MP wants extended eligibility for Jubilee Medal  

Colchester MP Bob Russell has told the House of Commons that some of the soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade who have been deployed to Afghanistan will miss out on the Jubilee Medal to commemorate The Queen's Diamond Jubilee because they have not been in the Army for five years which is the minimum to qualify for the Medal. During Defence Questions he told the Secretary of State for Defence, the Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, that this time last year soldiers from Colchester Garrison were deployed to Helmand Province and some of them had also served there in 2008. He added that it was likely that some of them would be back in Afghanistan before the UK officially withdraws combat forces in 2014. Mr Russell said that many of the brave young soldiers had not joined the Army prior to February 2007 and thus would not qualify for the Medal because they had not served for five years even though...