On Tuesday 12th December, the Guernsey Armed Forces Covenant was signed by the Lt-Governor, the Bailiff and the President, Policy & Resources Committee on behalf of the people of Guernsey.
The Covenant acts as a commitment between the States of Guernsey and the people of Guernsey, and the local armed forces community. Its intention is to ensure that those who currently serve in the armed forces or have done so in the past (whether Regular or Reserve) and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens regarding public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have been affected most, such as the injured and the bereaved.
There is a UK Armed Forces Covenant which sets out the relationship at a national level between the Armed Forces and the UK Government. This Guernsey Armed Forces Covenant is built on similar principles of mutual support and moral obligation towards our armed forces community.
This Covenant promotes the integration of service life into civilian life and encourages members of the armed forces community to engage in island life.
The measures that form the foundation of this Covenant include looking after the welfare needs of our armed forces personnel and their families; recognising and remembering the sacrifices faced by the armed forces community in annual services of commemoration; acknowledging the important role of the cadet forces of all military services and their valuable contribution to the youth and community services of Guernsey; and developing ways of improving access to information for serving and ex-service personnel and their families in respect of support and services in Guernsey.
Recognising those who have performed military duty unites the community and demonstrates the value of their contribution. This has no greater expression than in the upholding of this Covenant.
