A senior figure in the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers believes the government must win back the trust of military personnel. The message came as RACO opened its annual delegate conference in Trim, Co Meath. The gathering runs over two days, from today through Wednesday, and pulls commissioned officers from across the Defence Forces into the same room. RACO acts as the representative body for the officer corps, and its yearly conference is where the association sets out its position on the issues shaping military life. Morale and confidence inside the Defence Forces have been strained in recent years by long-running worries over pay and staffing. Conferences like this one often carry an edge, since delegates arrive knowing their complaints will be relayed straight into political circles. The demand for renewed trust will frame two days of debate in the Meath town.