British Military Current Events

[daftandbarmy]

Royal Marine recruit dies after Cornwall beach training exercise

A Royal Marine recruit has died after an incident during a training exercise on a Cornish beach.

The marine had “gone underwater” during the exercise on Tregantle beach on the evening of 21 January.

South-Western ambulance service was alerted at 10pm on Tuesday and the marine was airlifted to Derriford hospital in Plymouth.

A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: “We can confirm the sad death of the Royal Marine who was injured in an incident earlier this week and we now ask for a period of grace for the family. The thoughts and sympathies of the naval service go out to the family and friends of the individual.

“The incident is still under investigation – therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

It is understood that the name of the recruit will not be released by the Ministry of Defence for at least 24 hours, and then only with the permission of his family.

On Thursday, South-Western ambulance service said it was called to an incident on Tregantle beach at 10.01pm on Tuesday.

“The caller reported to us that a person had gone underwater. We sent land, air and other specialist paramedics to attend the incident,” a spokesman said. “They treated a male patient at the scene and he was conveyed by air ambulance to Derriford hospital for further care.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/25/royal-marine-recruit-dies-cornwall-beach

 

[daftandbarmy]

Let’s hope this idea gets spread around, like a good virus 


Royal Navy to halve number of staff at headquarters, as sailors are redeployed to front line roles

First Sea Lord Admiral Anthony Radakin wants to move 1,000 from their Portsmouth hub onto ships and bases worldwide.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/30/royal-navy-halve-number-staff-headquarters-sailors-redeployed/?WT.mc_id=tmgliveapp_iosshare_AtyRNP7n12x1

 

[OceanBonfire]

British Army and Royal Navy hit by support problems

Warship and army equipment availability in the UK's Royal Navy and British Army has been hit by poor contractor performance, a shortage of spares, and a rising operating tempo, according to the country's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation.

In its annual report and accounts published on 29 January, DE&S said it had failed to meet key targets in its army and navy maintenance programmes in 2018-19.

"We failed to achieve the British Army sustainability target during the year and a demanding operational tempo was a significant contributing factor for the Navy Command support targets not being met," said the report.

https://www.janes.com/article/94034/british-army-and-royal-navy-hit-by-support-problems

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-equipment-support-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-2019

 

[daftandbarmy]

I guess that's what excuses sound like in the MoD hallways

 

[FJAG]

Royal Navy To Cut Back On Senior Personnel

The First Sea Lord said he is making "bold changes" to reshape the Royal Navy and give the service "more punch" on operations.

The Royal Navy is to cut back on some of its most senior personnel because the service has become "too top-heavy", the First Sea Lord has said.

Admiral Tony Radakin said there will be "bold changes" to reshape the Navy and that the money saved would be spent on frontline jobs instead.

Speaking in a Christmas message posted by the Navy on Twitter, Admiral Tony Radakin said: "We will reduce the size of Navy Command Headquarters with fewer Admirals and 1 Stars and look again at who really needs to be there.

"The Surface Flotillas will merge into one. Heads of fighting arms will be 1 Stars other than CGRM (Commandant General Royal Marines).

"Any positions that we free up will be invested in the frontline."

According to reports, five Admiral posts will be axed as part of the shake-up, leaving the Navy with 37.

It is also reported that the number of military and civilian personnel at the Royal Navy's headquarters in Portsmouth could be halved.

"For too long we have bumped along," the First Sea Lord said.

"We're growing as a brand new Navy and we're going to change and it will be for the better.

"There has to be less gapping and we need to be a Navy with more punch that really keeps us safe when people are placed in harm's way.

"We can do that but it needs people up for the change and strong leaders."

In October, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced a quarter of the Royal Navy's ships could not be sent out to sea.

He said he had "made it very clear" to the First Sea Lord that one of his priorities was to get more out of the ships already in the fleet rather than ordering new ones.

He added: "When you go the Treasury and ask for more money, the Treasury will turn around and say, 'Well we've given you all this money and they're not working', it makes a harder case when you go for more ships."

In 2020, a new Strategic Defence and Security Review is set to be launched by the Government.

Boris Johnson's chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, has also said he will investigate defence procurement.

He previously branded the procurements of the Royal Navy's two new aircraft carriers "a farce".

https://www.forces.net/news/royal-navy-cut-back-senior-personnel

It would be nice if that caught on over here.

:cheers:

 

[daftandbarmy]

That wine sure packs a punch....

From SAS to merciless MERCENARIES: A new book tells the story of an elite band of ex-special forces who wreaked havoc around the world. Their calling card? A live grenade in a wine glass

    -Private military company KMS operated behind the scenes in the 1970s and 80s
    -It did jobs that would cause a diplomatic fall-out if carried out by regular troops
    -New book lifts lid on KMS’s activities around the world and the men behind it

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7954259/New-book-tells-story-elite-band-ex-special-forces-wreaked-havoc-world.html

 

[CBH99]

A grenade in a wine glass, that's such a classy card to leave it HAS to be British  :nod:

 

[daftandbarmy]

A grenade in a wine glass, that's such a classy card to leave it HAS to be British  :nod:

It’s very French. The British used to be much more subtle: Grenade, elastic band around the striker, pull pin, insert is petrol tank.

#oddthingsilearnedinmy20s

 

[daftandbarmy]

First ever deployment of the Army Reserve in a single, formed unit under its own command.

Approximately 240 reservists from 7 RIFLES and 5 RRF (Royal Regiment of Fusiliers) have been mobilised as a battlegroup on Operation TOSCA, the codename given to the British contribution to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), one of the longest-running UK operational tours.

The battlegroup will be led by 7 RIFLES and the parade is their first as a formed unit. The parade saw them swap their regimental berets for the light blue headdress of UN peacekeepers. The battlegroup will be based at Thetford, in Norfolk, for around two months of arduous pre-deployment training (PDT), which will see them learn and practice the skills they need to keep the peace on Cyprus’ Green Line.

Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) James Gayner, the Commanding Officer of 7 RIFLES, said; “The British Army runs on a ‘one army’ philosophy. Regular or Reserve, we wear the same uniform and are all expected to meet the same standards.  The British Army is used to sending troops to Cyprus as part of our commitment to building peace and stability, but this is the first time that the unit tasked with doing so has been entirely raised from Reservists. Most of the Regular soldiers who will be out there with us are only there because their specific jobs do not exist in the Reserve.”

https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-events/news/2020/02/reservists-mobilise-for-operational-tour/

 

[OldSolduer]

That is pretty freakin cool

 

[CBH99]

That's the kind of thing we should be doing to help with Reserve retention & career progression, in my opinion.


I realize between Latvia, Ukraine, and Iraq - the Army has some pretty decent deployments on the go.  The Navy and Air Force are busy too.

A low intensity, "show the flag" mission like the one mentioned above would be a great way to develop soldiers, leaders, and senior C2 skills at the reserve level.  Gives the reservists a specific mission to aim for, helps keep them in once they are back, and helps provide some real world application to all the training they receive - especially in regards to the organizational stuff.



On another note, the British Army also has a mission in Africa protecting endangered wildlife from poachers.  That, again just in my opinion, is the kind of mission that people would LOVE to go on.  Even if it's just 150 people on that, maybe 200 in Cyprus, etc - some low intensity missions that keep people motivated, and keep unit leadership focused on producing employable people.  :2c:



Good on them to pull it all together and lead it.  Agreed, pretty cool indeed  :nod:

 

[daftandbarmy]

On another note, the British Army also has a mission in Africa protecting endangered wildlife from poachers.  That, again just in my opinion, is the kind of mission that people would LOVE to go on.  Even if it's just 150 people on that, maybe 200 in Cyprus, etc - some low intensity missions that keep people motivated, and keep unit leadership focused on producing employable people.  :2c:

About that role....

Foreign ‘conservation armies’ in Africa may be doing more harm than good 

http://theconversation.com/foreign-conservation-armies-in-africa-may-be-doing-more-harm-than-good-80719
about that....


Armed ecoguards funded by WWF 'beat up Congo tribespeople'

Exclusive: Inquiry into $21.4m conservation project reports ‘credible’ evidence of abuse

Armed ecoguards partly funded by the conservation group WWF to protect wildlife in the Republic of Congo beat up and intimidated hundreds of Baka pygmies living deep in the rainforests, an investigation into a landmark global conservation project has heard.

A team of investigators sent to northern Congo by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to assess allegations of human rights abuses gathered “credible” evidence from different sources that hunter-gatherer Baka tribespeople living close to a proposed national park had been subjected to violence and physical abuse from the guards over years, according to a leaked draft of the report.
The allegations, reported to the UN last year, included Baka tribespeople being beaten by the ecoguards, the criminalisation and illegal imprisonment of Baka men, summary evictions from the forest, the burning and destruction of property, and the confiscation of food.

In addition, the UNDP’s social and environmental compliance unit heard how the ecoguards allegedly treated the Baka men as “sub-human” and humiliated some Baka women by forcing them to take off their clothes and “be like naked children”.

The report says: “These beatings occur when the Baka are in their camps along the road as well as when they are in the forest. They affect men, women and children. Other reports refer to ecoguards pointing a gun at one Baka to force him to beat another and guards taking away the machetes of the Baka, then beating them with those machetes.

“There are reports of Baka men having been taken to prison and of torture and rape inside prison. The widow of one Baka man spoke about her husband being so ill-treated in prison that he died shortly after his release. He had been transported to the prison in a WWF-marked vehicle.”

The draft report, dated 6 January 2020, adds: “The violence and threats are leading to trauma and suffering in the Baka communities. It is also preventing the Baka from pursuing their customary livelihoods, which in turn is contributing to their further marginalisation and impoverishment.”

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/feb/07/armed-ecoguards-funded-by-wwf-beat-up-congo-tribespeople

 

[daftandbarmy]

Cambridge students say they could be ‘triggered’ by soldiers

Cambridge University Students Union (CUSU) has said that the presence of soldiers at its annual freshers’ fair could ‘trigger’ students.

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/02/05/cambridge-students-say-they-could-be-triggered-by-soldiers/?fbclid=IwAR3RpozLGgnLU8bzM5eCJD_DVzR4BpKxefsG2X5jVQlSjTPDWQvKTNKgbRQ

 

[CBH99]

I think you get what you pay for...  can't imagine WWF funded "armies" are the most professional, or staffed by the most moral-minded folks around.

With the British Army operation, from the various media sources I've seen of the operation, it looks extremely professional.  Health care for the locals, good training in human-relations and patrolling by the British Army to the local Park Rangers, and good relationships with local veterinarians.  Seems like a well polished operation.



I'll find it later and post - there was a documentary about an ex-British Army guy who started his own small PMC to battle some of the more intense poachers.  He hired mostly locals, same as WWF, and he was made aware fairly quickly that he needed to do some 'human rights' courses with the folks he hired.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I think you get what you pay for...  can't imagine WWF funded "armies" are the most professional, or staffed by the most moral-minded folks around.

With the British Army operation, from the various media sources I've seen of the operation, it looks extremely professional.  Health care for the locals, good training in human-relations and patrolling by the British Army to the local Park Rangers, and good relationships with local veterinarians.  Seems like a well polished operation.



I'll find it later and post - there was a documentary about an ex-British Army guy who started his own small PMC to battle some of the more intense poachers.  He hired mostly locals, same as WWF, and he was made aware fairly quickly that he needed to do some 'human rights' courses with the folks he hired.

It's right out of 'Heart of Darkness'

 

[daftandbarmy]

UK army 'years off' full strength despite recruitment drive

Successful Snowflake campaign has helped military hit annual target for first time in six years

Army recruiters have conceded it will take several years to get the British army near to full strength despite the perceived success of its Snowflake ad campaign, which has helped it to reach its annual target for the first time in six years.

Enlisting had collapsed after recruitment was part-privatised in 2012 when Capita partnered the army but new figures showed that 99% of the year’s 9,440 target had been signed up with seven weeks to go.

Successful advertising, popular TV programmes and a relaxation of health requirements are among the measures that have helped but recruiters warned a single year’s performance would do little to reduce the overall shortfall.

Maj Gen Paul Nanson, who heads army recruitment, said it was “going to take years” to get back to the levels needed, with current figures showing the shortfall is a little over 8,000 on the target of 82,000. Nanson said he could not give a specific timeframe to recover strength but added that he hoped the army could “show to people watching that we can maintain the level of improvement” and gradually boost numbers.

Part of the recovery was attributed to the controversial ad campaign run in 2019, targeting “snowflakes”, “selfie addicts” and “phone zombies”, which the army believed would help catch the imagination of the target audience.

It has also been helped by the army relaxing recruitment criteria, making it easier for overweight or unfit people or those with asthma and eczema to join, and the popularity of television programmes depicting military life.

This year’s ad campaign, which launched in January, is aimed at teenagers and young adults suffering from anxiety and self-doubt. “Confidence that lasts for a lifetime” can only be obtained from the army, say the posters.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/12/uk-army-years-off-full-strength-despite-recruitment-drive

 

[FJAG]

She's flying! First woman ever to pass brutal Paratroopers course is handed her maroon beret after the 28-year-old completes the toughest training outside of the Special Forces

- Capt. Rosie Wild first woman to complete Parachute Regiment selection course

-She was handed her maroon beret at a parade in Catterick, North Yorkshire

-In order for soldiers to get their 'wings' they must complete eight tough tests

By LARISSA BROWN FOR THE DAILY MAIL

A female Army officer yesterday became the first woman to complete the gruelling Parachute Regiment selection course.

Captain Rosie Wild, 28, of the Royal Artillery, is the first woman to pass the All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection, more commonly known as 'P company' – the toughest military selection course outside the Special Forces.

She was handed her maroon beret at a parade in Catterick, North Yorkshire.
...

And she's a gunner!  ;D

See rest here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8018547/First-woman-pass-brutal-Paratroopers-course-handed-maroon-beret.html

:cheers:

 

[dapaterson]

And she's a gunner!  ;D

Well, nobody's perfect.

 

[FJAG]

Soldier wins £2.5 million payout from MoD after getting shot in the foot during a training exercise
- The Ministry of Defence spent £129.7m in compensation payouts last year
- A soldier was paid £2.5m after he was shot in the foot during a training exercise
- There were nearly 3,000 claims and a 55 per cent growth in payouts, figures say
...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8034635/Soldier-wins-2-5-million-payout-MoD-getting-shot-foot-training-exercise.html

:cheers:

 

[FJAG]

Northern Ireland veteran kills himself after 'witch hunt' investigation into his actions during the Troubles
- Eddie 'Spud' Murphy killed himself on Thursday and was found by his wife
- He is believed to have survived at least one IRA bomb attack while in Fusiliers
- Six other British Army veterans are currently facing prosecution in N. Ireland
- For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123, visit a local branch or go to www.samaritans.org ...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8034379/Northern-Ireland-veteran-kills-witch-hunt-investigation-actions-Troubles.html

:brickwall: