(UK) Soldiers AWOL as Army 'not taking problems seriously'

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Source: Scotsman/BBC

SOLDIERS are going absent without leave in droves following tours in Iraq, because the Army will not take their mental problems seriously, a TV documentary will claim tonight.

The BBC's Panorama programme says thousands of soldiers are going AWOL after their pleas for help in dealing with mental trauma arising from the war fall on deaf ears, a newspaper reported today. Steven Walker, a University of Essex academic, told the programme: "Overall, the Army is letting soldiers down."

The Ministry of Defence estimates there have been 10,000 AWOL incidents since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and 1100 servicemen are currently "on the run" from the Army, the programme reports.

It suggests many soldiers leave because Army life does not match the image presented by recruiters.

Read more: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=468742007