British Army chief: You're 'in the minds of all the rest of the Army family'

The Chief of the General Staff has sent a message of thanks to British Army personnel in his Christmas address.

General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith thanked troops and their families "for the remarkable performance" both at home and abroad in 2021.

He also thanked personnel deployed overseas during Christmas, and said they were "in the minds of all the rest of the Army family".

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"I personally am acutely conscious that there will be at least 5,000 families this Christmas for whom there'll be a gap around the kitchen table and an unwanted space on the sofa," Gen Carleton-Smith said.

"So, wherever you are, or wherever you're serving, thank you for everything that you do on all our behalfs, and I hope that you too share at least some measure of a safe and happy Christmas."