National News & Announcements

The New Year Honours list has been announced with a number of military personnel being recognised for their service. One hundred and eighteen personnel from across the tri-services are included in the list of honours from Her Majesty the Queen. The Chief of the General Staff, General Mark Carleton-Smith has been given a knighthood, with Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone, Commander, Allied Maritime Command, also being knighted.

VETERANS battling alcohol, drug and mental health problems are to receive advanced care provided by a new £10million crisis service under the NHS. The service will be launched next month to help vulnerable ex-servicemen and women batting addiction or PTSD dubbed the National Heroes Service.

The National Audit Office found significant problems with the British Army Recruiting Partnering Project because it "underestimated the complexity of the project". The outsourcing company Capita was awarded the £495 million contract for Army recruitment in 2012, but according to the report the Army has not recruited the number of soldiers it requires in any year since the contract began.

HMS Queen Elizabeth has returned home to the UK after a four-month deployment in the United States. More than a thousand members of the ship’s company are being welcomed back in Portsmouth by family and friends. Three Merlin Helicopters from 845 Naval Air Squadron have already returned, landing yesterday at RNAS Yeovilton.

Theresa May Becomes First Conservative PM To Visit Argentina Since Falklands War. Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed to maintain Britain's defence of the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, as she became the first Conservative Prime Minister to visit Argentina since the 1982 war. Mrs May will hold one-on-one talks with Argentine President Mauricio Macri later, who is hosting leaders from around the world at the G20 summit of major economies.