I WAS a serving member of HM forces serving in Northern Ireland during the civil unrest and found myself in a bus station that had just had an IED go off; I was standing in six inches of blood picking up body parts and placing them in bin bags. 
At the time the Government of the day had set up the Armed Forces Pay Review body to assess our pay rates and they recommended that we should have a pay rise to bring us in line with the civilian equivalent job holders. Jim Callaghan, who was then the Prime Minister, said: “pay rise – tell them they are lucky to have a job”. Pay capping has been going on a long time.
RICHARD M HAYES
Paxcroft Way
Trowbridge