The other heroes of the pandemic | thearticle

* When we think of the heroes of the Covid-19 outbreak, we think of the brilliant NHS staff, tirelessly working to keep the country safe. We think of the key workers who continue going to

work everyday despite the risks. We think of Captain Tom, walking seemingly endless laps of his garden to raise funds for NHS charities just weeks shy of his hundredth birthday. Captain

Tom’s desire to do good with no ulterior motive is inspirational. It also represents the commitment and drive we expect from our Armed Forces. During Covid-19, the UK’s Armed Forces have

been providing the backbone of our response. Yes, the NHS may be our front-line heroes, but the Military have also been doing everything required to support them from driving ambulances, to

organising the transport of essential equipment and the building of the temporary NHS Nightingale hospitals. Specialist units including counter-disinformation specialists, 77 Brigade, have

been called into central government to contribute to the wider national response, from organising logistics to combatting the disinformation that is being spread by hostile actors. The

pictures of the Queen’s Gurkha regiment building NHS Nightingale Hospital in the ExCel Centre was a brilliant reminder that we have the best people on our side. The Commanding Officer of the

London Field Hospital was typically British in his answers on how they delivered this hospital, saying “we draw a plan up, over a brew, and then from that you start to build”. As the media

attention fades away from this particular feat of engineering, the military continues to deliver this service at multiple locations across the UK, with work ranging from the design, to basic

construction and logistical organisation of materials. Much of this work falls well out of their traditional remit, and yet they have exuded the confidence, clarity and calm that we have

grown to expect from our Armed Forces. We are truly lucky to have a service that we can rely on for this versatility and adaptability. Whether it is delivering vital humanitarian assistance

abroad, or delivering PPE to hospitals around the UK there is an expectation that the Armed Forces are on hand to get it done. While they deliver this vital service back home, largely

unnoticed and often without thanks, they are still operating at full capacity abroad. In Kenya we still have troops helping in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade, in the Middle

East we have ships on stand-by to ensure the safe passage of any UK flagged boats. All over the world we have troops deployed with Nato and other allies to protect the sovereign borders of

nations and to provide military and development assistance. This is not done for the credit or the glory. Much of the UK’s Armed Forces work, both at home and abroad, is delivered without

public credit and, knowing some of them, they wouldn’t want it any other way. So next time we clap for our NHS, please take a moment to clap for all those service men and women whose hard

work, determination and grit has enabled hospitals to open, PPE to be available and ambulances to be driven.