A sales representative of brokerage giant
Aon has come under fire for recently mocking British troops coping with post-traumatic stress.
According to a report by
The Mirror, the unnamed insurance salesman gave a presentation at a military base where he was asked if Aon was covering traumatised soldiers returning from war zones.
Saying there was no cover for such cases, the Aon employee reportedly commented: “We don’t do la-la.”
The salesman’s remarks enraged soldiers, including one senior officer who reported the incident. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and a former ranking military official slammed the Aon employee’s comments.
Colonel Richard Kemp, a former commander of UK forces in Afghanistan, said that soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder are widely recognised and that “it is wrong to belittle their sacrifices.”
“This was someone making money from the suffering of soldiers. He should have respected what they have been through,” the
The Mirror quoted Kemp as saying.
“The mental health of everyone who serves our country is of the utmost importance. We highly disapprove of any language which undermines that,” an MoD spokesperson also told the publication.
Aon has apologised over the incident while the embattled salesman has been sacked.
“Aon strongly condemns the use of such language and apologises for the offence caused,” the broker said in a statement to the
Sunday People.
“A full investigation is under way, with disciplinary and training issues addressed. Apologies have already been made to both the unit concerned and the MoD.”
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