British Military Current Events
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daftandbarmy
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noneck said:
No, that was another maniac. We'll never know what really went on with these types of agents - I hope. And I'm sure that the war continues on this level...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3018537.stm
Stakeknife: Uncovering the hidden war
By Dominic Casciani
BBC News Online
Francisco Notarantonio: Allegedly set-up by rogue agents
The unmasking of a top-level mole in the IRA - named as Freddie Scappaticci - has peeled back another layer of Northern Ireland's secret war. But will we ever know the full extent of what took place in the shadows?
On 9 October 1987, pensioner Francisco Notarantonio was asleep at his home in west Belfast.
As he lay in bed, loyalist gunmen burst into the home and shot him dead in front of his family.
They appeared to be acting in the belief that Mr Notarantonio, a republican sympathiser and old friend of Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adam's father, was a top IRA figure.
He had indeed been in the IRA - the completely different one of the 1940s. For decades, Mr Notarantonio had been nothing more than a taxi driver and grandfather.
Like the later killing of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, it became almost an article of faith for many in nationalist areas of Belfast that the secret hand of military intelligence directed the killing for its own ends.
The Notarantonio murder was more than just a tragedy for his family.
However, what made the Notarantonio case unique was the suggestion that he was killed to protect a top-level IRA mole codenamed "Stakeknife".
Today, we know that Stakeknife did indeed operate within the higher echelons of the IRA - a revelation that completely changes our understanding of the secret intelligence war.
daftandbarmy
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Sex-swap Para hero wig attack
I used to have mess kit like that. Should my wife be worried?
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1627897.ece
I used to have mess kit like that. Should my wife be worried?
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1627897.ece
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That yobs lucky he didn't get shyte kicked out of him in the bargain.
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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SAS kills hundreds of terrorists in 'secret war' against al-Qaeda in Iraq
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2652496/SAS-kill-hundreds-of-terrorists-in-secret-war-against-al-Qaeda-in-Iraq.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2652496/SAS-kill-hundreds-of-terrorists-in-secret-war-against-al-Qaeda-in-Iraq.html
Blackadder1916
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Changing of the guard: Talks over bearskin hats
Sun Aug 31, 10:51 AM ET
LONDON (AFP) - Military chiefs are to meet with an animal rights group on Tuesday to discuss alternatives to the traditional bearskin hats famously worn by the guards at Buckingham Palace.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) are to hald talks with Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials to put forward what they say are ethical alternatives to the 18-inch (46-centimetre) tall fur hats worn by army guards.
Peta has previously discussed fake fur alternatives with the MoD but military bosses were unimpressed by the prototypes.
Now Peta has come up with an alternative shape, but insists its design could be as famous as the traditional hats.
"We can still have very regal-looking guards who look fantastic," said Peta's Europe director Robbie LeBlanc.
"We felt doing this kind of thing was a way of keeping with the times and keeping that iconic status."
He said activists had talked to tourists outside Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II's official residence in London, and most did not know the hats were made using fur from Canadian black bears.
"Most people think it's fake fur and when they find out it's real and it takes one bear to make a hat, they are appalled," he said.
"Fur farming has been outlawed in Britain but we are paying other people with taxpayers' money.
"We think we are a modern nation but the queen's guards are walking round with an entire dead bear on their heads."
The hats were first worn by British soldiers following the defeat of the French Imperial Guards in the 1815 Battle of Waterloo.
The French grenadiers wore them to appear taller and more intimidating and British guards adopted the hats for ceremonial duties as a mark of their victory.
Between 50 and 100 new hats are needed each year. The MoD has spent more than 321,000 pounds on bearskins in the past five years.
LeBlanc and other Peta representatives are to meet Baroness Ann Taylor, the minister for defence procurement.
"The MoD is not opposed to the use of synthetic materials as an alternative to bearskins, provided such materials meet the requirement for a high quality product that performs adequately in all weather conditions," a ministry spokeswoman said.
"Regrettably, a suitable alternative continues to prove elusive.
"Baroness Taylor will be meeting representatives from Peta this week.
"This is a private meeting and it would be inappropriate to speculate on what will be discussed," she added.
Sun Aug 31, 10:51 AM ET
LONDON (AFP) - Military chiefs are to meet with an animal rights group on Tuesday to discuss alternatives to the traditional bearskin hats famously worn by the guards at Buckingham Palace.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) are to hald talks with Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials to put forward what they say are ethical alternatives to the 18-inch (46-centimetre) tall fur hats worn by army guards.
Peta has previously discussed fake fur alternatives with the MoD but military bosses were unimpressed by the prototypes.
Now Peta has come up with an alternative shape, but insists its design could be as famous as the traditional hats.
"We can still have very regal-looking guards who look fantastic," said Peta's Europe director Robbie LeBlanc.
"We felt doing this kind of thing was a way of keeping with the times and keeping that iconic status."
He said activists had talked to tourists outside Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II's official residence in London, and most did not know the hats were made using fur from Canadian black bears.
"Most people think it's fake fur and when they find out it's real and it takes one bear to make a hat, they are appalled," he said.
"Fur farming has been outlawed in Britain but we are paying other people with taxpayers' money.
"We think we are a modern nation but the queen's guards are walking round with an entire dead bear on their heads."
The hats were first worn by British soldiers following the defeat of the French Imperial Guards in the 1815 Battle of Waterloo.
The French grenadiers wore them to appear taller and more intimidating and British guards adopted the hats for ceremonial duties as a mark of their victory.
Between 50 and 100 new hats are needed each year. The MoD has spent more than 321,000 pounds on bearskins in the past five years.
LeBlanc and other Peta representatives are to meet Baroness Ann Taylor, the minister for defence procurement.
"The MoD is not opposed to the use of synthetic materials as an alternative to bearskins, provided such materials meet the requirement for a high quality product that performs adequately in all weather conditions," a ministry spokeswoman said.
"Regrettably, a suitable alternative continues to prove elusive.
"Baroness Taylor will be meeting representatives from Peta this week.
"This is a private meeting and it would be inappropriate to speculate on what will be discussed," she added.
daftandbarmy
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Guys in the Guards regiments were always pretty keen on letting me know that they got their hats from Canadian black bears. I, of course. thanked them for helping to make sure that my folks' garbage cans in North Van were safer...
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A bit more on the bearskin hats from Associated Press here:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/01/europe/EU-Britain-Bearskin-Hats.php
as well as our last rousing exchange on this one here:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/44129.0/all.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/01/europe/EU-Britain-Bearskin-Hats.php
as well as our last rousing exchange on this one here:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/44129.0/all.html
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Fighting the Taliban: What it's really like
Last week, yet more members of Western forces were killed in Afghanistan. In a new book, Sunday Telegraph defence correspondent Sean Rayment, a former Army officer, describes the horrors of war faced by British soldiers.
Sean Rayment joins the Royal Anglians during an operation in the Upper Sangin Valley, Helmand province Photo: JUSTIN SUTCLIFFE
The whispered words "Moving in five minutes" ripple along the column of soldiers standing in the dust of the Helmand desert. Tense faces are illuminated beneath a moonlit sky. After hours of waiting, we are setting off to hunt down the Taliban in the Green Zone, a lush green strip that borders the Helmand river and the most dangerous part of Afghanistan.
The soldiers call it Bandit Country, and for good reason. This is where the Taliban hold sway.
It is one in the morning and, despite a cool breeze, I'm sweating beneath my helmet and body armour. There's a delay but we are not told why. The 120 soldiers who are about to march out on the operation check and re-check their weapons and equipment for a final time. Rifle, bayonet, ammunition, hand grenades, tourniquet, morphine, field dressing, water, rations, spare socks – almost everything the modern British soldier needs for fighting in Helmand. The other thing is luck.
Another message floats along the column of soldiers: "Prepare to move." I look down the line and see young faces illuminated by the glow of cigarettes being sucked for the final time. Others are hauling their impossibly heavy packs on to their backs. There is a flurry of activity and then, without ceremony, we move silently beyond the walls of Patrol Base Inkerman. After 20 minutes we stop in a small hamlet and a soldier crawls towards me and whispers: "If we get ambushed and you find yourself in the killing zone, stick with me." I ask him what he means by "the killing zone". "It's the area of ground in an ambush where you have the greatest chance of being killed. If you're in it, you're in the s**t." He then smiles and says: "And if I'm dead, you're probably f****d."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2609487/Fighting-the-Taliban-What-its-really-like.html
Last week, yet more members of Western forces were killed in Afghanistan. In a new book, Sunday Telegraph defence correspondent Sean Rayment, a former Army officer, describes the horrors of war faced by British soldiers.
Sean Rayment joins the Royal Anglians during an operation in the Upper Sangin Valley, Helmand province Photo: JUSTIN SUTCLIFFE
The whispered words "Moving in five minutes" ripple along the column of soldiers standing in the dust of the Helmand desert. Tense faces are illuminated beneath a moonlit sky. After hours of waiting, we are setting off to hunt down the Taliban in the Green Zone, a lush green strip that borders the Helmand river and the most dangerous part of Afghanistan.
The soldiers call it Bandit Country, and for good reason. This is where the Taliban hold sway.
It is one in the morning and, despite a cool breeze, I'm sweating beneath my helmet and body armour. There's a delay but we are not told why. The 120 soldiers who are about to march out on the operation check and re-check their weapons and equipment for a final time. Rifle, bayonet, ammunition, hand grenades, tourniquet, morphine, field dressing, water, rations, spare socks – almost everything the modern British soldier needs for fighting in Helmand. The other thing is luck.
Another message floats along the column of soldiers: "Prepare to move." I look down the line and see young faces illuminated by the glow of cigarettes being sucked for the final time. Others are hauling their impossibly heavy packs on to their backs. There is a flurry of activity and then, without ceremony, we move silently beyond the walls of Patrol Base Inkerman. After 20 minutes we stop in a small hamlet and a soldier crawls towards me and whispers: "If we get ambushed and you find yourself in the killing zone, stick with me." I ask him what he means by "the killing zone". "It's the area of ground in an ambush where you have the greatest chance of being killed. If you're in it, you're in the s**t." He then smiles and says: "And if I'm dead, you're probably f****d."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2609487/Fighting-the-Taliban-What-its-really-like.html
daftandbarmy
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Thousands of war veterans locked in British prisons
One in 11 prisoners serving time in UK jails is a former member of the armed forces, a new report reveals.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2651148/Thousands-of-war-veterans-locked-in-British-prisons.html
By Ben Leach
Last Updated: 1:14PM BST 31 Aug 2008
More than 8,000 veterans are currently behind bars, many of whom have served their country in Iraq or Afghanistan, researchers found.
A high proportion of the convicts interviewed in the study had suffered some form of post-traumatic stress disorder after leaving the forces. Often their convictions were for drug- or alcohol-related violence.
Ex-services charities said the findings highlighted the difficulty which many former soldiers face in making the transition to civilian life.
The National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO), which carried out the research, called on the Government to do more to tackle mental health problems suffered by people who have fought in war zones.
It said that around 24,000 veterans are either in jail, on parole or serving community punishment orders after having been convicted of crimes. They make up around nine per cent of the prison population.
Opposition MPs and charities called the findings another example of ministers breaking the 'military covenant' – the guarantee that soldiers receive fair treatment in return for putting their lives on the line.
They claimed that if the Ministry of Defence properly screened those discharged from the military for mental illnesses, problems could be identified earlier.
NAPO's conclusions are based on the findings of three separate studies: MoD research at HMP Dartmoor, a survey at eight jails by the Veterans in Prison support groups last year, and a series of Home Office research projects between 2001 and 2004.
In addition, probation officers provided case histories of 74 individuals so that researchers could assess the factors that drove ex-services personnel to commit crimes.
The report concludes: "Most of the soldiers who had served in either the Gulf or Afghanistan were suffering from post traumatic stress. Little support or counselling was available on discharge from the forces.
"Virtually all became involved in heavy drinking or drug taking and in consequence involvement in violence offences, sometimes domestically related, happened routinely."
One in 11 prisoners serving time in UK jails is a former member of the armed forces, a new report reveals.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2651148/Thousands-of-war-veterans-locked-in-British-prisons.html
By Ben Leach
Last Updated: 1:14PM BST 31 Aug 2008
More than 8,000 veterans are currently behind bars, many of whom have served their country in Iraq or Afghanistan, researchers found.
A high proportion of the convicts interviewed in the study had suffered some form of post-traumatic stress disorder after leaving the forces. Often their convictions were for drug- or alcohol-related violence.
Ex-services charities said the findings highlighted the difficulty which many former soldiers face in making the transition to civilian life.
The National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO), which carried out the research, called on the Government to do more to tackle mental health problems suffered by people who have fought in war zones.
It said that around 24,000 veterans are either in jail, on parole or serving community punishment orders after having been convicted of crimes. They make up around nine per cent of the prison population.
Opposition MPs and charities called the findings another example of ministers breaking the 'military covenant' – the guarantee that soldiers receive fair treatment in return for putting their lives on the line.
They claimed that if the Ministry of Defence properly screened those discharged from the military for mental illnesses, problems could be identified earlier.
NAPO's conclusions are based on the findings of three separate studies: MoD research at HMP Dartmoor, a survey at eight jails by the Veterans in Prison support groups last year, and a series of Home Office research projects between 2001 and 2004.
In addition, probation officers provided case histories of 74 individuals so that researchers could assess the factors that drove ex-services personnel to commit crimes.
The report concludes: "Most of the soldiers who had served in either the Gulf or Afghanistan were suffering from post traumatic stress. Little support or counselling was available on discharge from the forces.
"Virtually all became involved in heavy drinking or drug taking and in consequence involvement in violence offences, sometimes domestically related, happened routinely."
Blackadder1916
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Holdfast secures £3bn MoD deal
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/money/2008/09/02/cnrsme102.xml
By Rupert Neate The Telegraph Last Updated: 12:05am BST 02/09/2008
A £3bn Public Private Partnership is set to transform accommodation and training at the Ministry of Defence's Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME).
The 30-year deal awarded to Holdfast Training Services, a Babcock and Carillion joint venture, will provide soldiers with 1,700 new beds and training in essential skills.
Babcock, the military training company, will teach Royal Engineers bricklaying, construction and plumbing, and allow about 300 existing military trainers to move to positions in the field.
Carillion, a leading public-sector construction firm, will build new facilities at the RSME's bases in Medway, Minley and Bicester.
The consortium will also manage catering, shops, transport and leisure facilities across the RSME's sites in Hampshire and Kent.
The move comes as the Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal School and the National Search Centre are relocated from Medway to the RSME's Bicester base in Oxfordshire.
The unit's former Lodge Hill base will be developed into sustainable communities as part of the Thames Gateway regeneration project.
Defence Minister Bob Ainsworth said: "This is a landmark deal for the RSME, which secures the future delivery of world-class training for the Army's engineers. It also provides significant investment in soldiers' accommodation, which will supplement the spending on accommodation already being made across the defence estate."
Babcock chief executive Peter Rogers said: "This contract significantly strengthens our order book, which now stands at over £5bn, and underpins the long-term performance of our business."
Carillion chief executive John McDonough said: "We look forward to delivering improved facilities to meet the existing and future training requirements of the RSME.
"This builds on the excellent relationship we have developed with the MoD across a range of contracts, the largest of which is the £12bn Allenby Connaught Public Private Partnership project."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/money/2008/09/02/cnrsme102.xml
By Rupert Neate The Telegraph Last Updated: 12:05am BST 02/09/2008
A £3bn Public Private Partnership is set to transform accommodation and training at the Ministry of Defence's Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME).
The 30-year deal awarded to Holdfast Training Services, a Babcock and Carillion joint venture, will provide soldiers with 1,700 new beds and training in essential skills.
Babcock, the military training company, will teach Royal Engineers bricklaying, construction and plumbing, and allow about 300 existing military trainers to move to positions in the field.
Carillion, a leading public-sector construction firm, will build new facilities at the RSME's bases in Medway, Minley and Bicester.
The consortium will also manage catering, shops, transport and leisure facilities across the RSME's sites in Hampshire and Kent.
The move comes as the Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal School and the National Search Centre are relocated from Medway to the RSME's Bicester base in Oxfordshire.
The unit's former Lodge Hill base will be developed into sustainable communities as part of the Thames Gateway regeneration project.
Defence Minister Bob Ainsworth said: "This is a landmark deal for the RSME, which secures the future delivery of world-class training for the Army's engineers. It also provides significant investment in soldiers' accommodation, which will supplement the spending on accommodation already being made across the defence estate."
Babcock chief executive Peter Rogers said: "This contract significantly strengthens our order book, which now stands at over £5bn, and underpins the long-term performance of our business."
Carillion chief executive John McDonough said: "We look forward to delivering improved facilities to meet the existing and future training requirements of the RSME.
"This builds on the excellent relationship we have developed with the MoD across a range of contracts, the largest of which is the £12bn Allenby Connaught Public Private Partnership project."
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Brilliant idea - raise $ for charity, get good PR for the army, and write off the BFT for the next 7 years at the same time....
SEVEN soldiers yesterday began the first of seven marathon-length marches in seven days for charity.
The squaddies, from 29 Regiment Royal Logistics Corps based in South Cerney, Gloucs, will hike seven hours a day in full combat kit with a 30lb backpack.
The team – who have all served in Iraq or Afghanistan – aim to raise £50,000 for the Army Benevolent Fund. Captain Alan Tindale said: “It’s payback from us. The care and after-care of soldiers is paramount.”
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/article1570611.ece
SEVEN soldiers yesterday began the first of seven marathon-length marches in seven days for charity.
The squaddies, from 29 Regiment Royal Logistics Corps based in South Cerney, Gloucs, will hike seven hours a day in full combat kit with a 30lb backpack.
The team – who have all served in Iraq or Afghanistan – aim to raise £50,000 for the Army Benevolent Fund. Captain Alan Tindale said: “It’s payback from us. The care and after-care of soldiers is paramount.”
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/article1570611.ece
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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British soldier shot dead sleeping colleague in Saddam Hussein's palace
A British soldier shot dead a sleeping colleague by mistake in Iraq as he "messed about" with a sniper rifle at their barracks in Saddam Hussein's former palace, a court martial heard.
By Caroline Gammell
Last Updated: 4:08PM BST 02 Sep 2008
Rifleman Aarron Kendrick, 20, pointed the weapon at Rifleman Edward Vakabua "in jest" and fired - unaware that the gun was loaded.
The court heard how Rifleman Vakabua, from Suava in Fiji, had been hailed a hero only days before his death after he volunteered to drive an injured colleague through intense mortar fire in Basra to safety.
Prosecutor Colonel Nigel Jones told the court at Bulford in Wiltshire that Kendrick, of 4th Battalion, The Rifles, found the L96 weapon under a colleague's bed at Basra Palace on June 6 last year.
"It was not his rifle, he was not authorised to use it and he was not qualified to use it," said Col Jones.
"He picked up the rifle because he was curious, because he was interested in going on a course and qualifying as a sniper.
"His father was also qualified on this rifle and he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. He was in his own words 'messing about' to see how quickly he could load the rifle.
"He committed the cardinal sin of weapon handling - he pointed it in jest at another soldier."
Col Jones said Kendrick had showed "wanton disregard for normal safety precautions" and "gross negligence" which had led to 23-year-old Rifleman Vakabua's death.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2668845/British-soldier-shot-dead-sleeping-colleague-in-Saddam-Husseins-palace.html
A British soldier shot dead a sleeping colleague by mistake in Iraq as he "messed about" with a sniper rifle at their barracks in Saddam Hussein's former palace, a court martial heard.
By Caroline Gammell
Last Updated: 4:08PM BST 02 Sep 2008
Rifleman Aarron Kendrick, 20, pointed the weapon at Rifleman Edward Vakabua "in jest" and fired - unaware that the gun was loaded.
The court heard how Rifleman Vakabua, from Suava in Fiji, had been hailed a hero only days before his death after he volunteered to drive an injured colleague through intense mortar fire in Basra to safety.
Prosecutor Colonel Nigel Jones told the court at Bulford in Wiltshire that Kendrick, of 4th Battalion, The Rifles, found the L96 weapon under a colleague's bed at Basra Palace on June 6 last year.
"It was not his rifle, he was not authorised to use it and he was not qualified to use it," said Col Jones.
"He picked up the rifle because he was curious, because he was interested in going on a course and qualifying as a sniper.
"His father was also qualified on this rifle and he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. He was in his own words 'messing about' to see how quickly he could load the rifle.
"He committed the cardinal sin of weapon handling - he pointed it in jest at another soldier."
Col Jones said Kendrick had showed "wanton disregard for normal safety precautions" and "gross negligence" which had led to 23-year-old Rifleman Vakabua's death.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2668845/British-soldier-shot-dead-sleeping-colleague-in-Saddam-Husseins-palace.html
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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That's my idea of fun... driving through 50 miles of bandit country at 3km/hr ...
British soldiers kill 200 Taliban in Afghan dam operation
A major secret British operation to boost the economy in Afghanistan's Helmand province has been completed after a force of 5,000 troops fought for a week to drive a huge dam turbine through Taliban lines.
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
Last Updated: 10:08PM BST 02 Sep 2008
British commanders estimate that more than 200 Taliban were killed as they tried to prevent the convoy of 100 vehicles from getting the machinery to Kajaki hydroelectric dam where it will provide a significant increase in energy for up to two million Afghans.
The operation has been described as the biggest of its kind since the Second World War.
For the last five days the force has fought through the heart of Taliban territory to push through the 220 tonne turbine and other equipment that included a 90 tonne crane to lift it into place.
With a third turbine fixed at Kajaki it will mean that the extra electricity could double the irrigation output allowing farmers to plant two crops of wheat a year. With a dramatic rise in world wheat prices this could crucially mean that it becomes more profitable than producing opium which would deprive the Taliban of a major source of revenue.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2668595/British-soldiers-kill-200-Taliban-in-Afghan-dam-operation.html
British soldiers kill 200 Taliban in Afghan dam operation
A major secret British operation to boost the economy in Afghanistan's Helmand province has been completed after a force of 5,000 troops fought for a week to drive a huge dam turbine through Taliban lines.
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
Last Updated: 10:08PM BST 02 Sep 2008
British commanders estimate that more than 200 Taliban were killed as they tried to prevent the convoy of 100 vehicles from getting the machinery to Kajaki hydroelectric dam where it will provide a significant increase in energy for up to two million Afghans.
The operation has been described as the biggest of its kind since the Second World War.
For the last five days the force has fought through the heart of Taliban territory to push through the 220 tonne turbine and other equipment that included a 90 tonne crane to lift it into place.
With a third turbine fixed at Kajaki it will mean that the extra electricity could double the irrigation output allowing farmers to plant two crops of wheat a year. With a dramatic rise in world wheat prices this could crucially mean that it becomes more profitable than producing opium which would deprive the Taliban of a major source of revenue.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2668595/British-soldiers-kill-200-Taliban-in-Afghan-dam-operation.html
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Wounded British soldier forced to sleep in his car after being refused hotel room 'because he was in the Army'
By Liz Hull
A paratrooper who was flown home after he was injured fighting the Afghanistan was forced to sleep in his car overnight when a hotel refused him a room because he was a serving soldier.
Corporal Tomos Stringer, 23, had booked to stay at the Metro Hotel, in Woking, Surrey, while helping organise the funeral of a friend who had been killed in action.
On arrival, staff at the reception desk asked him for some form of identity and the soldier handed them his military pass.
Treated like 'scum': Tomos Stringer needed a hotel room for the night because he was helping with preparations for a friend's funeral killed in the line of duty
But Cpl Stringer, who was not dressed in uniform at the time, was astonished when they turned him away, claiming it was not company policy to allow Armed Forces personnel to stay at the hotel.
Last night Cpl Stringer's mother, Gaynor, 60, criticised the hotel for their 'disgraceful and outrageous' treatment of her son.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1052372/Wounded-British-soldier-forced-sleep-car-refused-hotel-room-Army.html
By Liz Hull
A paratrooper who was flown home after he was injured fighting the Afghanistan was forced to sleep in his car overnight when a hotel refused him a room because he was a serving soldier.
Corporal Tomos Stringer, 23, had booked to stay at the Metro Hotel, in Woking, Surrey, while helping organise the funeral of a friend who had been killed in action.
On arrival, staff at the reception desk asked him for some form of identity and the soldier handed them his military pass.
Treated like 'scum': Tomos Stringer needed a hotel room for the night because he was helping with preparations for a friend's funeral killed in the line of duty
But Cpl Stringer, who was not dressed in uniform at the time, was astonished when they turned him away, claiming it was not company policy to allow Armed Forces personnel to stay at the hotel.
Last night Cpl Stringer's mother, Gaynor, 60, criticised the hotel for their 'disgraceful and outrageous' treatment of her son.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1052372/Wounded-British-soldier-forced-sleep-car-refused-hotel-room-Army.html
Blackadder1916
Army.ca Veteran
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Government bans army pipers from Russian tattoo
Army pipers have been forbidden from performing in Russia as the Government signals its displeasure over the invasion of Georgia.
By Tom Peterkin Telegraph.co.uk Last Updated: 10:56AM BST 05 Sep 2008
The Foreign Office has cancelled a trip planned by 40 musicians to take part in a four day Moscow military tattoo known as the Kremlin Zoria.
The bands from the Royal Gurkha Rifles and the Irish Guards were due to travel to Russia on Monday until the Government stepped in.
Another 20 pipers from Canada have also withdrawn from the event, which was founded last year with the help of the organisers of the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The Zoria, an independent charity, has no links to the Kremlin or the Russian armed forces.
In a sign of the worsening diplomatic relations between Britain and Russia, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "In the light of Russia's military actions in Georgia, we no longer feel it appropriate for a British Army military band to attend the Kremlin Zoria. As the Foreign Secretary has made clear, it is not "business as usual" with Russia."
The decision was condemned by Scottish and Russian organisers of the event. Brigadier Mel Jameson, the former head of the Edinburgh Tattoo who advises those running the Zoria event, said: "These kinds of links are so very important at times of international tension. Over the years we have established links of great friendship with the Russian organisers and we have benefited from their support and expertise in Edinburgh. This just shows that music apparently does not cross all boundaries."
Vitaly Mironov, the director of the Kremlin Zoria Foundation, said: "We have worked so hard. This is not a good decision, it is a political decision. Ordinary Russians, people who respect Britain, were looking forward to this. Our festival is not a political festival - it has nothing to do with this bloody war."
Army pipers have been forbidden from performing in Russia as the Government signals its displeasure over the invasion of Georgia.
By Tom Peterkin Telegraph.co.uk Last Updated: 10:56AM BST 05 Sep 2008
The Foreign Office has cancelled a trip planned by 40 musicians to take part in a four day Moscow military tattoo known as the Kremlin Zoria.
The bands from the Royal Gurkha Rifles and the Irish Guards were due to travel to Russia on Monday until the Government stepped in.
Another 20 pipers from Canada have also withdrawn from the event, which was founded last year with the help of the organisers of the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The Zoria, an independent charity, has no links to the Kremlin or the Russian armed forces.
In a sign of the worsening diplomatic relations between Britain and Russia, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "In the light of Russia's military actions in Georgia, we no longer feel it appropriate for a British Army military band to attend the Kremlin Zoria. As the Foreign Secretary has made clear, it is not "business as usual" with Russia."
The decision was condemned by Scottish and Russian organisers of the event. Brigadier Mel Jameson, the former head of the Edinburgh Tattoo who advises those running the Zoria event, said: "These kinds of links are so very important at times of international tension. Over the years we have established links of great friendship with the Russian organisers and we have benefited from their support and expertise in Edinburgh. This just shows that music apparently does not cross all boundaries."
Vitaly Mironov, the director of the Kremlin Zoria Foundation, said: "We have worked so hard. This is not a good decision, it is a political decision. Ordinary Russians, people who respect Britain, were looking forward to this. Our festival is not a political festival - it has nothing to do with this bloody war."
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Blackadder1916 said:
They must be real gentlemen: Definition of a gentleman? A man who can play the bagpipes, but doesn't
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Bravery? Well, maybe not, but good on him anyways. I'd still like to see the son or daughter of a leading Canadian political figure (Prime Minister?) at 'the front' these days. Two hopes: 1) Bob Hope 2) Envel'ope
Prince Harry in Afghanistan bravery saluted
Everybody who joins a military combat arm - such as the Household Cavalry Regiment - does so in order to fight. Prince Harry is no exception and he was bitterly disappointed when he was not allowed to go to Iraq with his regiment last May.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1580273/Prince-Harry-in-Afghanistan-bravery-saluted.html
Prince Harry in Afghanistan bravery saluted
Everybody who joins a military combat arm - such as the Household Cavalry Regiment - does so in order to fight. Prince Harry is no exception and he was bitterly disappointed when he was not allowed to go to Iraq with his regiment last May.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1580273/Prince-Harry-in-Afghanistan-bravery-saluted.html
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