Damaging claims UK's veterans are all 'mad, sad and bad' need to end, defence minister Johnny Mercer demands

Johnny Mercer, minister of defence people and veterans, issued the plea for a radical re-think of the public’s ‘outdated’ view of retired troops.

His comments come after a major study by military group, Veterans Work Consortium, revealed almost half of people believed all forces heroes were incorrectly suffering from serious mental health woes.

Afghanistan veteran Mr Mercer said: ‘The perception that veterans are “mad, sad and bad” is wrong and outdated.

‘As a former army officer and serving defence minister, I have met and worked with hundreds of veterans throughout my career and their drive, skills and confidence are second to none.

‘We must all do more to challenge the negative stereotypes surrounding veterans and recognise the enormous value they can add to society.’

The consortium’s study of more than 1,000 British adults showed the public believed 41 per cent of the veteran population had alcohol problems.

The public believed a third of all the nation’s homeless community had once served in the military – despite best estimates putting the figure closer to 0.72 per cent.

Thomas McBarnet, director of programmes at Forces in Mind Trust – which is part of the consortium – said such perceptions were ‘damaging’ to veterans’ chances of getting a civilian job.

‘These findings show clearly that there is public misperception and misunderstanding about veterans that we need to work together to address,’ he added.

Hampshire has one of the biggest veteran communities in the UK, with about 10 per cent of the population – more than 85,000 – having previously served in the forces.

However, the survey revealed only eight per cent of people were able to correctly identify what the term ‘veteran’ meant.

Almost a fifth (19 per cent) incorrectly believed that military personnel had to be wounded during their service to be a veteran, while 24 per cent thought only those who served in either the First of Second World Wars could be a veteran

Chris Recchia, chairman of Veterans Work Consortium, said work still needed to be done to portray ex-servicemen and women in a ‘true and fair light’.

‘It’s vital there is an understanding of the skills they bring back into civilian society,’ he added.

Lee Holloway, chief executive of armed forces group the Officers’ Association, said the country had a responsibility to ‘ensure the tone and language’ used about veterans ‘reflected the reality’.

‘There are too many occasions when the perception of veterans has been distorted against the largely positive reality,’ he said.