British Military Current Events

[Rifleman62]

In theory. Possibly in the 60's.

Quit listening to the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean. It's over.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Military police charge Sandhurst cadets over 'waterboarding' claims | Daily Mail Online

Two officer cadets at Sandhurst have been charged by military police after allegedly pinning down and waterboarding another Army recruit.

The Royal Military Police launched an investigation six months ago into the claims at the famous Royal Military Academy training centre in Camberley, Surrey.

Now, the duo are due to appear at Bulford Military Court near Salisbury in Wiltshire next week on Tuesday charged with battery.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6716785/Military-police-charge-Sandhurst-cadets-waterboarding-claims.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

Paratroopers train in the deserts of Jordan

British paratroopers are putting their skills to the test alongside their Jordanian counterparts during training on the desert plains of Jordan.

Exercise Olive Grove has seen Colchester-based B Company, 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment working with 3rd Company, 81st Battalion of the Mohammed Bin Zayed Quick Reaction Force Brigade. The four-week-long training is about building the British and Jordanian troops’ readiness for operations in the demanding conditions of the desert, and sharing each other’s hard-earned skills.

https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-events/news/2019/02/paratroopers-train-in-the-deserts-of-jordan/

 

[Kirkhill]

Paras in Jordan - 2019

Paras in Jordan - 1947

 

[daftandbarmy]

Paras in Jordan - 2019

Paras in Jordan - 1947

Both wearing webbing too

 

[Good2Golf]

Both wearing webbing too

...but no more puttees. 

#kidsdontknowhoweasytheyhaveitthesedays

 

[daftandbarmy]

...but no more puttees. 

#kidsdontknowhoweasytheyhaveitthesedays

I wore puttees and DMS boots for several years. They were excellent in the desert and rocky/dry terrain. Great ankle support, tough boots with good traction, and the puttees kept dirt/gravel/dust out of your boots. Once you got used to it, they were as easy to put on as tying up your boots.

Cold/wet conditions? Awful... tragically so in the Falklands where many cases of trench foot were caused by possibly the worst 'foot system' in the world.

Paradoxically they were good during tough courses, like P Company or the Commando Course, where the DMS boot was a good 'running shoe' type boot and the puttee ankle support was important (and the DMS boot tongue that only went half way up the boot allowed the excess water to leak out after 'full immersion' events).

 

[daftandbarmy]

'Civil Rights Marchers'... yeah, we'll go with that  :


Army veterans involved in Bloody Sunday 'could be charged with murder within weeks' 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6762839/Army-veterans-involved-Bloody-Sunday-charged-murder-weeks.html

 

[FJAG]

The standard for proceeding with prosecutions in the UK are:

The Code for Crown Prosecutors requires prosecutors to answer two questions in the 'Full Code Test': Is there sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction? (in other words, whether a jury more likely than not to convict) and Is a prosecution required in the public interest? These questions must be answered in this order; if there is insufficient evidence, the public interest in prosecuting is irrelevant.

According to the code, if there is insufficient evidence to prosecute, no further action will be taken against the suspect or the prosecutor will ask the police to carry out further inquiries to gather more evidence. When there is sufficient evidence but a prosecution is not required in the public interest, prosecutors can decide that no further action should be taken or that a caution or reprimand is a suitable alternative to prosecution.

In exceptional circumstances, prosecutors can authorise a charge without sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction. This is known as the 'Threshold Test'; it is only applied when further evidence is expected to become available soon afterwards (e.g. results of forensic tests) and the suspect is believed to have committed a serious offence and would likely be denied bail by the court if charged. If the expected evidence to support a prosecution does not materialise, the prosecution must be stopped.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Prosecution_Service

Not to telegraph my true feelings about this but the UK civilian legal system--when it comes to systematically hounding its former soldiers--seems to be just a tad stupid.

:cheers:

 

[daftandbarmy]

British Army rejected 14,000 potential recruits for having ACNE or low-level allergies in a year

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6763679/British-Army-rejected-14-000-potential-recruits-having-ACNE-low-level-allergies-year.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

Wow.... this is vicious.

That's one bitter ex-Army dude, turned journo:  'Joe Glenton is an Afghanistan veteran, journalist and the author of ‘Soldier Box’

"Watching the army’s “This is Belonging”, “Made in the Royal Navy” and the RAF’s “No Ordinary Job” adverts, one could be fooled into thinking an exciting, fulfilling career awaits young people in the military. But in fact military surveys show levels of satisfaction among personnel are shockingly low with only four in ten of non-officers satisfied with service life in general. Levels of morale are reported as even lower; and roughly half of recruits don’t feel they had an accurate picture of services life before joining."

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/british-army-adverts-young-people-millennials-selling-military-this-is-belonging-a8801771.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley was forced to apologise today after claiming none of the deaths caused by soldiers and police during the Troubles were crimes.

Ms Bradley is under pressure to resign after yesterday's comments, which came just a week before soldiers of the Parachute Regiment will find out if they will be prosecuted over Bloody Sunday in 1972. 

Ms Bradley provoked fury when she told MPs on Wednesday that deaths at the hands of the military and police in Northern Ireland were not crimes because 'they were people acting under orders - fulfilling their duties in a dignified and appropriate way.'

But today she said she was 'profoundly sorry' today for the 'offence and hurt' caused after an explosion of anger from families who lost loved ones in the conflict and nationalist political leaders.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6782171/Northern-Ireland-Secretary-says-profoundly-sorry.html

 

[Cloud Cover]

Serious man. He’ll be fired for sure.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Serious man. SHe’ll be fired for sure.

Some would say some Ministers for Northern Ireland would be happy to be fired

Meanwhile, in California ...

Former deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has been awarded a 'Certificate of Honor' by the City and County of San Francisco.

The award was commissioned on March 8 and was signed by Democratic Mayor of San Francisco London Breed.

The certificate cites a number of reasons for honouring the late Foyle MLA, including his "courageous service in the military".

Other reasons included his role "as a negotiator (who) helped cement and shape the Northern Ireland Peace Process and construct the Good Friday Agreement".

"His sacrifice and dedication to secure peace for his people is not only an inspiration to us all, but represents San Francisco values at their best," the award read.

"He leaves a legacy that embodies and celebrates the diverse history and strength of San Francisco and Ireland."

Sinn Fein National Chairperson Declan Kearney shared news of the award on Twitter.

Martin McGuinness admitted being a member of the IRA and claimed that he left the organisation in 1974.

He later served as an MLA, MP and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland.

Mr McGuinness resigned his position in January 2017 due to the RHI scandal and equality issues.

He died in March of the same year following a short illness at the age of 66 ...

 

[daftandbarmy]

Some would say some Ministers for Northern Ireland would be happy to be fired

Meanwhile, in California ...

I guess they didn't read this article:

"It's not merely these creatures [the Brighton bombers] crippled my wife, but they also murdered five of my friends. I only hope that his death will help to bring some sort of closure to those families and friends of whose murder he's accomplished," he told Good Morning Britain.

Discussing the peace process that Mr McGuinness was instrumental to, Lord Tebbit said: "You might just as well say that if Himmler had succeeded Hitler and wiped out the Jews it would have removed the problem and there could have been peace in Europe."

He added: "He was a coward".  Lord Tebbit also said he believed Mr McGuinness' transformation to "a man of peace" was because he feared being arrested and charged with a "number of murders which he had personally committed".


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/21/martin-mcguinness-coward-never-atoned-crimes-says-lord-tebbit/


Or his criminal record, which includes conviction for being part of a terrorist organization:

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/martin-mcguinness-s-criminal-convictions-revealed-1-7879579

 

[Cloud Cover]

Seems the Brits are toying with the idea of laying up the carrier PoW right after she is complete :not-again: (nothing definite):

"MPs debate Carrier Strike strategy amidst rumours HMS Prince of Wales could be mothballed":  https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/mps-debate-carrier-strike-strategy-amidst-rumours-hms-prince-of-wales-could-be-mothballed/

 

[daftandbarmy]

Seems the Brits are toying with the idea of laying up the carrier PoW right after she is complete :not-again: (nothing definite):

"MPs debate Carrier Strike strategy amidst rumours HMS Prince of Wales could be mothballed":  https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/mps-debate-carrier-strike-strategy-amidst-rumours-hms-prince-of-wales-could-be-mothballed/

They might want to reconsider because 'Brexit'

 

[dapaterson]

Mothball it for long enough, let it start to rot, and I know a country probably ready to over pay to buy it used...

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

You are too mean DP. It wouldn't go that way.

That country would acquire it right away ... but it would take 35 years to acquire any aircraft to put on board ... and when acquired, it would turn out to be the wrong kind, like F-35's A instead of B's, because the people letting the contract didn't know any better. 

 

[daftandbarmy]

Here we go....


"Bloody Sunday: Soldier F faces murder charges

A former British soldier faces murder charges over the killing of two people on Bloody Sunday in Londonderry in 1972.

The Public Prosecution Service said there was enough evidence to prosecute Soldier F for the murders of James Wray and William McKinney.

He also faces charges for the attempted murders of Patrick O'Donnell, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon and Michael Quinn.

Thirteen people were shot dead at a civil rights march on 30 January 1972." https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-47540271