As you may know, this coming week is Armed Forces Week, culminating in an entire day of celebration on Saturday 24th June. Since the very first Armed Forces Day back in 2006 (formerly known as Veterans’ Day), the event has been held on an annual basis, with a different British town acting as the focal point for national events.
Our area too has regularly held our own local salute to our Armed Forces, with Lincolnshire even hosting the main national event in Cleethorpes in 2016.
Just last year, it was an honour to attend a flag raising ceremony at the South Kesteven District Council chambers, and I am looking forward to seeing how we all mark Armed Forces Week both locally and in Parliament over the course of next week.
I am proud that so many of Britain’s soldiers, sailors, and airmen come from Lincolnshire, and that similar numbers choose to call our area home as they resettle back into civilian life. In fact, with 7.4% or some 8,693 people in South Kesteven previously serving our country in uniform, we live in an area with one of the highest proportions of veterans.
As a member of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, I have been fortunate to gain an unique insight into the roles of a number of men and women currently serving in the Royal Navy, from those who crew the submarines providing our nuclear deterrent, to the Royal Marines ready to deploy across the globe at short notice to protect British interests.
Of course, as I referenced in my very first speech in the House of Commons, Lincolnshire is first-and-foremost bomber county, and our enduring local connection to the Royal Air Force can be seen both across our landscape and regularly overhead.
Alongside this, the Prince William of Gloucester barracks just outside Grantham is the home of the British Army in South Kesteven, providing a base for hundreds of soldiers, including those from the Royal Logistic Corps Army Reserve and of the Army Training Regiment (Grantham) which provides training to almost all British Army Reserve recruits.
It is important also to remember the vital role these reservists play alongside their comrades in the regular forces, often while also having full-time civilian careers. The Wednesday of Armed Forces Week will provide the opportunity for around 35,000 reservists to wear their uniform to their day-to-day work, highlighting the immense contribution of our reserve forces.
So whether you are a regular, reservist, or veteran, I want to extend my sincere thanks on behalf of our community for your unwavering commitment to keeping us all safe and defending our interests overseas, in the service of King and Country.
We owe them all a debt greater than we can ever repay, but I will always back our service personnel, veterans and their families.
