Ministry of Defence appoints Welsh Language Champion ‘as part of the commitment to a united nation’
The Ministry of Defence has appointed its first ‘Welsh Language Champion’ as part of a bit to engage more with Welsh-speaking communities in Wales.
Air Commodore Adrian Williams, the RAF’s most senior officer in Wales, has been appointed to the post “as part of the commitment to a united nation,” they said.
Figures published in November showed that 6% of the Armed Force’s intake come from Wales, which makes up 4.7% of the overall population of the UK.
The Ministry of Defence said that the aim was to help the Armed Forces work bilingually when needed.
Air Commodore Adrian Williams said: “As someone who was brought up in a Welsh-speaking household, and who went to a Welsh-speaking school, I have always been passionate about our native language and understand its central importance to people and communities across Wales.
“The publication of MoD’s updated Welsh Language Scheme signifies our commitment to further strengthen our abilities to operate bilingually in Wales and I very much look forward to leading this work.”
A UK Government source told the Telegraph that the appointment provides “a focal point to the championing of the language and also highlights the diversity within the Armed Forces”.
The scheme will see information available in Welsh and English on Government websites and Welsh language posts on MoD social media accounts.
The MoD said that the appointment of a language champion was “part of the commitment to a united nation and a recognition of the importance of the Welsh language”.
Earlier this year a report by the Peace Pledge Union on the recruitment of children to the military in Welsh schools called on the Welsh Government to launch a formal review into military recruitment activities in Welsh schools.
They said that there was “a unique opportunity for the next Welsh Government to embrace these challenges and to draw a line in the sand about Wales’ status as a peace–loving nation, and one which will not uncritically allow its children to be the target of military recruitment”.
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In other words, groom and manipulate Welsh kids into fighting for the English army and their illegal wars.
Let’s get Welsh kids to fight for the Free Wales army.
I’m guessing your not old enough to remember the FWA and those who ‘ ran ‘ it 😎…..!
Hardly representative of Wales then or now -‘ diolch i dduw ‘
So, you don’t agree what Meibion Glyndŵr stood for!
FWA and MG had little commonality in aims, method and membership – let alone perceived effectiveness and outcome.
The view of many of my generation who were ‘ there ‘ as Max Boyce used to say 🤔
When can we look forward to seeing soldiers in Welsh regiments doing their drill in Welsh?
It’s 2021, where have they been til now?
2022 ☝️
FWA – Led by the son of a colonial educator.
MAC – blew an innocent 10 years old’s legs off. Their founder was caught with a boy in some public toilets.
Meibion Glyndwr – the guy convicted was sent back to jail for trying to pull a returned goods scam at Argos in Newcastle.
Jokes, failures and cowards.
It’s sad that our very poor history curriculum fails ( like with many other nations) to teach recent history….’ worts an all ‘….
There is a common unspokem
understanding by many still currently in placea of influence who feel these things are best not mentioned……even from our own corner 🏴 sadly 🙁.
Dont ask Dont tell 😶
Before the sudden arsekissing because they are scared of independence, I wonder how they treated the Welsh language before that. I’m guessing terribly. I’m also betting they were fine with anti Welsh xenophobia from their English soldiers.
Cynical BS. The MOD have traditionally been obsessed with obliterating Welsh-speaking heartlands, it’s a bit bloody late now, and a bit rich. Cofiwch Epynt.
Recruitment drying up is it?
Dim diolch
If the forces of the crown in Wales wanted to make good for their centuries of occupation they could start by rebuilding and restoring Penyberth to its former glory
.
I’m on the same side as most of the comments here, and certainly the Peace Pledge Union, in that I don’t want to see more Welsh speakers recruited to fight imperialistic wars either. But I do recognise that if the language is to grow and expand then it’s rather inconveniently going to have to end up being spoken by people who don’t agree with me. This seems to be a case in point.
Well I was a supporter of Welsh independence but now there is a Welsh speaker in the MOD it changes everything, Gove is a genius! What next a massive union flag in Central Square Cardiff? …………… 🤔 that one didn’t work out so well!
You sense the London administration is getting more and more desperate by the day. The MoD’s rationale – “part of the commitment to a united nation” – says it all. They’ve suppressed Welsh, and other Celtic languages, for centuries but suddenly someone with stripes has seen Cymraeg as a potentially useful tool in their attempt to cling on to their ‘principalities’, as English Tory MPs see us. Also, the “united nation” bit is incorrect. They mean a ‘united State’ – controlled from Whitehall, naturally.