渢he boss drove it like he stole it鈥�!
Yet another illustration of the Royal Navy鈥檚 readiness to help people in dire need
Gritrock
Over the last 6 months
鈥� we have deployed more than 900 armed forces personnel
鈥�.support ship RFA Argus鈥� providing a Role 2 medical facility
鈥� as well as aviation support from her 3 Merlin helicopters
Within a matter of weeks
鈥ur medics have trained 4,000 Sierra Leonean volunteer health-care workers
鈥ur logisticians have helped set up command and control centres across the country
鈥nd our engineers have overseen the construction of 6 Ebola Treatment Centres or鈥n effect鈥� mini-hospitals
鈥ncluding the pioneering Kerry Town Treatment centre
鈥here we are still running a specialist medical facility鈥or international healthcare workers鈥� alongside Save the Children
鈥nd we have treated a number of Ebola sufferers successfully at that facility
This is now鈥�.from MOD鈥檚 point of view鈥� our largest overseas deployment
And鈥n terms of the fight against Ebola鈥� second only in magnitude to that of the United States
Visiting Sierra Leone
My line manager鈥he Secretary of State鈥eturned from Sierra Leone just the other week
And prior to Christmas I visited and saw for myself the Kerry Town Treatment Unit
There I had the great privilege to meet the men and women of 22 Field Hospital
鈥r the 鈥渙ther 22鈥� as some in the military now refer to them
I saw for myself 鈥� the control and monitoring centre鈥� the decontamination unit
鈥� I remember in particular
鈥alking to a brave 19 year old nurse
鈥ho had recently emerged from the 鈥渞ed zone鈥�
鈥utting herself in harms way to protect others
鈥nd I must confess to thinking
鈥hat I鈥檝e never been prouder to be British
鈥� or indeed to be the Minister for our armed forces
鈥t was genuinely something I鈥檒l never forget my whole life
3 lessons from Sierra Leone
Remaining active
I believe there are 3 important lessons from our experience in Sierra Leone that will determine our approach to these types of humanitarian issue in future
And I鈥檇 like to share them with this conference today
First, that defence will have to remain active on the global stage
Not just because it鈥檚 the right thing to do 鈥ut because in a 21st century world 鈥f expansionist states鈥� terrorist death cults鈥iracy on the high seas鈥� weapons proliferation鈥nd deadly epidemics
鈥�.we cannot take an isolationist approach
Just as Ebola does not respect borders we have to be prepared to participate in other timely international responses
The Duke of Wellington once said in the 19th century that 鈥渉e who fails to plan to meet the enemy abroad will one day meet the enemy at home鈥�
And鈥n a 21st century context鈥e deployed personnel to West Africa
鈥ot just to help the Sierra Leoneans, right though that was
鈥ut to seek also to prevent a terrible disease
鈥rom spreading to our own countrymen here at home
For the record the British government has spent more than a third of a billion pounds in fighting Ebola
And for all the debate about international aid 鈥or all the controversy which has been generated鈥 would submit that even the most narrow-minded person 鈥ould have to accept that this money has been money well spent
Ready for anything
This brings me to my next point
That 鈥n an age of uncertainty and unpredictability 鈥he United Kingdom must remain ready for anything
As we transition from the conflict in Afghanistan鈥nd a Lance Corporal has just been awarded a VC for his brave actions in that conflict鈥�.as we rebalance our armed forces or return to contingency as we tend to say in the MOD鈥here will be implications not just for our military and defence roles
鈥ut for international engagement and wider humanitarian aid as well
We鈥檙e keen to ensure we can keep responding to trouble down the track
That鈥檚 one of the reasons why we鈥檙e transforming our Reserves and Regulars into a flexible future force
鈥nd why we鈥檙e continuing to invest in the most advanced military equipment
鈥hich though procured primarily for a military purpose
鈥lso has a clear utility in a humanitarian context as well
For instance鈥ur 65,000 ton aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales鈥�.the largest warships ever to be built in Britain
鈥oth of which鈥� I鈥檓 proud to say鈥ill now be entering service
Look at what Illustrious did in Patwin, these carriers are 3 times as big!
Like our world class Type 45 destroyers
Like our highly versatile C-17 transports, which brought people back from Sierra Leone 鈥upplemented by the new A400M aircraft
And like our Mark 6 Chinook Helicopters鈥iving us one of the largest Chinook helicopter fleets in the world outside of the US鈥�.