MoD denies unfit soldiers are hampering Afghan operations
British military chiefs today denied that having 5,000 soldiers unfit for frontline duties was hitting operations in Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Defence insisted effectiveness was not being undermined after it emerged that 20 per cent of infantry personnel were "non-deployable" because of injury, illness, lack of fitness and other non-medical reasons. Obesity is believed to be an issue in some cases.
Tory MP Bernard Jenkin, who sits on the Commons defence committee, said around a thousand had been wounded in action while many others had suffering injuries such as twisting a knee or hearing loss.
"To have 20 per cent of the infantry unfit for the duties they are primarily employed and trained for is quite a staggering figure," he said.
He blamed the Treasury for failing to fund enough recruitment and training to replace injured soldiers. Nineteen battalions had fewer than 500 fully deployable soldiers.
An Army spokeswoman insisted: "All units deploy at the required strength for the tasks they are asked to fulfil during their operational tour."
A small number of the undeployable include the under-18s, pregnant soldiers, or those not being sent into action on compassionate grounds.
Many wounded soldiers are airlifted to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham where photographer Philip Coburn, 43, who works for the Sunday Mirror, is being treated after suffering serious leg injuries in an explosion which killed his colleague Rupert Hamer.
Coburn's partner, Standard writer Alison Roberts, said: "We would like to thank everyone who has shown their support because we've been inundated with people sending us their best wishes.
First and foremost though, our thoughts are with Rupert's family and his wife Helen. Rupert was not just Phil's colleague, they were great mates."
The MoD confirmed that another bomb disposal expert, from 11 EOD Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, was killed yesterday by an explosion in the Musa Qaleh area in Helmand. Afghan police say a member of their force was killed yesterday and two others wounded in a suicide attack at a police station.
