This report examines how and why the lives of some service personnel fall apart on leaving the British Armed Forces, asks how they can be rebuilt and presents solutions to prevent these personal tragedies.
On average over the previous six years, an average of more than 20,000 personnel have left the UK Armed Forces each year. For some, transition is a difficult and complicated process.
Many of the issues Service Leavers face are rooted in the disadvantage some recruits face before they enter service; research suggests that of the non-officer personnel in the military, 69 per cent were found to have come from a broken home; 50 per cent were classified as coming from a deprived background; and 16 per cent had been long-term unemployed before joining. More than a third of Early Service Leavers (ESLs) – those who leave having served less than four years – have endured the highest levels of childhood adversity. This disadvantage is often sheltered whilst in the military, but military careers are finite. In 2009/10, 60 per cent of those leaving the UK Armed Forces had served six years or less. The problems and consequences of such disadvantage can therefore lie dormant until after the service leaver is discharged from the Armed Forces.
This report is based around five key issues that confront some service leavers, and it explores the barriers that exist to their successful re-integration at their point of discharge, and examines the consequences of failing to overcome them.
They are:
- Employment
- Housing and Homelessness
- Alcohol and Drug Use
- Mental Health
- Crime
Negative outcomes in these areas are a terrible reality for some current and future service
leavers. This report will tackle why and how this is the case, identify where they are most
common in the Armed Forces, and make recommendations on how they can be avoided