daftandbarmy
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'You can still kill someone with a bayonet but don't tell him his Mum is fat....'
Still laughing... ay oop
Still laughing... ay oop
British Military Current Events
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daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Aye lass! No job satisfaction any more!
Written on the dirt covered side of a stolen Fiat in Belfast:
"Designed by Italians
Built by robots
Driven by Joyriders
Stopped by 1 PARA"
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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No pie is safe from this one ....
A soldier who weighed in at more than 30 stone has been sacked from the Army after failing mandatory fitness tests.
The soldier was one of around 25 military personally to be medically discharged between 2019 and 2021 after being classified as morbidly obese.
The unnamed soldier could not be deployed on operations or fit into the body armour provided due to his size.
More than 45,000 personnel have been classified as overweight in the last two years
A source told The Sun: 'You can't have a 30 stone soldier. He will be a liability to himself and his colleagues.
'There is also a problem with boozing in the evenings which adds to the problem of obesity.'
Figures obtained in 2020 showed that around 18,000 personnel - around one in eight - were classified as obese between January 2019 and March 2020.
In that period, eight service personnel underwent liposuction procedures, while 100 were prescribed diet pills.
Colonel Richard Kemp, a former commander in Afghanistan dubbed the weight gain of soldiers a 'failure of leadership.'
'These soldiers must have gained this weight while serving,' he said.
www.dailymail.co.uk
Military FATNESS! 30 STONE solider is among 25 morbidly obese troops sacked from Army for failing fitness tests over two years
- The soldier was one of around 25 military personnel to be medically discharged from service between 2019 and 2021 after being classified as morbidly obese
- The soldier could not be deployed on operations or fit into the body armour
- Figures show more than 45,000 have been classified as overweight in two years
A soldier who weighed in at more than 30 stone has been sacked from the Army after failing mandatory fitness tests.
The soldier was one of around 25 military personally to be medically discharged between 2019 and 2021 after being classified as morbidly obese.
The unnamed soldier could not be deployed on operations or fit into the body armour provided due to his size.
More than 45,000 personnel have been classified as overweight in the last two years
A source told The Sun: 'You can't have a 30 stone soldier. He will be a liability to himself and his colleagues.
'There is also a problem with boozing in the evenings which adds to the problem of obesity.'
Figures obtained in 2020 showed that around 18,000 personnel - around one in eight - were classified as obese between January 2019 and March 2020.
In that period, eight service personnel underwent liposuction procedures, while 100 were prescribed diet pills.
Colonel Richard Kemp, a former commander in Afghanistan dubbed the weight gain of soldiers a 'failure of leadership.'
'These soldiers must have gained this weight while serving,' he said.
30 STONE solider heaviest of 25 obese troops who sacked from Army
The soldier was one of around 25 military personally to be medically discharged between 2019 and 2021 after being classified as morbidly obese.
FJAG
Army.ca Legend
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You just can't make this stuff up.
Why was RAF deputy in garden without any clothes on?
Air Marshal Andrew Turner, 54, (pictured) sent a letter to the family last week apologising for an incident he said caused 'absolutely unintentional upset'.
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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You just can't make this stuff up.
That order of undress seems to be popular in the RAF:
Barbarity that shames the RAF: Sickening video of 28lb mortar barrel being used on naked young recruit in initiation ceremony triggers criminal investigation
- Footage of incident reminiscent of abuse suffered by Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison
- The shocking video of a vile 'initiation rite' was obtained by the Daily Mail
- Footage shows a naked airman being held down by rowdy, inebriated troops before they allegedly assault him. A criminal and RAF investigation is under way
- The Royal Air Force insisted it did not tolerate bullying or initiation rituals
- However, experts fear the video will cause huge damage to the RAF's reputation
- WARNING: Graphic content
Video of naked RAF recruit in initiation ceremony triggers probe
Reminiscent of abuse suffered by Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison, footage of the shocking incident in which Drunken troops appeared to assault a young airman was obtained by the Daily Mail.
OldSolduer
Army.ca Relic
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Isn't that about 420 pounds? Who made his uniforms? Tent and awning company??
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Pegasus Company, the full series.
Oh, my aching ego ....
Pegasus Company follows three Parachute Regiment Recruits through Test Week, also know as P Company, at ITC Catterick in the United Kingdom.
Oh, my aching ego ....
Pegasus Company follows three Parachute Regiment Recruits through Test Week, also know as P Company, at ITC Catterick in the United Kingdom.
daftandbarmy
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British army veterans denied treatment for brain injuries
They have seizures and brain damage but the MoD insists their illnesses are psychological. Now scans could help thousands of soldiers who have been misdiagnosedThe Taliban forces around Ouellette, a British patrol base in a remote sector of Afghanistan’s Helmand province, were slowly finding their range. “One day their rockets hit all our vehicles,” recalls army veteran Neil Edwards. “They were getting really good.”
Edwards had already survived many such attacks. The British forces were having to sleep in unprotected tents, and every day brought peril. At the end of April 2013, Edwards, then a corporal, was in the operations room when he had to organise assistance for the victims of a roadside bomb that had killed three soldiers and injured a further six.
But that was not the event that changed his life. That came two months later, on 30 June. “The first rocket came in mid-morning,” Edwards says. “I grabbed my helmet and body armour and started running for cover – towards the HAB [hardened accommodation block] in the hope it would protect me.”
He didn’t make it. The blast from a second rocket caught him in the open. “The force was overwhelming – like a scene from Saving Private Ryan. The world seemed to stop, I had ringing in my ears.” Right away, Edwards feared the blast had caused permanent damage. But “though I was told I’d be taken to Camp Bastion [the British army Helmand headquarters] for a full assessment, it didn’t happen”.
For years, the NHS and the Ministry of Defence have insisted this and other blasts to which Edwards was exposed in a long army career did him no lasting physical harm. They have made the same assertion to many other veterans, claiming their debilitating symptom are psychological, not physical, in origin.
Now an advanced diagnostic technology, magnetoencephalography (MEG), is enabling patients’ brains to be scanned, providing maps and locations of brain injuries with precision. It is set to shake the MoD view to its foundations.
Edwards’s MEG scan suggests he is suffering from irreversible brain damage caused by a traumatic brain injury (TBI), with the parts of his brain that have been affected exactly matching his symptoms. The diagnosis has been confirmed by a consultant neurologist who has examined him and other veterans and seen their scans. He says they have “appalling damage”. Potentially, thousands of British veterans may be in a similar position: their lives ruined, but the reasons for their plight misdiagnosed.
The Tory MP and Royal Green Jackets veteran Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Commons select committee on defence, told the Observer he would be writing to the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, to ask for MEG scans to be made freely and widely available.
“This technology may be pivotal in establishing something of which we’ve been becoming increasingly aware – how brains can be damaged on the battlefield by shockwaves whose impacts are often misdiagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD],” he said. “We have a duty of care to these veterans for the rest of their lives, and I’d hate to think that we are holding back for financial reasons when we should be forging ahead with diagnosis and treatment.”
Nine years after the rocket in Ouellette, Edwards, now 41, is struggling. Having joined the army at 16, and also served in Northern Ireland and Iraq, he has been diagnosed with PTSD. This includes flashbacks that can be triggered by something as minor as a party popper. He also has permanent tinnitus, as well as difficulty reading social clues, and his moods can be volatile.
Worst, however, are his frequent seizures, which began in 2016. At home in Braunton, north Devon, his wife, Becky, shows a video of one of the most recent. It depicts him convulsing, unable to move or communicate for 40 minutes. “When he’s having a seizure, he’s a dead weight,” she says. “I’ll pinch his ear, cuddle him to let him know I’m here. But there’s nothing I can do to bring him round.”
“I’m aware when they start, and when they’re over,” he says, “but I have no memories of when they’re happening. Afterwards, I have no strength and it’s hard to walk.”
The impact on the couple and their daughters, aged 11 and 13, is immense. It’s too risky to leave him at home alone, and if Becky is out their daughter Molly has to watch him. “Our normal life is like a lockdown,” says Edwards. “Theme parks, outings, the things that normal dads do – for us, they’re impossible.” He is a skilled IT expert, and is fortunate to work from home for an employer who accepts that on days when he has a seizure, he will be unavailable. But Becky fears for the future: “What if he gets worse? I’ll be his full-time carer.”
In America, TBI has been recognised as common among veterans of conflicts since 2008. A 2020 study by Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, entitled Modern warfare destroys brains, says frequent exposure to blast waves in Iraq and Afghanistan has left 20% of veterans with TBIs, the total running into six figures.
It calls TBI “the signature injury of the war on terror”, adding that many thousands of veterans suffer from PTSD and TBI. The impact of TBI is a key reason why so many Iraq and Afghan veterans are driven to suicide. British soldiers fought alongside Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan, but according to the MoD, the rate of TBI among British veterans is much lower – 4% or less.
Neil and Becky Edwards say the refusal of the NHS and MoD to accept that his symptoms have a physical origin makes his condition much harder to deal with. Officially, his fits are termed “psychogenic non-epileptic seizures”, a product of his PTSD. “That means psychological therapies are pushed on to Neil that we know don’t work,” says Becky. “He’s constantly asked to relive the experiences that made him a different person. It’s hard to get him to go to an appointment, because to Neil, there’s no point.”
Other families feel similarly aggrieved. James England is a veteran of Bosnia and three deployments to Iraq. He was in a traffic accident that caused a bleed on his brain while stationed in Germany in 2003. But although this required a stay in intensive care, he was sent to Basra, Iraq, immediately afterwards instead of being allowed to convalesce, and took part in heavy fighting.
“You wouldn’t send a soldier into battle with a broken arm,” says his wife, Kate. “Yet they sent my husband after he’d had a brain haemorrhage.”
After leaving the army in 2007, England couldn’t hold down a job, suffered mood swings that he treated with alcohol, and has twice tried to take his life. With balance problems, he often falls and “shakes as if he’s got Parkinson’s: and still the MoD won’t recognise this is TBI. They won’t engage because they know how many guys are affected. Through the networks we have built, I know of thousands whose suffering is probably caused by TBI,” she says.
MEG scans have been available for years, and are used to aid diagnosis in dozens of epilepsy treatment centres. Research shows they will detect the abnormal “slow wave” signals caused by injury, and the new neural pathways that the brain tries to grow when old ones are severed.
Until recently, the problem was that analysing the MEG scan data had to be done manually, a process that took many days. The recent breakthrough, made by British medical software company Innovision IP, is the development of a computerised method that cuts the time to produce a report, so greatly reducing cost – a scan plus analysis starts at £5,000 per patient.
This works by comparing patients’ scans with those drawn from a huge database of ordinary people unaffected by TBI. “The slow waves caused by injuries show up, allowing us to identify whether and where activity is abnormal,” says the firm’s chief scientific officer, Professor Gary Green. “A conventional MRI scan may well not reveal this. The MEG scan will.”
Innovision’s chief executive, Peter Schwabach, reveals the firm is also analysing the brains of athletes and victims of accidents. But though some of these cases are serious, neurologist Steve Allder says the evidence of TBI among veterans is the most severe. He interviewed Neil Edwards and James England. “I’ve now seen five or six vets and I’ve never come across anything like this before. Their MEG scans are almost unbelievably abnormal, catastrophic. These are men who went off to serve their country and came back different, with conditions that are getting steadily worse.”
For Edwards, Allder’s report came as a huge relief. “No one wants a brain injury, so it’s bittersweet. But if I were American, I’d already be getting support. To be told my symptoms have a physical origin takes me closer to getting more effective treatment here.”
Kate England agrees. “The MoD says very few people have this problem, but a lot of guys are being overlooked. They need to scan the vets who wind up homeless, or in prison, or in mental health units. It’s horrendous and distressing, but now they may get help.”
MEG scans have been used to help diagnose TBI in veterans by the US government for more than 10 years. Yet in Britain, an MoD spokesman told the Observer they are seen merely as a “promising technique” that needs further research. He added: “The health and wellbeing of our armed forces is critical. We provide a treatment programme for traumatic brain injuries at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre in Nottinghamshire and are working on a national research programme to advance diagnosis, management and rehabilitation in the area of brain injuries and PTSD.”
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Stand still, you in the rear rank.... 'orrible little man....
British troops will not be sent to Ukraine to fight Russia, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has confirmed.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Wallace said Ukraine would instead be supported to "fight every street with every piece of equipment we can get to them".
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Thursday morning and its forces have now advanced on the capital Kyiv.
Mr Wallace said Russia failed in its main objectives on the first day of its offensive, losing 450 of its troops.
Over the past month, UK government ministers have repeatedly stressed that UK troops would be unlikely to take part in action within Ukraine.
Mr Wallace explained that sending UK troops to fight in Ukraine - an ally of the UK but not a member of the Nato military alliance it is part of - would trigger a European war.
He said the UK had "done the next best thing, which is to train more than 20,000 Ukrainians, provided them with lethal capabilities, which they are using right now".
Since the invasion began in the early hours of Thursday, 194 Ukrainians - including 57 civilians - have been killed, Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday morning, pledging more support in coming days.
Mr Zelensky said Ukraine "needs the support of partners more than ever" and called for stronger sanctions.
Fighting has also been raging at an airfield on Kyiv's outskirts and there have been reports of gunfire inside the city. Mr Zelensky has appealed to Russia for a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, UN estimates suggested more than 100,000 people have already fled their homes in Ukraine. Overnight, at least 1,000 Ukrainians arrived by train in Poland's south-eastern city of Przemysl alone.
Mr Heappey told the House of Commons that further troops were being sent to Estonia earlier than planned to help the Nato ally. A total of 1,000 troops are on standby to help Ukraine's neighbouring countries handle refugees fleeing Ukraine.
A Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Diamond, has set sail to be on standby in the eastern Mediterranean. The Type 45 destroyer is joining offshore patrol vessel HMS Trent, with four additional RAF Typhoon jets being deployed to Cyprus to take part in patrols.
HMS Diamond has also left Portsmouth Naval Base as part of the UK's response to support Nato countries in eastern Europe.
Mr Heappey said "British and Nato troops should not [and] must not play an active role" and that any miscalculation could escalate quickly.
Mr Wallace warned Russian President Vladimir Putin would not stop after invading Ukraine.
But he said the decision not to "put British service personnel in direct fighting" was not about risk.
The defence secretary said: "I'm not putting British troops directly to fight Russian troops. That would trigger a European war because we are a Nato country and Russia would therefore be attacking Nato."
Asked about the possibility of a no-fly zone above Russia, he replied this would mean putting "British fighter jets directly against Russian fighter jets", adding: "Nato would have to effectively declare war on Russia because that's what you would do."
He called Russia's assault a "naked, aggressive, military invasion" and said he believed diplomacy was currently "absolutely off the table".
www.bbc.com
Ukraine invasion: UK troops will not fight against Russia says Wallace
Wallace: We'd like to throw Russia out of Swift banking systemBritish troops will not be sent to Ukraine to fight Russia, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has confirmed.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Wallace said Ukraine would instead be supported to "fight every street with every piece of equipment we can get to them".
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Thursday morning and its forces have now advanced on the capital Kyiv.
Mr Wallace said Russia failed in its main objectives on the first day of its offensive, losing 450 of its troops.
Over the past month, UK government ministers have repeatedly stressed that UK troops would be unlikely to take part in action within Ukraine.
Mr Wallace explained that sending UK troops to fight in Ukraine - an ally of the UK but not a member of the Nato military alliance it is part of - would trigger a European war.
He said the UK had "done the next best thing, which is to train more than 20,000 Ukrainians, provided them with lethal capabilities, which they are using right now".
Since the invasion began in the early hours of Thursday, 194 Ukrainians - including 57 civilians - have been killed, Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday morning, pledging more support in coming days.
Mr Zelensky said Ukraine "needs the support of partners more than ever" and called for stronger sanctions.
Fighting has also been raging at an airfield on Kyiv's outskirts and there have been reports of gunfire inside the city. Mr Zelensky has appealed to Russia for a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, UN estimates suggested more than 100,000 people have already fled their homes in Ukraine. Overnight, at least 1,000 Ukrainians arrived by train in Poland's south-eastern city of Przemysl alone.
Mr Heappey told the House of Commons that further troops were being sent to Estonia earlier than planned to help the Nato ally. A total of 1,000 troops are on standby to help Ukraine's neighbouring countries handle refugees fleeing Ukraine.
A Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Diamond, has set sail to be on standby in the eastern Mediterranean. The Type 45 destroyer is joining offshore patrol vessel HMS Trent, with four additional RAF Typhoon jets being deployed to Cyprus to take part in patrols.
HMS Diamond has also left Portsmouth Naval Base as part of the UK's response to support Nato countries in eastern Europe.
Mr Heappey said "British and Nato troops should not [and] must not play an active role" and that any miscalculation could escalate quickly.
Mr Wallace warned Russian President Vladimir Putin would not stop after invading Ukraine.
But he said the decision not to "put British service personnel in direct fighting" was not about risk.
The defence secretary said: "I'm not putting British troops directly to fight Russian troops. That would trigger a European war because we are a Nato country and Russia would therefore be attacking Nato."
Asked about the possibility of a no-fly zone above Russia, he replied this would mean putting "British fighter jets directly against Russian fighter jets", adding: "Nato would have to effectively declare war on Russia because that's what you would do."
He called Russia's assault a "naked, aggressive, military invasion" and said he believed diplomacy was currently "absolutely off the table".
Ukraine invasion: UK troops will not fight against Russia says Wallace
The defence secretary says Britain will not be "directly" involved but is supporting Ukraine forces.
www.bbc.com
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Stand still, you in the rear rank.... 'orrible little man....
Ukraine invasion: UK troops will not fight against Russia says Wallace
Wallace: We'd like to throw Russia out of Swift banking system
British troops will not be sent to Ukraine to fight Russia, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has confirmed.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Wallace said Ukraine would instead be supported to "fight every street with every piece of equipment we can get to them".
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Thursday morning and its forces have now advanced on the capital Kyiv.
Mr Wallace said Russia failed in its main objectives on the first day of its offensive, losing 450 of its troops.
Over the past month, UK government ministers have repeatedly stressed that UK troops would be unlikely to take part in action within Ukraine.
Mr Wallace explained that sending UK troops to fight in Ukraine - an ally of the UK but not a member of the Nato military alliance it is part of - would trigger a European war.
He said the UK had "done the next best thing, which is to train more than 20,000 Ukrainians, provided them with lethal capabilities, which they are using right now".
Since the invasion began in the early hours of Thursday, 194 Ukrainians - including 57 civilians - have been killed, Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday morning, pledging more support in coming days.
Mr Zelensky said Ukraine "needs the support of partners more than ever" and called for stronger sanctions.
Fighting has also been raging at an airfield on Kyiv's outskirts and there have been reports of gunfire inside the city. Mr Zelensky has appealed to Russia for a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, UN estimates suggested more than 100,000 people have already fled their homes in Ukraine. Overnight, at least 1,000 Ukrainians arrived by train in Poland's south-eastern city of Przemysl alone.
Mr Heappey told the House of Commons that further troops were being sent to Estonia earlier than planned to help the Nato ally. A total of 1,000 troops are on standby to help Ukraine's neighbouring countries handle refugees fleeing Ukraine.
A Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Diamond, has set sail to be on standby in the eastern Mediterranean. The Type 45 destroyer is joining offshore patrol vessel HMS Trent, with four additional RAF Typhoon jets being deployed to Cyprus to take part in patrols.
HMS Diamond has also left Portsmouth Naval Base as part of the UK's response to support Nato countries in eastern Europe.
Mr Heappey said "British and Nato troops should not [and] must not play an active role" and that any miscalculation could escalate quickly.
Mr Wallace warned Russian President Vladimir Putin would not stop after invading Ukraine.
But he said the decision not to "put British service personnel in direct fighting" was not about risk.
The defence secretary said: "I'm not putting British troops directly to fight Russian troops. That would trigger a European war because we are a Nato country and Russia would therefore be attacking Nato."
Asked about the possibility of a no-fly zone above Russia, he replied this would mean putting "British fighter jets directly against Russian fighter jets", adding: "Nato would have to effectively declare war on Russia because that's what you would do."
He called Russia's assault a "naked, aggressive, military invasion" and said he believed diplomacy was currently "absolutely off the table".
Ukraine invasion: UK troops will not fight against Russia says Wallace
The defence secretary says Britain will not be "directly" involved but is supporting Ukraine forces.
How do create a "No Fly Zone" with lots and lots of Ground Based Air Defence
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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'Giver' generously....
Saint Javelin is a recently launched site that is fundraising to support the Ukrainian people directly impacted by the conflict, selling clothing, flags and stickers that depict a uniquely compelling icon. The image is of a Saint holding an NLAW rocket launcher, a weapon that Forbes highlighted as being potentially important if the war became bogged down in urban centres.
Over the last few weeks, the UK has been sending thousands of NLAW units into Ukraine, as well as more than two dozen paratroopers to train Ukrainian forces in operating the set-and-forget rocket launchers. Clearly, the shoulder-mounted weapon has become something of a symbol of resistance and international support of the Ukrainian defensive cause.
With the image of the Saintly warrior, Saint Javelin is using it to raise tens of thousands of dollars over the last few days, with a total of US$30,045 raised by yesterday. The site is donating the funds to Help US Help, a federally registered Canadian charitable organisation, which focuses on “humanitarian aid and educational projects in Ukraine.”
Help Us Help has operated for nearly three decades, raising more than US$25 million in aid to help develop areas of Ukraine. The vision statement of the charity is, “Ukraine: every child empowered; every veteran supported; no one left behind,” which is a statement that needs more support than ever.
www.bosshunting.com.au
“NLAW We Trust” – How Saint Javelin Is Supporting Ukraine In Style
Like millions of people around the world, you’ve probably been watching the horrific footage of the invasion of Ukraine over the last 24 hours. It’s a chaotic scene across much of the country, with footage of journalists scrambling for cover as bombs drop and burning wreckages of tanks left abandoned in the streets, filling our screens. It’s tough to know how to help when we’re so far from the destruction in Ukraine, but the team behind Saint Javelin is offering a way.Saint Javelin is a recently launched site that is fundraising to support the Ukrainian people directly impacted by the conflict, selling clothing, flags and stickers that depict a uniquely compelling icon. The image is of a Saint holding an NLAW rocket launcher, a weapon that Forbes highlighted as being potentially important if the war became bogged down in urban centres.
Over the last few weeks, the UK has been sending thousands of NLAW units into Ukraine, as well as more than two dozen paratroopers to train Ukrainian forces in operating the set-and-forget rocket launchers. Clearly, the shoulder-mounted weapon has become something of a symbol of resistance and international support of the Ukrainian defensive cause.
With the image of the Saintly warrior, Saint Javelin is using it to raise tens of thousands of dollars over the last few days, with a total of US$30,045 raised by yesterday. The site is donating the funds to Help US Help, a federally registered Canadian charitable organisation, which focuses on “humanitarian aid and educational projects in Ukraine.”
Help Us Help has operated for nearly three decades, raising more than US$25 million in aid to help develop areas of Ukraine. The vision statement of the charity is, “Ukraine: every child empowered; every veteran supported; no one left behind,” which is a statement that needs more support than ever.
"NLAW We Trust" - How Saint Javelin Is Supporting Ukraine In Style
It's tough to know how to help when we're so far from the destruction in Ukraine, but the team behind Saint Javelin is offering a way.
www.bosshunting.com.au
Spencer100
Army.ca Veteran
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Use give send go
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Looking for a bit of Bovver, lads?
It is believed ex-Paratroopers may at some point join the special forces teams in Ukraine, along with other UK military specialists.
The veterans, aged between 40 and 60, have had meetings to discuss signing up for the dangerous mission, backing up Ukrainians in combat.
Key to their operation is among them there are highly-trained snipers and experts in the use of anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles.
Snipers will also help in taking out Russian forward air spotters and Moscow’s special forces who are guiding in airstrikes on troops and local communities.
It is believed the operation is not being paid for by the British government but will be funded by a country in Europe, still to be named, via a private military company.
The plan is a way of backing Ukraine militarily but without officially sending serving troops into battle against Vladimir Putin ’s forces.
More than a dozen of the veterans have already arrived in Ukraine and another dozen will travel there this week.
Among them are warrant officers, sergeants and corporals who have fought all over the world but no Army officers have signed up yet.
It follows Ukraine’s President Zelensky announcing an international call to arms for people to go to Ukraine and help defend his homeland.
So far, according to official Ukrainian figures, his troops have killed 5,300 Russian troops in ferocious battles for cities throughout the country.
The ex-SAS team have fought all over Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere globally.
One ex-SAS man told the Daily Mirror: “This has had to happen very quickly as the situation in Ukraine is now desperate and they need urgent help.
“A lot of ex-parachute regiment colleagues are also very keen to go. Many people are very keen to go and it has had to be organised very quickly.
“It is legal as none of the men going out are still serving and Ukraine has invited people to go in and help the fight militarily.
“It means some of the most experienced veterans in the world will assist Ukraine and link up with Ukraine’s force headquarters.
“And we do know that Putin has a great deal of respect of the SAS.”
Deadly RAF 'beast mode' fighter jets that will 'make Putin sweat' land in UK
Sources confirmed all of the SAS veterans heading for Ukraine are experts in the use of Javelin and Stinger missiles.
He said: "The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is addressing all citizens of the world, friends of Ukraine, peace and democracy.
“Anyone who wants to join the defence of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come.”
www.mirror.co.uk
Crack team of SAS veterans joining Ukraine's bloody fight against Russian invasion
It is believed the operation is not being paid for by the British government but will be funded by a country in Europe, still to be named, via a private military companyIt is believed ex-Paratroopers may at some point join the special forces teams in Ukraine, along with other UK military specialists.
The veterans, aged between 40 and 60, have had meetings to discuss signing up for the dangerous mission, backing up Ukrainians in combat.
Key to their operation is among them there are highly-trained snipers and experts in the use of anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles.
Snipers will also help in taking out Russian forward air spotters and Moscow’s special forces who are guiding in airstrikes on troops and local communities.
It is believed the operation is not being paid for by the British government but will be funded by a country in Europe, still to be named, via a private military company.
The plan is a way of backing Ukraine militarily but without officially sending serving troops into battle against Vladimir Putin ’s forces.
More than a dozen of the veterans have already arrived in Ukraine and another dozen will travel there this week.
Among them are warrant officers, sergeants and corporals who have fought all over the world but no Army officers have signed up yet.
It follows Ukraine’s President Zelensky announcing an international call to arms for people to go to Ukraine and help defend his homeland.
So far, according to official Ukrainian figures, his troops have killed 5,300 Russian troops in ferocious battles for cities throughout the country.
The ex-SAS team have fought all over Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere globally.
One ex-SAS man told the Daily Mirror: “This has had to happen very quickly as the situation in Ukraine is now desperate and they need urgent help.
“A lot of ex-parachute regiment colleagues are also very keen to go. Many people are very keen to go and it has had to be organised very quickly.
“It is legal as none of the men going out are still serving and Ukraine has invited people to go in and help the fight militarily.
“It means some of the most experienced veterans in the world will assist Ukraine and link up with Ukraine’s force headquarters.
“And we do know that Putin has a great deal of respect of the SAS.”
Deadly RAF 'beast mode' fighter jets that will 'make Putin sweat' land in UK
Sources confirmed all of the SAS veterans heading for Ukraine are experts in the use of Javelin and Stinger missiles.
He said: "The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is addressing all citizens of the world, friends of Ukraine, peace and democracy.
“Anyone who wants to join the defence of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come.”
Crack team of SAS veterans joining Ukraine's fight against Russian invasion
It is believed the operation is not being paid for by the British government but will be funded by a country in Europe, still to be named, via a private military company
www.mirror.co.uk
daftandbarmy
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'I don't know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they frighten me.' Duke of Wellington
"Among those who have arrived to fight for Ukraine are dozens of former soldiers from the British Army's elite Parachute Regiment, according to an ex-soldier from the regiment. Hundreds more would soon follow, he said. Reuters was unable to corroborate those numbers.
Often referred to as the Paras, the regiment has in recent years served in Afghanistan and Iraq. "They're all highly, highly trained, and have seen active service on numerous occasions," the ex-soldier from the regiment said. The Ukraine crisis will give them purpose, camaraderie and "a chance to do what they're good at: fight."
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www.reuters.com
For foreign fighters, Ukraine offers purpose, camaraderie and a cause
"Among those who have arrived to fight for Ukraine are dozens of former soldiers from the British Army's elite Parachute Regiment, according to an ex-soldier from the regiment. Hundreds more would soon follow, he said. Reuters was unable to corroborate those numbers.
Often referred to as the Paras, the regiment has in recent years served in Afghanistan and Iraq. "They're all highly, highly trained, and have seen active service on numerous occasions," the ex-soldier from the regiment said. The Ukraine crisis will give them purpose, camaraderie and "a chance to do what they're good at: fight."
Insight: For foreign fighters, Ukraine offers purpose, camaraderie and a cause
Michael Ferkol, who once served as a supply specialist with engineer battalions in the U.S. Army, had been in Rome studying archaeology when he heard the Ukrainian president's appeal for foreign fighters.
www.reuters.com
FJAG
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The Brit National Audit Office has released its report o the AJAX program:
The Tragedy of Ajax... Thoughts on the NAO Report
Defence blog focusing on 21st century analysis of Cold War defence, security and continuity of government problems.thinpinstripedline.blogspot.com
daftandbarmy
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The Brit National Audit Office has released its report o the AJAX program:
This quote floored me:
"It is perhaps unsurprising that Ajax remains troubled for one senses that the Army itself is not entirely clear what it is that it wants from this vehicle. We are now at the stage where the Army has already spent around £4bn on Ajax and the Warrior CSP and expects to spend a further £1.5bn on Ajax – in other words, it will have shortly spent almost the same cost as the RN has spent on acquiring and delivery HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and PRINCE OF WALES, and arguably has so far got nothing to show for its investment."
FJAG
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That's a gobsmack, isn't it? And yet, no one has been taken to the Tower for some confinement prior to having their head lopped off.
I never really got the picture as to how the whole Ajax and Boxer thing and retiring the Warrior was supposed to work in the first place. I do see the sense of a deep strike brigade as configured in Future Soldier. And from what I understand, Ajax was to replace the CVR(T)s in the Cavalry units - I could see that.
But Boxer replacing the Warriors in mech infantry units? I was always struck by this (IMHO shortsighted view)
Fresh thinking on ‘close battles’ sealed British Warrior vehicle’s demise
"Were we going to pour very scarce, precious new money into a platform that was going to be nearly 50 years old by the time we were fielding it?"www.defensenews.com
I sure hope he and his ilk are feeling like proper dicks right about now. (I wonder with the promise of more $ in the UK that there is a recalibration of Future Warrior happening)
I'm going to read this in greater detail tomorrow.
daftandbarmy
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Operation 'Weather Permitting', as I recall 
The UK military has been training in the fjords of Norway, joined by HMS Albion and RFA Mounts Bay. The vessels have worked together to deliver personnel and equipment to where they need to be. However, it takes a lot of work behind the scenes to keep the ships and all the people involved in the training moving in the right direction.
How Royal Marines Commandos move around the Arctic
The UK military has been training in the fjords of Norway, joined by HMS Albion and RFA Mounts Bay. The vessels have worked together to deliver personnel and equipment to where they need to be. However, it takes a lot of work behind the scenes to keep the ships and all the people involved in the training moving in the right direction.
FJAG
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The MOD has issued Terms of Reference to a Brit lawyer to examine issues arising out of the Ajax project report.
It's a strangely worded and short document but when you read what's included and what's excluded it's actually efficiently focused on improving the Army's procurement process. Maybe when Sheldon is finished with their problems, he could look at ours.
It's a strangely worded and short document but when you read what's included and what's excluded it's actually efficiently focused on improving the Army's procurement process. Maybe when Sheldon is finished with their problems, he could look at ours.
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