Social Sciences - OU Community Online

In 1998 the British Army began to recruit soldiers from Commonwealth countries, to plug a recruitment shortage and to encourage more ethnic diversity in the workforce. But what happens when those same soldiers are labelled ‘foreigners’ and ‘immigrants’? A new book by OU Sociology Fellow Dr Vron Ware investigates the issues in involved.

What first attracted you to write a book about military migrants?

In 2007 I was commissioned to write a book on Britishness by the British Council and in the course of the research I met someone from the British Army who told me that there were hundreds of soldiers from Commonwealth countries serving in the army. Despite – or maybe because of – my despair about the Iraq War I developed a genuine curiosity about how the army worked, who was recruited and under what conditions. I realised that Britain’s multi-national army was a topic that was rarely discussed in public debates. 

What are the main issues that you cover in the book?

Firstly, telling a story through the experiences of Commonwealth soldiers and their families, focusing on what their experience has been in joining an overwhelmingly white institution. 

Secondly, a study of how the British Army has been transformed by equality and diversity legislation over the past 10-15 years. What does it mean, for example, for the army to be a multi-faith employer? I wanted to know to what extent it had been successful in dealing with racism inside the institution, and how it was different from other organizations, such as the police.

Thirdly, a focus on how diversity has gradually come to be of value not just to the army as an employer but to the Ministry of Defence as well. It is not just about having a workforce that is broadly representative of society, but also managing public perceptions of the war. 

Having a diverse workforce in Afghanistan can offer evidence that the UK is no longer an all-white, all-Christian country. Similarly, it’s useful if some UK soldiers, like Gurkhas for example, can speak local languages and understand cultural differences. I call all of these developments ‘militarized multiculture’.”

From your research it is clear that the potential complications of recruiting soldiers from abroad were not thoroughly considered from the outset by the Ministry of Defence. What were some of the main problems that Commonwealth soldiers  encountered?

One of the biggest issues for Commonwealth soldiers is that they are still classified as migrants by the UK Border Agency. Soldiers who are not travelling on British passports are often discriminated against at border check points, including when they return to the UK. They have to pay for their families’ visas too, the costs of which are rising all the time.  At the end of their service they are often not eligible for citizenship if they have incurred minor convictions  although the UKBA is seeking to resolve this. 

You were granted special access and permission by the British Army to speak with people of all ranks, how supportive have the Army been regarding your research? 

Not only did I have access to the soldiers themselves but also to their families. I was able to speak to all sorts of people inside the organization too, from commanding officers to new recruits, among many others. This type of access for independent research rarely takes place within military institutions, so I felt a particular responsibility. I was guided by the Army’s Employment Policy Office and Brigadier Mark Abraham, who was my contact person throughout, has been entirely supportive of the research.

What do you hope the impact of your book will be among the Army in particular?

I think that the book has already indicated the value of opening up the institution to greater public scrutiny. There was a concern that I was going to damage the army’s reputation – which would be quite an achievement for a book – but things are changing. 

Brigadier Abraham attended the book launch on 14 November and spoke at length about why the book was already proving useful inside the organization. 

It’s not so much that it tells them anything they didn’t already know, but more that it describes how things look from different angles and perspectives. It reveals something of what it is like to be a minority soldier out of hours and the kinds of issues that they face – and their families too. 

 I have also tried to document the changing place of the military in society as a result of Iraq and Afghanistan. There are going to be significant changes in the next few years, with substantial cuts and reorganization. Brigadier Abraham now has responsibility for the army’s engagement with civil society and has made it clear that they are looking for a new role at home – the Olympics were an example of this. So it’s important for the Army to be able to communicate with a wider range of people and not just the usual constituencies. The launch was a significant step in engaging with academics who would not normally speak to soldiers.  

I hope that the book will provide a resource for people who are also thinking about the hidden effects of war on our country. Britain’s military institutions play a pivotal role in orchestrating the sense of Britain as a particular kind of post-colonial nation, a particular kind of democracy. 

What were the particular challenges and considerations surrounding your research? 

The first thing was that I realized I had to have an open mind, and put my own reservations aside. After months of traipsing round military bases, it took me some time to work out how to write this book. I wanted to convey the voices of the minority soldiers I met, but at the same time I wanted to describe how the organization worked, and why it was different. 

Working on the book has certainly been a very interesting journey in which I have learned a huge amount about this country.

What would you like to focus on next?

I think that having opened up this space I would like to pursue other aspects of the changing civil-military relationship, although staying with the focus on racism and multiculture. I’m hoping to apply for funds to study the local impact of military bases and the effects of the Community Covenant schemes, for example. 

But I’ve also been trying to build up contacts with researchers in other NATO countries who are doing similar work. I have already organized three workshops on citizens and soldiers with participants from the US and Europe, and have plans to develop these collaborations in the near future.

Find out more at Military Migrants.org

Hi  Is anyone studying DD101 in Feb 2013 and is in the south east of England/London?  If so would you like to form a little study group?  Get back to me at andygjburge AT gmail DOT com

Best to everyone

Andy