In February 2008 there were about 187,000 men and women serving in the British Armed Forces. The RAF has 3,000 personnel deployed on operations around the world in locations such as the Falkland Islands and the Balkans. The Army has people on operations or in training in more than 80 countries, including in Afghanistan where there are 7,700 Armed Forces personnel deployed as part of a Nato-led operation. Ninety-one British military personnel have been killed there since the start of operations in November 2001. In Iraq, 176 British military personnel have died since the USled invasion in 2003; 4,100 armed forces personnel are still deployed there.

Medals are handed out by the Ministry of Defence Medal Office; it has had to buy two new engraving machines to reduce the backlog of those waiting to receive their honours. Over the past 18 months it has sent out more than 160,000 medals to service personnel and veterans, some of whom served in the Second World War. The next of kin of deceased veterans are entitled to claim medals on behalf of their relatives. The highest honour that can be awarded for bravery in the presence of the enemy is the Victoria Cross. It was most recently awarded to Corporal Bryan Budd, 29, of the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment. He was awarded the VC posthumously for acts of “inspirational leadership and the greatest valour” in southern Afghanistan in 2006. A coroner ruled that he was killed by “friendly fire”.

The UK’s defence budget will increase from £32.6 billion in 2007-2008 to £36.9 billion in 2010-2011, according to the Ministry of Defence. The Treasury has paid out £6.6 billion for the additional cost of military operations such as Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. David Cameron, the Leader of the Opposition, recently criticised the Government’s defence budget. He claimed that spending was at its lowest since the 1930s. Last year, five former chiefs of the defence staff called the funding situation “desperate”. The Government is committed to spending up to £20 billion on four Trident ballistic missile submarines in order to maintain the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

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