I am all for going green where possible, but there’s a limit to what is currently practicable.
A case in point is the recent switch to using electric vehicles for any journey, including long distance trips to Europe for adventurous training.
This may save on emissions but the route – for example, the 900-mile drive from Andover to the Austrian Alps – will take twice as long once charging is factored in, with the associated costs for travel and subsistence rising accordingly.
Under the current financial pressures, this will reduce the number of people able to take advantage of such retention-positive opportunities.
In addition, at the location for the exped I’m planning (which is away from main resorts to save money), the round trip to the nearest charging point is 120km – almost half the maximum range of the vehicle’s battery in normal conditions, let alone in cold weather.
I wonder if our adversaries tie themselves in knots in the name of green credentials. I suspect not. – Name and address supplied
I recently left the regular army after 35 years and took up a full-time reserve service contract (FTRS).
I have moved my family back home but now I’m struggling to find a dentist where we can register and be seen for annual check-ups and treatment.
This seems to be a common theme among FTRS personnel, with some I know on waiting lists for many years.
It had occurred to me that, with the relatively low number of FTRS personnel, we could continue to receive treatment through service dental centres and, given our contracts, pay for the treatment in the same way that dependents of soldiers in overseas stations do.
But having enquired about this through my former military dental centre I was advised that it was not an option as FTRS staff must make their own arrangements. – Maj Russell Ward, Rifles
Lt Col Wassim Slim, dental policy and plans lead at Army Headquarters, replies: The entitlements to dental care for reservists are outlined in JSP 770 (Eligibility for Medical Care) and further clarified in 2025DIN01-040 (DMS Dental Care for Deploying and High Readiness Reserve Personnel).
Defence Primary Healthcare is resourced to support force generation of regular personnel and reservists mobilised for specific service types.
The core issue relates to the availability of resources relative to operational requirements, rather than funding treatment.
We remain acutely aware of the challenges in this area.
Defence’s chief dental officer maintains regular engagement with the NHS Partnership Board to raise these concerns and advocate for the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant.
In addition, we are working collaboratively with the NHS and the armed forces families federations to improve signposting and access to NHS dental services for both serving families and veterans.
This support is facilitated through the Discover My Benefits portal.
There are some 30,000 reservists, of whom 5,000 or so serve on FTRS terms. Extending comprehensive dental care to this cohort would place a significant burden on defence resources, one that cannot be met within existing capacity.
