British Military Current Events

[daftandbarmy]

Nice to see that The Royal Navy have got one of these and we don't, do we?:

Royal Navy's new ice-breaker deploys to Antarctica

The Royal Navy's new ice patrol ship, HMS Protector, left Portsmouth yesterday for a seven-month deployment surveying and patrolling the frozen continent of Antarctica.

The 5,000-tonne ice-breaking ship completed an intensive period of sea trials and training prior to deploying to the Antarctic Peninsula.
HMS Protector will arrive in Antarctica for the austral summer and will conduct three work periods in the ice.
She will use her multibeam echo sounder and deploy her survey motor boat to provide cutting-edge hydrographic charting and imagery of the Antarctic region for the UK Hydrographic Office which provides 80 per cent of the world's nautical charts.
The ship will also assist with the resupply of British Antarctic Survey stations in the region.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/RoyalNavysNewIcebreakerDeploysToAntarctica.htm

 

[daftandbarmy]

They don't like it up 'em... no sense of humour either

A British soldier has been dismissed from the army after stabbing a 10-year-old Afghan boy in his kidneys with a bayonet for no reason.

Grenadier Guardsman Daniel Crook was suffering from a hangover after a heavy vodka drinking session when he bayoneted the boy, who was running an errand. He could not explain why he carried out the attack.

After being traced by the Guardian, the boy's father said the attack had left his impoverished family bitter and financially burdened. More than 18 months after the attack, his son is still unable to go to school. He said British forces were "in Afghanistan to build the country and remove insurgents, not to stab a child".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/02/british-soldier-stabbed-afghan-boy

 

[daftandbarmy]

'It was him or me. I chose me': Extraordinary story of woman medic who became the first British female to kill a fighter in Taliban ambush

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2069113/It-I-chose-Extraordinary-story-woman-medic-killed-fighter-Taliban-ambush.html#ixzz1fa3JBbcp

 

[wannabe SF member]

Do my eyes deceive me? How is the story of a soldier killing an enemy 'extraordinary'?

 

[REDinstaller]

If you read the article and take from it the fact that British female soldiers are still not in Cbt Arms trades, and also aren't supposed to be outside the wire in combat. But they have due to circumstance.

 

[daftandbarmy]

If you read the article and take from it the fact that British female soldiers are still not in Cbt Arms trades, and also aren't supposed to be outside the wire in combat. But they have due to circumstance.

That's the good ol' RAMC just doing what they've been trained for  ;D

 

[daftandbarmy]

70-year-old ex-SAS soldier dares to tackle four muggers and wins

A 70-year-old former British soldier who fought guerillas in Aden and Triad gangs in Hong Kong showed four muggers how it doesn't pay to mess with the SAS.

Douglas O'Dell is past retirement age but the moves he learned as a volunteer in Britain's toughest regiment half-a-century ago stood him in good stead when he was ambushed near his home in Bielefeld, Germany, by four local toughs.

The former Provost Sergeant put paid to the danger on the street like he once took out bandits in hotspots across the globe.
THWACK! The first mistake came when one of the teenagers grabbed him around the throat and said in German: "Give my your money, grandad, if you don't want to get hurt."

"Bad move," said Douglas. "The only part he got right was grandad. If you're gonna grab someone from behind take their arms and pin them to their waist.

"This joker, I was able to grab his elbow, crouch down and throw him over my shoulder. He landed on his back on a fence and squealed like a stuck pig." 

CRASH! As one went down another moved in and Douglas thought he saw him reaching for a knife.  The Birmingham-born divorcee, who has a daughter and three grandchildren, said: "I had the measure of him but I slipped on some wet leaves as he came for me and bashed my face badly on the concrete.

"I saw his boot coming towards my face and I thought: 'No you don't, sunshine.' I grabbed his leg and twisted it until he too was screaming out in agony.

"Then I got to my feet and kicked him in the chest." 

With two down the two remaining would-be muggers had enough. One peeled his groaning pal from the fence, the other picked up his crippled accomplice from the pavement.

"The last I saw of them they were limping down the pavement like a WW1 trench raiding party who got clobbered," said Douglas.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-412399/70-year-old-ex-SAS-soldier-dares-tackle-muggers-wins.html#ixzz1fdau8rO1

 

[PMedMoe]

Awesome!  Reminds me of this movie:  Harry Brown  :nod:

 

[OldSolduer]

Do my eyes deceive me? How is the story of a soldier killing an enemy 'extraordinary'?

Before you go off on a rant, read the story.

Its only been a few years since we allowed women in the cbt arms.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Before you go off on a rant, read the story.

Its only been a few years since we allowed women in the cbt arms.

The other interesting thing about the British Army is that they never even used to issue weapons to females on operations, but still required them to go out on the ground with the troops. Astonishing? You bet.

In Belfast and Crossmaglen - the toughest parts of the province - we had female RMP searchers, and others, on patrols fully unarmed while all others were bristling with various belt and mag fed accoutrements. The theory was that they were women, and non-combatants, and therefore the bad guys wouldn't target them. A 2000lb IED or a full belt of 7.62mm can't tell the difference though. All of them were thoroughly professional and did the job required with no complaints from them, or any of our troops.

I couldn't believe it at the time, still can't, and was convinced that each one of those ladies deserved a friggin' MC or something.

 

[wannabe SF member]

Jim, I did read the article and no, I did not intend to go on a rant. I was perplexed by the way the story was presented. To me the article almost made it seem unbelievable that a woman might have actually killed an enemy.

 

[OldSolduer]

Jim, I did read the article and no, I did not intend to go on a rant. I was perplexed by the way the story was presented. To me the article almost made it seem unbelievable that a woman might have actually killed an enemy.

It is a new thing to  most of us in the west ie USA and Canada.

Not so new to Russia (former USSR) who formed units of women to fly, shoot mortars etc.

Word was that Soviet women were real bad as$es.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Young soldier who wandered off after night-vision goggles went missing was caught, tortured and murdered by Taliban

• Highlander Scott McLaren, 20, was shot five times
• Soldier last seen leaving his checkpoint at 2am

A young soldier wandered off from his checkpoint in Afghanistan to find missing night vision goggles and was caught, tortured and shot dead by the Taliban, an inquest heard today.

Highlander Scott McLaren, 20, was then dumped in a river semi-naked nearby, the inquest in Trowbridge, Wiltshire heard.
He had been shot five times in the head with an automatic rifle and then his body interfered with.

The young soldier had left his base to find the goggles after a comrade had left the piece of equipment at a nearby vehicle checkpoint.
Highlander McLaren, from the 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland was the last person to have seen the equipment.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2072158/Scott-McLaren-went-night-vision-goggles-caught-murdered-Taliban.html#ixzz1g4IViKGJ

 

[OldSolduer]

Young soldier who wandered off after night-vision goggles went missing was caught, tortured and murdered by Taliban

• Highlander Scott McLaren, 20, was shot five times
• Soldier last seen leaving his checkpoint at 2am

A young soldier wandered off from his checkpoint in Afghanistan to find missing night vision goggles and was caught, tortured and shot dead by the Taliban, an inquest heard today.

Highlander Scott McLaren, 20, was then dumped in a river semi-naked nearby, the inquest in Trowbridge, Wiltshire heard.
He had been shot five times in the head with an automatic rifle and then his body interfered with.

The young soldier had left his base to find the goggles after a comrade had left the piece of equipment at a nearby vehicle checkpoint.
Highlander McLaren, from the 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland was the last person to have seen the equipment.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2072158/Scott-McLaren-went-night-vision-goggles-caught-murdered-Taliban.html#ixzz1g4IViKGJ

Such a sad loss over a piece of equipment that could have been replaced. 

RIP Highlander 

If anyone speaks with his family  and comrades please pass on our condolences on their loss.

 

[jollyjacktar]

I am not surprised at any atrocity by the Taliban as I personally consider them something less than human.  If I get any comfort in this, it is that he was shot first before being interfered with.  My condolences to his family, friends and comrades.  And, may the Ladies from Hell show many a Taliban the entrance door.  :yellow:

 

[daftandbarmy]

I am not surprised at any atrocity by the Taliban as I personally consider them something less than human.  If I get any comfort in this, it is that he was shot first before being interfered with.  My condolences to his family, friends and comrades.  And, may the Ladies from Hell show many a Taliban the entrance door.  :yellow:

From Winston Churchill's 'The River War'

About Islam he wrote:

“ How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property - either as a child, a wife, or a concubine - must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Thousands become the brave and loyal soldiers of the Queen: all know how to die but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilisation of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilisation of ancient Rome.[13] ”


About the British attitude to war:

“ ..there are many people in England, and perhaps elsewhere, who seem to be unable to contemplate military operations for clear political objects, unless they can cajole themselves into the belief that their enemy are utterly and hopelessly vile. To this end the Dervishes, from the Mahdi and the Khalifa downwards, have been loaded with every variety of abuse and charged with all conceivable crimes. This may be very comforting to philanthropic persons at home; but when an army in the field becomes imbued with the idea that the enemy are vermin who cumber the earth, instances of barbarity may easily be the outcome. This unmeasured condemnation is moreover as unjust as it is dangerous and unnecessary... We are told that the British and Egyptian armies entered Omdurman to free the people from the Khalifa's yoke. Never were rescuers more unwelcome.[14]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_River_War

 

[daftandbarmy]

Now they've gone too far!

Top military officers to lose their servants

Senior military officers will have to do their own cooking, gardening and cleaning, after the Ministry of Defence said it will save £3 million by cutting back on servants.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8951966/Top-military-officers-to-lose-their-servants.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

But all the consultants are happy:

MoD spent £1 billion on tank programme which produced no vehicles

More than £1billion was spent by officials at the Ministry of Defence on a tank and personnel carrier programme that failed to deliver a single vehicle, MPs say today.

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee blamed the Treasury for raiding the MoD’s budget for the vehicles, effectively hobbling the programme.

They castigated the MoD for the “extraordinary failure” which meant that the department had “nothing to show” for its £1billion of spending.

Since 1998 the MoD has attempted to acquire tanks, reconnaissance vehicles and personnel-carriers through a number of different procurement projects.

However the MoD found that not one of the vehicles was delivered, despite £1.1billion being spent, including £321million on “cancelled or suspended projects”.

Matters were made worse when defence officials raided the vehicles’ budget, taking £10.8billion which had been due to the programme until 2021.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8944352/MoD-spent-1-billion-on-tank-programme-which-produced-no-vehicles.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

French Prime Minister honours RAF navigator

An RAF officer has received the Croix de la Valeur Militaire (Cross of Military Valour) with bronze star from the Prime Minister of France for actions taken while serving with the French Air Force in Afghanistan.



http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/PeopleInDefence/FrenchPrimeMinisterHonoursRafNavigator.htm

 

[daftandbarmy]

It's official - Santa drives a Griffin:

Santa swaps sleigh for helicopter

Father Christmas has been provided with alternative transport to schools and hospitals around Shropshire and its neighbouring counties thanks to the Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) at RAF Shawbury.

Helicopters of the Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) have assisted local schools by providing 'Santa Drops' with their helicopters. The crews transported 'Santa' to various schools and hospitals in the run up to Christmas.

Each of the flights provided vital training for the crews, who were able to fly their helicopters into and land in areas they would not normally be able to utilise.

In the run up to RAF Shawbury closing down for Christmas, helicopters have carried Father Christmas to St Mary's Primary School in Shawbury, and Shawbury Village, as well as to Meole Brace, Oakmeadow, Longlands, Rosymeadre, Alexandra, St John the Baptist, Oxon, Newtown, Holmer Lake, and Myddle Primary Schools, and Hazels' Farm Nursery.

A crew from the Central Flying School (Helicopter) provided a Santa Drop into Hope House Hospice. The Squadron has excellent links with the Hospice and raises money for it each year.

In addition to visiting local schools, a crew from 60 (Reserve) Squadron of the DHFS assisted the RAF Careers Office in Liverpool by flying Santa to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital on Friday 16 December 2011.



http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/PeopleInDefence/SantaSwapsSleighForHelicopter.htm