Latest news with #NimrodMRA2
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
' I want an apology,' says veteran forced to leave military for being gay
Kevin Jones, a former RAF sergeant from Newport, served his country with distinction - but was forced out of the RAF because of who he is. He says veterans like him, who were driven out of the military for their sexuality, need "their day in court and answers, just like the postmasters." Kevin spoke against a backdrop of secrecy, document shredding, suspected official cover-ups and personal illness. Kevin's unblemished service record included service aboard the Nimrod MRA2, conducting anti-submarine and anti-ship operations. The Lliswerry boy joined up in 1992, driven by a sense of service, purpose and the hope of starting anew. As a gay man, he thought life would be easier if he moved away to find freedom away from his own doorstep, a common delusion of gay men and women in those days, he recalls. He reflected: 'Life doesn't work that way.' I tried… Newport's new crisp bottomless brunch 'We owe it to Zach': calls for focus on veterans at risk of cancer After leaving Newport to live openly as a gay man, Kevin entered an institution where honesty was dangerous, because homosexuality was officially banned in the armed forces until the year 2000. Though he maintained a spotless record and served without incident for years, Kevin says his private life eventually became a target, a few years into his service. A letter from a former partner landed on his base commander's desk and suddenly his career was in jeopardy. Kevin recalls: 'I was summoned in Number Ones, full service dress. I had to walk through the tearooms, so everyone knew something was going on.' Confronted by his wing commander, with an incriminating letter from a former partner, Kevin made a bold decision to bluff and bluster his way out of trouble. He demanded his officer 'lose' the letter - a code for dealing with things in the old 'don't ask, don't tell', way. This tacit understanding of gay relationships had no fixed rules and left people at the mercy of fortune. On this occasion, is gamble was successful - for the time being. Kevin endured three more years of pressure and suspicion and riding his luck. Then one day, the RAF's Special Investigations Branch turned up at his house in plain clothes, an ominous sign of trouble: 'They were without a warrant, claiming authority from the procurator fiscal's office. My then partner denied them entry,' Kevin recalls. From then on, the pressure just grew and Kevin eventually left, 'under a cloud,' as he puts it. He continued: 'I am now ill and face a battle against an aggressive form of prostate cancer. I want my medals, an explanation and an apology. There is a compensation scheme and money would be nice, but recognition of how they ended my career in serving my country is what I want most of all. 'They have lost all of my files. I found out that this is common and I don't know how many files they shredded. Why did they do this to me and why are they getting away with doing this to so many? Why did they shred all those files and where is my recognition of my service?' In recent years, the Ministry of Defence has acknowledged the loss of files. It has confirmed veterans, subject to investigation for homosexuality, may not be able to access their records. In 2010, the MOD confirmed many files were destroyed following an order from the Defence Police Chiefs' Forum. In many cases, inserts were left in empty folders to confirm investigations had taken place, but records were missing. In 2023, the LGBT Veterans Independent Review documented widespread destruction of records and its impact on its victims. The MOD has fully responded to this story and has expressed contrition.
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- South Wales Argus
RAF forced out of military because of his sexuality
He says veterans like him, who were driven out of the military for their sexuality, need "their day in court and answers, just like the postmasters." Kevin spoke against a backdrop of secrecy, document shredding, suspected official cover-ups and personal illness. Kevin's unblemished service record included service aboard the Nimrod MRA2, conducting anti-submarine and anti-ship operations. The Lliswerry boy joined up in 1992, driven by a sense of service, purpose and the hope of starting anew. As a gay man, he thought life would be easier if he moved away to find freedom away from his own doorstep, a common delusion of gay men and women in those days, he recalls. He reflected: 'Life doesn't work that way.' I tried… Newport's new crisp bottomless brunch 'We owe it to Zach': calls for focus on veterans at risk of cancer After leaving Newport to live openly as a gay man, Kevin entered an institution where honesty was dangerous, because homosexuality was officially banned in the armed forces until the year 2000. Though he maintained a spotless record and served without incident for years, Kevin says his private life eventually became a target, a few years into his service. A letter from a former partner landed on his base commander's desk and suddenly his career was in jeopardy. Kevin recalls: 'I was summoned in Number Ones, full service dress. I had to walk through the tearooms, so everyone knew something was going on.' Confronted by his wing commander, with an incriminating letter from a former partner, Kevin made a bold decision to bluff and bluster his way out of trouble. He demanded his officer 'lose' the letter - a code for dealing with things in the old 'don't ask, don't tell', way. This tacit understanding of gay relationships had no fixed rules and left people at the mercy of fortune. On this occasion, is gamble was successful - for the time being. Kevin endured three more years of pressure and suspicion and riding his luck. Then one day, the RAF's Special Investigations Branch turned up at his house in plain clothes, an ominous sign of trouble: 'They were without a warrant, claiming authority from the procurator fiscal's office. My then partner denied them entry,' Kevin recalls. From then on, the pressure just grew and Kevin eventually left, 'under a cloud,' as he puts it. He continued: 'I am now ill and face a battle against an aggressive form of prostate cancer. I want my medals, an explanation and an apology. There is a compensation scheme and money would be nice, but recognition of how they ended my career in serving my country is what I want most of all. 'They have lost all of my files. I found out that this is common and I don't know how many files they shredded. Why did they do this to me and why are they getting away with doing this to so many? Why did they shred all those files and where is my recognition of my service?' In recent years, the Ministry of Defence has acknowledged the loss of files. It has confirmed veterans, subject to investigation for homosexuality, may not be able to access their records. In 2010, the MOD confirmed many files were destroyed following an order from the Defence Police Chiefs' Forum. In many cases, inserts were left in empty folders to confirm investigations had taken place, but records were missing. In 2023, the LGBT Veterans Independent Review documented widespread destruction of records and its impact on its victims. The MOD has fully responded to this story and has expressed contrition.
