If You Can't Stand The Cold, Get Out Of The Army.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3544150/Black-soldiers-sue-Ministry-Defence-saying-suffered-cold-injuries-bosses-took-no-account-skin-colour.html

Perhaps the Army should also consider white soldiers when they send them to the tropics?



Get out of the Freezer if it's too cold

[sp1814]

AOG

This is an interesting story. I have never heard of NFCI, or that black and biracial people are 30 times more likely to suffer from it than white people.

Should be taken as seriously as PTSD - this is something that the armed services have made great strides with, in the past couple of decades.

[Svejk]

Remember working with West Indian guys, and when it was so hot I'd feel sick, some of them would still have roll-neck pullovers and overalls on, Lol. It must feel worse for them in the cold weather. Although to be fair, I can't remember them complaining, any more than the rest of us, when it was cold.

[Svejk]

Working in Ireland on a nice autumn day(T-shirt weather) There was this engineer who'd just come from Malaysia. He was dressed like an Eskimo and asked me, through chattering teeth, was it always so cold in 'this' country. Felt sorry for him.

[woofgang]

I spent many year travelling around the hotter parts of the world on ships with no AC. Even though my time of private summers, it has definitely had an effect on my sense of what is hot and cold...I am white and UK born.

[TheChair]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/11649347/SAS-death-march-soldier-suffered-hallucinations-as-a-result-of-heat-exhaustion.html

[Svejk]

I think, black or white, when you sign up for the army (or, to a lesser extent, outdoor work) you just have to accept conditions that you wouldn't in other walks of life. Wouldn't it be discrimination to only deploy black people in hot countries? (although, it would make sense to me)

[-Talbot-]

'The MoD has acknowledged research indicating that these groups are 30 times more likely to contract an NFCI (non-freezing cold injury) than Caucasian service personnel.


Wow news to me. Just contacted x Black Royal Marine ...news to him too and he spent years in Norway.

[woofgang]

30 times more likely doesn’t mean that everyone who is black does. It does seem a bit silly to me not to take precautions not to injure soldiers during training and exercise....after all you stand a better chance of winning wars if your soldiers are fit, healthy and undamaged when they get to the battlefield. This isn’t someone moaning about being a bit chilly, there is actual physiological (not psychological) damage

[jomifl]

How do you find out which soldiers are fit for the battlefield?

[jomifl]

When I was on holiday in Kenya the house boys were complaining about the heat. It was only 30C. It goes from -15C to +40C where I live, whereas in that part of Kenya the temperature must vary between 25C and 30C. It is what you are used to that matters..

[woofgang]

jom, I think its more a case of making sure that stuff like proper thermals are available to all who may need them. My Dad was a CSM in the regular army, pre WW2 to demob and he told me once that one of his jobs used to be foot inspection of recruits. They were in new circumstances and needed to be taught to care for their feet. He also had to make sure that the recruits knew about the effects of heat and how to deal with skin problems because a sick soldier is no use to anyone.

[sp1814]

I think the answer has to be that people who volunteer to die for their country need to have equipment that allows them to do their job. If that means acknowledging that black service people are likely to suffer from NFCI, then we should ensure that funds are available to prevent this, especially if it could lead to medical issues after they leave the forces.

The 'get out of the freezer if it's too cold' attitude might not be the most sensible approach here.

[Old_Geezer]

I suspect that there should be a difference between some things being sensible to look at and address for the benefit of the force, and a right to sue because as a soldier you were too soft to cope with rough conditions. If you can't cope with the demands don't join up and then sue. It's not even as if they were conscripted and had no choice. One volunteers in peacetime.

[sp1814]

Old_Geezer

Agreed.

Anyone who has previously suffered from NFCI prior to joining the services, should not sign up.

Similarly, anyone who has suffered from post traumatic shock syndrome should think long and hard before joining any branch of the armed services.

Everyone else though, should be encouraged, if that's what their aim in life is.

[Togo]

Will we get hundreds of claims from White soldiers who served in the Gulf war, or even Burma in WW2, because they were not physically prepared and protected due to their skin not being suited to extreme sunlight and heat. Perhaps they are at greater risk of developing melanoma. Will we have a new comedy serial called "It ain't half cold Mum"?