An army spokesman said that within 24 hours of the news of the food poisoning, solicitors were already telephonong the soldiers in Lebanon. He said many present and past members of the force were extremely disappointed about the negative effect on the Defence Forces of talk of these claims.
The soldiers with salmonella had received the best possible treatment. They had even been brought to hospital by helicopter and armoured ambulances, he said.
The longest any soldier had been in hospital was a week. After their treatment they had been given up to two weeks off to recuperate.
"The Defence Forces are extremely disappointed, given the level of care we put in place and given that they all recovered and went back to work with no loss to them, that they should have taken this course."
A total of 45,000 soldiers had served overseas in 40 years and only 15 had been "involved in this."
He said service overseas was voluntary. The Army supplied the soldiers with peaked caps and sunglasses. There was also a $1.28 daily allowance for toiletries. Common sense also came into it.
"Soldiers are mature adults and have a duty to exercise extreme care in sunlight. It is an offence in military law to get sunburn and to become unfit for duty. It is known as a self-inflicted injury and people have actually been prosecuted for that," he said.