THE British Army is wasting £120,000 a year by forcing soldiers at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan to iron their uniforms, according to a Ministry of Defence insider.
While senior officers have insisted on strict standards of appearance, many soldiers have complained about having to iron creases into their combat trousers and shirts in a war zone. One corporal has complained that the policy appeared to have been “thought up by someone sat bored behind a desk”.
“We are at war, after all,” he said. “We should be focusing on our jobs, not unnecessary policies. I’m sure this money could be far better spent, especially in this financial climate, and preferably on something worthwhile which adds to morale rather than depletes it.”
Now a Ministry of Defence energy expert has written to Soldier magazine, the army’s in-house journal, estimating the cost of the diesel needed to generate the electricity for the irons. Ray Fielding, an official at the Defence Equipment and Support branch in Bristol, said that for the 6,000 men at Camp Bastion it was £119,808 a year — enough to buy about 100 sets of night-vision goggles.
“While not in a position to remark on the military rationale for such a directive, I am in a position to comment on its costs,” he said. “Taking the figures for troop numbers and ironing time needed per soldier per week, approximately 332,800kWh of power would be required per year.”
Fielding also questioned the use of fuel for ironing while the army is trying to cut by 50% the £20m annual cost of providing power to the camp — and given that 190 contractors have been killed on fuel resupply convoys since the conflict started.
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