BFPO

The Government has given a response re: the petition.

The Government remains fully committed to providing efficient and effective postal service to our armed forces, especially those serving on operations.

The Ministry of Defence is making some changes to the way BFPO services operate in order to ensure we make best use of military manpower and to ensure the service is delivered in the most efficient way possible. The drawdown of the BFPO personnel supporting the UK military in the NATO headquarters in SHAPE, Brussels, Brunssum, Ramstein, Stavanger, Karup, Rome, Milan, Lisbon, Valencia and Norfolk Virginia should achieve a saving in excess of £1M per annum. The drawdown is scheduled to be completed by September 2010, by which time we aim to have in place alternative arrangements.

These changes relate to the BFPO personnel supporting the UK military population in a limited number of non-operational locations and all in countries with efficient domestic postal services. In order to minimise the impact on personnel and their dependants stationed at affected locations, the BFPO numbers, which are useful for administrative purposes such as proving status, banking and internet shopping, will be retained.

In addition, having taken into account the administrative disadvantages that the changes to the BFPO service could have on personnel and their dependants, some British Forces Post Office services will now be retained in a number of other NATO HQs. While Armed Forces personnel will no longer fulfil these functions and some counter services will cease from September 2010, the changes will enable civilians and, in some cases, Service dependants to take up local employment running a basic postal receipt and despatch facility.

These changes will have no impact on postal services to troops deployed on operations. In particular, the Enduring Free Mail Service out to operational theatres will not be affected.

full text here

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page22186

Baz

Already signed but, I thought this proposal had been scrapped? I heard back in October that Mod had decided to maintain the BFPO offices in Germany….

(This petition is ONLY regarding the removal of BFPO service in mainland Europe)

Signed, I sent my box off a couple of weeks ago.

Ben

On the Falklands I still clearly remember the 3 things you did not mess with.

1 The food. (OK it was only compo rations but the chefs were miracle workers)

2 Gozomie date. (we all had our tick down chart for going home)

3 The mail. (if the airbridge failed to get in there were some pretty pissed off bunnies)

I can’t see the serviceman out in foreign parts taking too kind to this shambolic treatment.

Baz

I’ve signed. I can’t believe they even have the nerve to consider it but on second thoughts it’s just the kind of trick they would pull – bloody politicians. I have long been of the opinion that it makes no difference which party is in power they all do what’s best for their pocket rather than what is best for the country.

Because they are t**ts . I sent my box out this week . 🙂

Signed the petition.
How can these a######## do such a thing, even think about it.

Having had a closer look at this, and done a little more research, I am not sure that the plan is to do away with BFPO across the board as this message to me rather seems to indicate. In any case, I rather suspect they just wouldn’t get away with it! Seems more like the NATO based ones – or some of them. Even so, it seems mightily mean. No reason not to sign the petition, though!

Signed.

words fail me, they utterly fail me……..

£7k a year to send out their own gumpf, but they’ll charge Soldiers families to send them some “comfort” from home.

How typical, how venal, how vile

yeah, that sums it up better than I could.

It says Europe only here, but how long before the whole thing goes. It stinks.