Brits in Afghanistan

British Troops Have Poor Hygiene And Too Many Injuries, US Commander Says

By Michael Evans, Defence Editor
London Times
August 13, 2009

A US commander has criticised British troops in Helmand province, attacking everything from their gathering of intelligence to their personal hygiene.

The unnamed Marine commander claimed that British Forces spent insufficient time living among the Afghan people, were not posted for long enough, had too many bases and suffered too many non-battle injuries.

The confidential briefing, given in the spring, according to the New Statesman, also suggested that the British military “are cautious about the enemy and overestimate their strength”. The commander was quoted as saying: “Your standards of personal hygiene and field discipline aren?t good enough.”

Many soldiers in Helmand serve in primitive forward bases where facilities can be crude. Showers often consist of a plastic bag of water with a tap, hung from a frame. Soldiers returning from patrols in scorching heat have to wait their turn to get a shower.

The Ministry of Defence said that troops were aware that good personal “field hygiene” was important. It was “nonsense” that British hygiene was worse than American standards.

An army spokesman said: “We do not recognise this criticism of our highly professional troops. In the harsh battlefield conditions of Afghanistan every soldier knows that good field hygiene keeps them fighting fit.

“Recent US and UK operations in Helmand show that we work well together and US commanders rate the British Army very highly.”

The MoD also dismissed claims that British soldiers were suffering excessive non-battle injuries. “We have the same number of injuries whether the troops are serving in Afghanistan or back at home,” one official said.

Replying to the criticism that the tour lengths were too short, General Sir Richard Dannatt, head of the Army, said: “I?m completely convinced that at the level of intensity of fighting in Afghanistan at the moment, six months is as long as I want to commit our people to. It is very intense, it is very difficult.”