covenant (noun)
cov·e·nant
Definition of covenant
1. a usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement
2. a written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation that those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.*
"To those who proudly protect our nation, who do so with honour, courage, and commitment, the Armed Forces Covenant is the nation's commitment to you.
It is a pledge that together we acknowledge and understand that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they serve with their lives.
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, should be treated fairly and should not face disadvantages when seeking to access public or private goods and services in the UK."**
*Sourced from https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/armed-forces-covenant-supporting-information
**Sourced from armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/about/
We at Brampton Parish Council support and will endeavour to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant #forourforces
You can view the full, signed covenant at the link below.
The Armed Forces Champion for Brampton Parish Council is Councillor Jon Chitty OBE; his cv is here:
After graduating from Imperial College, with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1974, Air Cdre Jon Chitty served for 31 years as an RAF engineering officer with tours in UK, RAFG, and the Falkland Islands; then as a newly promoted Wing Commander in 1990 as the Tornado GR1 & F3 Fleet Manager, Strike Command - and responsible for managing all the Tornado aircraft fleets during the 1st Gulf War: he was subsequently awarded the OBE in the Op GRANBY honours list in 1991. He was posted in 1992 as OC Engineering & Supply Wing RAF Bruggen; followed by promotion to Group Captain, as Director Weapons(RAF) on his return to the UK in 1995.
His final appointment in 2002, on promotion to Air Commodore, was as 1* Commandant Air Cadets looking after 50,000 cadets, 5,000 volunteers and 1800 squadrons around the UK, NI and Germany.
On leaving the Service in 2005, he worked as a consultant on short term contracts for the DTI, the RAeS, Farnborough International; and then in 2006 was recruited by QinetiQ to be their Trusted Expert during the Capability Concept Demonstrator phase of the MOD's "Mission Training through Distributed Simulation" programme. Subsequently he became the Director of the follow-on Distributed Synthetic Air Land Training programme at RAF Waddington in Apr 2008. In June 2011 he was head-hunted by PLEXSYS (a US based company specialising in simulation systems for 21st Century Air, Land and Maritime synthetic training), to be the inaugural Director for their UK operations.
Jon finally retired in Apr 2018 and is engaged in the volunteer sector as:
- President of the RAF Association Huntingdon & District Branch;
- President of No 73 RAF Air Cadet Squadron
- a Brampton Parish Councillor;
- a 5th Dan Instructor Sensei of the Brampton Shotokan karate club, and
- the Diving Officer of the local BSAC Club where he is an Advanced Sub Aqua Diving instructor.
He and his wife Judith, who is a Garden Designer in her spare time, have two grown sons – one runs his own web site design company; the other is a Royal Marines' officer - and 4 grandchildren, which all keep them gainfully employed!