3 days ago
Prince William pledges action on soldiers' housing
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, donned his camouflage and blue beret for a hands-on visit to Wattisham flying station in Suffolk.
The Prince rolled up his sleeves, served bacon and sausage baps, and listened closely to the Army Air Corps' biggest gripe: poor accommodation.
The Prince, now Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, arrived in style, piloting a Wildcat Helicopter. After landing, he ducked into a camouflaged tent, simulating a mobile planning HQ.
He got to grips with mission-planning tech under the watchful eye of Lance Corporal Sulabh Ale. But it was the soldiers' living conditions that stole the spotlight, according to BBC .
'I'm going to have a chat about accommodation, make sure they look at that,' William promised. He added with a grin, 'If they listen to me, that's another matter.'
The Prince's easy humour broke the ice, but the issue was serious. When he asked another group about their housing, and was met with only smiles. He quipped, 'I'll take that away, a lot of smiles going on, that's all you need to say'.
Staff Sergeant Megan Chasney, who's served at Wattisham for 15 years, said, 'It was fantastic to host the new Colonel-in-Chief.
He said he would do his best to help improve the site's infrastructure.'
She also highlighted the importance of the weekly Archer's Breakfast, not just for morale, but for remembering fallen comrades.
'It's really important to the soldiers here – some of them served with Daniel Pope on tours of Afghanistan. It's important to make sure he's not forgotten'.
The Prince's visit wasn't all talk, as he handed out a King's Commendation for Valuable Service and promoted several soldiers from corporal to sergeant.
He even joked with families about the challenges of military life, saying, 'Some of them might not want to see you that much – it's a mixed bag'.
The Ministry of Defence has acknowledged the problem. 'For too long, many military families have lived in substandard homes.
We are taking decisive action to fix the dire state of military accommodation and ensure that our heroes and their loved ones live in the homes they deserve.'
They've pledged over £1.5 billion – that's about R35.4 billion – to tackle the issue.
Decent housing for soldiers isn't just a British problem – it's a global one. As the Prince of Wales put it, 'I'm going to discuss accommodation, ensuring they take that into consideration.'
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