‘Nothing is going to happen to you. You’ll be telling your grandkids about this.’
‘Right, yeah, but if it does, you’ll make sure she gets it?’
This is one of the countless conversations from my time in the British Army that I’ll never forget, writes Security Minister Dan Jarvis. One night, in Afghanistan, my rifle company was forced to shelter under what we called ‘Certain Death Hill’ – a huge hill that made us sitting ducks for the Taliban. That was the only option available to us. Fortunately, we both survived – the letter didn’t leave the locker.
I’ll be thinking of him, and all those I served with, this Armed Forces Day. They are – and, tragically in some cases, they were – the very best of us.
Right now, British troops are deployed in 52 operations across 38 countries, protecting the UK and our interests in an era of dangerous uncertainty.
At home, they’ve supported us through floods, fires, and the pandemic. And they’ll do it again, at the drop of a hat.
So it’s about time a government does right by them – and I’m very proud to serve in that government. This week we announced that we will increase spending on national security to 5% of GDP by 2035, in recognition of the vital work our Armed Forces do.
We’re backing them with more than just money. We’re backing them in law.
Today, the Prime Minister confirmed that we’ll put the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law, delivering on a key manifesto pledge. That means every part of government will legally have to consider the needs of those who serve, those who have served, and their families when making decisions. It’ll be a game changer – extending travel benefits to the families of veterans and supporting flexible working for military partners. Simply put, we’re rewriting the rules to support those who serve us.
And we’re rebuilding trust by making sure service families have decent homes, stable postings, and support. We’ll also invest in training and modern kit—because our troops should never be asked to do their dangerous job without the tools they need.
When the uniform comes off, we’ll still be there. There will be homes for heroes as we’ve removed local connection requirements for veterans accessing social housing. Injured, wounded and sick veterans have access to specialist care under the NHS. Mental health services will be there when they’re needed—including through Op COURAGE in England. And career support will help veterans lead full and successful civilian lives through Op ASCEND.
We’ve rolled out Veteran Cards and veterans will be the first cohort to access GOV.UK wallets later this year. This week we announced the latest £3.5 million allocation in wrap-around support services for veterans at risk of homelessness, and veterans across northern England will be the first to benefit from VALOUR, the Government’s new £50m support system giving former members of the Armed Forces greater access to tailored support.
Our Armed Forces stand up for us. This government will always stand up for them: on the battlefield, in the barracks, and for all the time after their service ends.
Dan Jarvis MBE MP is the Security Minister and served in The Parachute Regiment.