New award for bereaved families

The families of service personnel killed on active service have been waiting too long for official and tangible recognition of the sacrifice that their loved ones have made on behalf of the Nation.
Many people have been campaigning for well over a year for the awarding of a medal which can be treasured by the family for generations to come; The Daily Mirror has been running its own campaign, Honour the Brave, to seek to achieve just that.

The decision to commission a memorial scroll and an emblem to wear has at long last been taken by the Chiefs of Staff and this has been approved by the Queen.

The news was welcomed by Lorraine McClure, the mother of Private Aaron McClure of 1 Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment who was killed almost 12 months ago in Afghanistan, who said: “It is about Aaron and all the troops being recognised for giving their life to their country". The families of other servicemen and women who have given their lives in the service of their country will agree with her.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Defence Staff said: “It is a sad but unavoidable reality that some of our brave service personnel pay the ultimate sacrifice in the name of their country. That is why my fellow chiefs of staff and I believe the time is right to recommend a new award for the families of those who die on operations or as a result of terrorism, in recognition of their loss.”

What is still so hard to understand is

why has it taken so long to agree to this recognition?

and

why does the MoD yet again have to be dragged into making such a decision by pressure from the general public?

Link> Evening Star: Mother backs move for soldiers scroll
Link> AV: Honour the Brave - medal campaign - EDM95