WHEN we send young men and women to fight for this country overseas, the least they should expect is that they are protected by their own side.
Yet the shocking and tragic death of Hampshire soldier Rob Wood shows that this is not always the case.
The inquest into his death in a tent fire in Afghanistan’s Camp Bastion, which we report on pages 1 and 5, found a catalogue of failings by the Ministry of Defence that are, quite frankly, unacceptable.
To suffer such a terrible death would be bad enough, the fact it happened while serving his country is heartbreaking.
It has moved the coroner to publish a highly-critical report in a bid to prevent further senseless deaths.
At least Private Wood’s family now have the answers they craved into why he never returned from the frontline.
The greatest tribute now to Private Wood and colleague Dean Hutchinson, who also perished in the blaze, would be for his superiors to take action to make sure no one ever suffers again in the way they did.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here