Lack of air-con no problem for Britain's military 'warriors', minister insists

Britain's Armed Forces must be ready to cope with any enemy, including a warming planet, a Labour minister has said.

Calvin Bailey, Minister for Veterans, said that the string of sweltering heatwaves that have hit the UK would have no impact on the “warriors” training to keep the nation safe.

He denied that a lack of air conditioning in the gym would hinder their progress, pointing out that training in cooled comfort would be little preparation for the 40C heat of desert combat.

Mr Bailey was speaking at Kendrew Barracks in Rutland, the home of the famous Desert Rats, as troops worked out with temperatures outside pushing 32C.

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He said the resilience shown by the forces was an example to the wider public.

Kendrew features a state-of-the-art £11.6million gym that provides fitness facilities for around 1800 troops and their families.

The MOD’s Defence Related Environmental Assessment Methodology (DREAM) regulations mean that environmental issues are factored into new-build facilities.

While air conditioning is not banned, these rules push against it.

But the heat was part and parcel of the job, Mr Bailey said, adding that a lack of air conditioning was not an issue.

Mr Bailey’s distinguished military career saw him serve for more than two decades in the Royal Air Force.

Rising to Wing Commander, he flew military transport aircraft and led key operations, including the Kabul airlift during Operation Pitting.

He cited an occasion that saw him training in the Middle East with frontline forces.

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“The warrant officers went round to turn off all the air conditioning so that we could be ready for combat and be able to deal with the extreme heat that we face," he explained.

He said that “when air conditioning is required, then it is supplied" but pointed out that during his service, he was in charge of people “that had to operate Typhoons in 40 degree heat”.

“Managing that individual is what is important,” he said.

“You can't fight the weather. What you need to do is manage the risk.”

Speaking as troops trained behind him, he said that a single fan in the gym had only been switched on for the benefit of visiting journalists.

“What you're seeing today is people managing that risk,” he said.

“None of the soldiers, sailors and aviators in here need supplementary protection.

"These people are warriors and they manage being in here and being in training.

“Last week, I was at Pirbright Barracks, meeting our new entrants.

“It was 35 or 36 degrees, and one of the things that I said to them is, it's great seeing you out in the heat, managing that risk and being able to do your jobs.

“That is the type of thing that we need to pass back into society. The world is changing and we need to recognise that, but we also need to have a more resilient group of people.”

He added: “There is not a culture to not go out and tackle the challenges that people face. We treat and breed people that are resilient, and the more resilience that we can feed back into society, the better.”

Mr Bailey was speaking at the launch of a new health and fitness guidebook that is aimed at ensuring female recruits are able to take on the toughest military courses.

Mr Bailey said the guide will mean more women will be able to serve as commandos and airborne soldiers and in the special forces.

He said: “We’ll have a lot more women able to reach and attain and maintain those standards for much, much longer than they have been able to in the past.

“There is no lowering of the standards. We are just able to get people to and above the standard in a way that we weren't able to before.

“It’s a journey that we took our men on, and it’s a journey we’re now not only taking our women on, but we are world-leading at doing so.”

He pointed out that the last two team leaders of the RAF Falcons, the elite parachute team, had been women.

“The fact that the RAF Falcons train all of our special forces tells you that our women meet and exceed the standards, always,” he said.

“We are just able to get people to and above the standard in a way that we weren't able to before.

“It's a journey that we took our men on, and it's a journey that we're now not only taking our women on, but we are world leading at doing so.”

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