It’s all in the post

From the archive, first published Friday 9th Mar 2007.

It currently costs £7.29 to send a 2kg package to British troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans and, as far as the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is concerned, that's a bargain.

Unfortunately, nearly 3,000 people don't think that way at all.

They are the partners, children, parents, uncles, aunts and friends of soldiers in war zones, and they are not happy.

For the past few weeks, they have been adding their signatures to a petition on the Downing Street website, asking the Government to scrap postal charges on parcels going to troops on the frontline - just as it was at the start of the Iraq War.

The petition closes next month and, while the organisers don't expect a media response similar to the anti-motorway taxation petition (two million-plus signatures), they are hoping the MoD will see the light and ditch the charges.

"It is our belief that the British Government should waive postal charges of items up to 2kg in weight for delivery via BFPO (British Forces Post Office) to troops on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan," said a petition spokesman.

"These young men and women put their lives on the line daily for their country, but their families have to pay Post Office charges to send out morale-boosting parcels to their loved ones."

With so many people signing the petition, this is no storm in a teacup.

But Colonel Tony Phillips, deputy commander of Colchester Garrison, has not heard of any Colchester-based soldiers or their families, who are worried or angry over the cost of sending parcels to war zones.

This doesn't mean they haven't signed the petition, but if they had, Col Phillips would be surprised.

"We need to know those things which are affecting our troops," he stressed, "but, as far as I am aware, the cost of sending parcels is not a concern in Colchester."

He doesn't see how it could be. He revealed there is a "whole raft of provisions" guaranteed to soldiers in war zones "to ease the burden of operational tours".

This eclectic raft includes library books, fitness equipment, e-mail and internet access and the latest DVDs.

"No-one is charged for letters, and, every week, soldiers are entitled to so many minutes free phone calls," he explained. "What must be remembered is everything has to go air freight - and air freight is expensive.

"I would imagine the price charged for sending a parcel is nothing more than the price of the running costs.

"What people forget is that the MoD is on a budget, too."

The MoD concurred. A spokesman pointed out that even though it charged for packages, it "bore the burden" of much of the cost.

"£7.29 is what it would cost to send a much lighter package first class in the UK," she said.

"The real cost of sending a package to Afghanistan, is nearer £21."

She revealed that when troops first went out to Iraq in March, 2003, it cost nothing to send parcels.

"We allowed that for some time," she revealed, "because they could not buy essentials - bath products, chocolates - that sort of thing, and which we saw as home comforts.

"Four years ago, there was no infrastructure in place to get these products. That has now changed."

Then there's Christmas.

Being in a war zone during the Peace on Earth season can be difficult. This is why the Gazette recorded a Christmas "messages" video at Colchester Garrison for frontline troops from their families. It went down a storm.

"We understand how difficult it is serving on operations at Christmas," declared the spokesman. "This is why there is a four-week period in the run-up to Christmas when it is free to send packages to soldiers in war zones."

But what of the insistence that all parcels should be free?

"The reduced cost of sending packages is part of the MoD's Operational Welfare Package, which is reviewed on a regular basis," she said.

"The last review was late last year when soldiers serving in war zones told us they would prefer more free minutes to phone home than free postage for packages.

"Now they get 30 minutes free calls a week to the UK as opposed to 20 minutes. They also have increased internet access, which makes it easier to send e-mails."

And free postage? Maybe the next review.

Colchester troops abroad - the facts

There are about 3,500 troops stationed at Colchester Garrison. Most are in units attached to 16 Air Assault Brigade including 2 Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, 3 Battalion, the Parachute Regiment and 7 Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artilliary.

More than 1,400 soldiers and other Army personnel are serving with Nato in Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia

Most of the troops deployed in Afghanistan in 2006 have now returned; the few remaining are due back in October. The next wave leave in March/April 2008

There are currently no Colchester-based troops in Iraq.