Last updated at 11:55 17 March 2008

The Army launched a major public relations campaign today, only days ahead of the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

The campaign, entitled "To the Best", drew criticism from families who lost loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rose Gentle, whose son Gordon died in a bomb attack in June 2004, said the money should have been spent on providing equipment to help protect soldiers.

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Mother Rose Gentle clutches a photograph of her son Fusilier Gordon Gentle who was killed in June 2004 on active duty

Mrs Gentle, who co-chairs Military Families Against the War, said: "They should be spending the money on getting the right equipment.

"They're trying to recruit but it won't work. You're not going to join the army if you don't get the protection you need.

"It's coming up to five years so it's a bit sad doing it now."

The campaign will feature television and print media advertisements encouraging people to show their support for soldiers and telling stories of Army work.

In research commissioned to coincide with the launch, pollsters discovered 87 per cent of those questioned supported British soldiers.

The campaign website will give members of the public the opportunity to log messages of support.

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Current ad: But soon the army might recruit citizens of non-Commonwealth countries

Brigadier Andrew Jackson, Commander Army Recruiting Group said: "The Army makes a real and broad contribution to society, one that is not always known about or understood by the public.

"In this campaign we aim to share the excellent work of soldiers in their many different roles as well as communicating the stories of the people whose lives they have changed."

The survey also found nine out of 10 people believe the Army has an important role to play in society.

A similar number said soldiers were the epitome of heroism. Nearly half wanted to see more soldiers on the streets in uniform.

The campaign has enlisted the support of celebrities from showbusiness and sport.

Olympic gold medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave said: "The Army makes such a valuable contribution to society and it's my opinion that this should be remembered and praised whenever and wherever possible."

The new campaign is the latest admission from the MoD that Britain's armed forces are dangerously overstretched in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Frontline: A British marine mans an outpost surrounded by sandbags in Iraq last year

Army recruits have shrunk by 13,000 trained personnel in just three years, with record numbers now voting with their feet and leaving the military.

Despite the massive pressures of fighting simultaneous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, defence chiefs have slashed manpower targets since they ordered thousands of troops into southern Afghanistan in 2006.

Even those smaller targets are proving untenable and the growing exodus has left 5,520 posts currently unfilled, including 3,300 across the Army.

The shortfalls are a major headache for the MoD which has had to deal with a series of damaging revelations in recent times.

Earlier this year, a study by the Commons Defence Committee voiced "deep concern" that the Army, Navy and Air Force had faced tougher operational demands than they are designed to cope with in seven of the last eight years.

The report revealed crippling manpower shortages in key skilled specialties, with half the Army's 130 jobs for bomb disposal experts vacant, and two thirds of posts for surgeons empty.

Last year, Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth admitted it was "no secret" that the UK's forces did not have "huge resources" available to deal with contingencies elsewhere in the world due to ongoing commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan.