STAMMA Defence, previously the Defence Stammering Network, supports, inspires and champions people working in the UK Armed Forces and Defence Civil Service who stammer.
STAMMA Defence, which we believe to be the first such network in the world, provides its members with support in the workplace, through online channels and with professional employment advice. It raises stammering awareness through publicity and communications across UK Defence, wider government and other UK employers.
The network is fully supported by the Defence Board as part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s Defence Diversity and Inclusion Programme. It also works in close partnership with STAMMA.
Enlist now
If you work in the UK Armed Forces or Defence Civil Service and you stammer, STAMMA Defence: the Defence Stammering Network would love to hear from you.
Email defence@stamma.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
History
The Network started off as the Defence Stammering Network (DSN) and was established in 2014 by Corporal Emmanuel Ottih, Captain Jimmy Lang MBE and MOD civil servant Walter Scott. Walter said, "I met Jimmy and Emmanuel through the BSA (now STAMMA) and we very quickly realised that we were all pulling in the same direction, having all just gone through speech therapy. We wanted to start tackling attitudes and raising awareness in the Armed Forces. So we set up the DSN".
The network was officially launched at a reception at the House of Lords on 14th July 2015 hosted by Baroness Whitaker, a STAMMA patron, and attended by top MOD figures.
STAMMA Defence, as it is now called, has gone from strength to strength and through its activities and campaigning, stammering is now officially recognised in UK defence policy. It has also been the subject of two documentaries on Forces TV: 'My War With Words' and 'Stammering — the unspeakable truth'.
Network leadership
Lt Col Boyd – Chair – Royal Military Police – British Army
Flt Lt Wilson – Training Officer - Royal Air Force (Northern Ireland)
WO1 (SSM) Ottih – Royal Logistics Corps - British Army
SSgt Yorke – HR Specialist Role - Staff and Personnel Support (SPS) – British Army
Sgt Collier – Registered Nurse – Royal Army Medical Services – British Army
Cpl Gurung – Outreach Team – British Army
Mr Chandler – Guard Service – Ministry of Defence
Your Voice articles
Read these articles written by STAMMA members who are in the Armed Forces.
- 'Nothing was going to stop me being a soldier', by Ian
- 'The Army has always been supportive of my stammer', by Luke
- 'Can't we use a name badge?', by Cpl Howard
