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NFCI is an injury of the hands or feet resulting from exposure to wet conditions and temperatures just above freezing, typically found in soldiers.
NFCI is an injury of the hands or feet resulting from exposure to wet conditions and temperatures just above freezing, typically found in soldiers.
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A Vincentian soldier is suing the British government for 300,000 pounds sterling, claiming he was injured as a result of being exposed to cold conditions.

Zakri Joseph, 35, says that the Ministry of Defence failed to warn him of his increased vulnerability, because of his ethnicity, or give him extra training, instruction or information, the Salisbury Journal has reported.

Joseph is expecting to be medically discharged from the Army soon after developing a condition called non-freezing cold injury (NFCI) through his service, the newspaper cited the lawsuit as saying.

NFCI is an injury of the hands or feet resulting from exposure to wet conditions and temperatures just above freezing, typically found in soldiers.

At first, the tissue is cold and anaesthetic (insensitive to pain), progressing to hyperemia (an excess of blood in the vessels supplying an organ or other parts of the body) in 24-48 hours. Hyperemia is accompanied by an intensely painful burning sensation as well as blisters, redness, and possibly, ulcerations.

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Individuals of black and Caribbean heritage are more likely to contract the condition, which can affect them for the rest of their lives.

Joseph first developed numb feet during basic training at Catterick, but largely recovered from this and continued to serve on several winter tours, the newspaper said.

However, in November 2016, he joined Exercise Black Hackle in Scotland, with temperatures plunging to minus 6 degrees Celsius, on a fortnight’s exercise.

The exercise involved nights in the field, sleeping under a poncho, and staying in an essentially unheated open hangar.

Joseph alleges that he was unable to keep his feet dry, and after a couple of days, developed symptoms in his hands and feet. However, he says his platoon sergeant told him to man up.

And when he complained of his symptoms to a sergeant, he says he was told to stick it out, as the company were facing a review, and it would reflect badly on the company if anyone was sent back to camp.

His condition is said to have worsened when he was sent on a course, sleeping in a six-bed dormitory that was very cold, and using cold showers. And although he visited a nearby gym to take his hot showers, at his own expense that didn’t help.

Joseph said he was given the same equipment as others who were not so vulnerable and accuses the Ministry of Defence of negligence, in failing to train or instruct his commanders highlighting his vulnerability to NFCI.

He also accused them of failing to provide him with specialist clothing and insulated boots, failing to take him off the exercise when he complained of cold injuries, failing to obtain immediate medical treatment, and returning him to working and exercising in cold conditions.

Joseph said he was also negligently given unsuitable personal protective equipment, and not enough hot food and drinks regularly, which would have reduced the risk of developing the condition.

The lawsuit said the Ministry of Defence negligently fostered an environment in which NCOs and officers were reluctant to cut short or abort exercises, and discouraged recruits from dropping out of exercises.

Joseph claims that he had to take painkillers regularly to manage his symptoms, and is disadvantaged on the open labour market.

11 replies on “Vincy soldier sues UK gov’t over cold weather injury”

  1. Master Warrant Officer(R) says:

    WOW! I spent 23 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. Slept in a tent when the temp was minus 40C with wind that drove it to minus fifty. Spent 3 months in Norway under similar conditions. I think I’m going to have to sue because they never told me it was going to be cold.

  2. Lol!!…Get the f*** out of here! The military is not a picnic, pandering to punks.

    This fool didn’t want to do the pushups so this is his excuse ..lawd he going to give all other vincy in the UK military a bad name.

    Smh.

  3. The condition sounds like frostbite. Whatever it is, it sounds like the soldier had a terrible ordeal. I was in the US Army for 7 years and did not have to suffer such conditions. True, I had to stand outside for up to an hour at a time when it reached to around 20 degrees fahrenheit below zero and I have been in temperatures close to 30 below zero but I never had to sleep in such conditions, without some sort of heating. I never heard of any US soldier needing to take cold showers either. This soldier must have been in some kind of Special Forces unit, which is strange considering the lack or training.

  4. Look at all these ridiculous comments. Because you did it or it happened to you does not make it humane. He will win his case and will be awarded the damages he sort.

    Soldiers are human, there are no super humans. The man is totally correct, there are new human right conventions that governs soldiers training.

    1. “Train hard, fight easy.”

      It sounds as though this gentleman doesn’t know what it means to be in the cold. Not to make light of his injuries but the idea of taking legal action over such issues seem frivolous.

    2. You are probably right voter. I must be a real whimp in certain respects because I really hate cold showers and am glad I never had to take any. Even when I was in the Middle East. I even hate cold showers as I live for all these years in the Caribbean. In the Military you have to do all kind of things that are not fun. I have seen men go insane and sent to mental clinics because of it. I can certainly tell some stories! I am a real whimp if I have to take a cold shower, but I do not mind the rain too much. A Vincy can take a cold shower like breathing but they normally hate rain. Most all Vincies run from rain like it were fire! Many Vincies run from hard work too. 1 minute of overtime is like slavery to many and they demand extra pay. It just shows how different cultures are. In some ways I am a whimp and in some ways Vincies are whimps. If I hate to take cold showers I would have had to “man-up” if forced to do so. It still does not mean this soldier should accept frostbite.

  5. Carlos walcott u had to b a […]
    Bfore u all judge d guy read the Article properly dats if u […] can Read
    Most of u who make Comment alyo must b kissin some ass or lickin […] Boots
    Tears…

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