British Military Current Events

[tomahawk6]

Thanks Edward for the informative post.I was unaware of the British Army practice of commissioning senior NCO's.

 

[The Bread Guy]

The British Army has appointed a senior enlisted advisor to the senior Army Staff,Sergeant Major Haughton.If I read the press release right after his 3 year appointment he will become a Major ?

http://www.army.mod.uk/news/27179.aspx

http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/2015/09/13/british-army-appoints-first-army-sergeant-major/71976280/

I'm kind of surprised they never appear to have had such a position before.

 

[daftandbarmy]

One of the smarter things the Brits do (did, anyway, when I served), in my opinion, is to keep the senior NCO ranks, up to and including WO1, young and active by, more or less automatically, promoting most WOs to captain. I'm guessing that Mr Haughton will, based on his overly long stint in the WO ranks, skip captain and go straight to major.

Some of those commissioned (directly to captain) from the senior enlisted ranks were specialist officers, back when I served (things may have changed), but some (several? many?) went into normal regimental and staff duty assignments and were promoted to and above major, even above lieutenant colonel in one case that I know for certain, in competition with their peers.

Having worked with many of these guys, I can tell you that about half were 'good eggs' and generally never 'commanded' a rifle company etc, but were employed as QMs, OC Adm Coy etc. In the echelon roles they were invaluable as problem solvers and knowledge experts.

Others we called GOPWOs (grossly over promoted Warrant Officers).

Regardless, I was always slightly suspicious of the odd RSM you came across who was clearly angling for a commission and, as a result, sucked up too much to the senior officers. Non Commissioned Politicians was a term coined to describe this type of character.

That's never a good thing for anyone.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

One for D&B.

Leave No Man Behind

http://controversialtimes.com/military/no-man-left-behind-marines-ride-on-apache-helicopter-wings-in-daring-rescue-video/?utm_source=GSL

BZ Troops

 

[Old Sweat]

One of the Apache pilots, WO1 Ed Macy, MC, AAC (ret,) wrote a book titled Apache which included details of the incident. After the mission the pilots involved thought they were going to be court-martialled as the British helicopter chain of command went nuts. Risk adverse is not an exclusively Canadian trait, and they were afraid "everybody would want to be rescued the same way" and "the procedure which had never been done before, was only to be used to rescue aircrew." Finally they got gongs instead.

 

[FJAG]

This incident is also well covered in Jake Olafsen's book "Wearing the Green Beret".

As interesting side notes he also discusses the shortcomings of the tracked, articulated Viking BV 206 vehicles which were the Marines' basic vehicle on this operation and that the situation which developed was in large part as a result of lack of leadership by the company commander who was gone and replaced within 48 hours.

:cheers:

 

[Blackadder1916]

. . .  I'm guessing that Mr Haughton will, based on his overly long stint in the WO ranks, skip captain and go straight to major.

Actually, (according to the London Gazette) Captain Sergeant Major Haughton is already a Captain (and has been since Dec 2013); he is just serving at the rank of WO1.

Intermediate Regular Commissions (Late Entry)

Warrant Officer Class I Glenn John Haughton Grenadier Guards
24830292 to be Captain 9 December 2013

 

[daftandbarmy]

One for D&B.

Leave No Man Behind

http://controversialtimes.com/military/no-man-left-behind-marines-ride-on-apache-helicopter-wings-in-daring-rescue-video/?utm_source=GSL

BZ Troops

Typical 45 Cdo... do anything rather than walk  ;D

 

[tomahawk6]

Actually, (according to the London Gazette) Captain Sergeant Major Haughton is already a Captain (and has been since Dec 2013); he is just serving at the rank of WO1.

Good catch !! Presumably thats an increase in monthly pay.Maybe not to Captain,but certainly once you make Major the pay is better.I found the British Army pay scale.

http://www.armedforces.co.uk/armypayscales.php

 

[daftandbarmy]

Good catch !! Presumably thats an increase in monthly pay.Maybe not to Captain,but certainly once you make Major the pay is better.I found the British Army pay scale.

http://www.armedforces.co.uk/armypayscales.php

Wow, things have improved since I bailed because taxi drivers made more money than Senior Captains retired.

 

[daftandbarmy]

MAX HASTINGS: How can we ever trust Jeremy Corbyn with our security?

The new leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition is a lifelong admirer of revolutionary liberation movements around the world, a sympathiser with Sinn Fein and supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

If he becomes Prime Minister, he is committed to jettisoning Britain’s nuclear weapons, slashing the defence budget and reviewing our membership of Nato.

However remote Jeremy Corbyn’s prospects of securing a tenancy of Downing Street may seem, the US administration in Washington reels at the elevation to front-rank politics of this sworn enemy of almost everything the United States stands for, and of virtually all its foreign policy objectives.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3233299/MAX-HASTINGS-trust-Jeremy-Corbyn-security.html#ixzz3lggjNcK2
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3233299/MAX-HASTINGS-trust-Jeremy-Corbyn-security.html#ixzz3lggcrllm
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[tomahawk6]

I think Corbyn and Obama would get along quite well,kindred spirits so to speak.

 

[jollyjacktar]

The fight to free Sgt. Blackman (jailed for shooting a wounded Taliban) continues.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3233267/In-powerfully-moving-interview-Sgt-Blackman-s-wife-reveals-imprisonment-murder-devastated-life-too.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3233313/MPs-join-fight-clear-Taliban-murder-Marine-Sgt-Alexander-Blackman.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3233320/Mail-readers-boost-legal-fund-Sergeant-Blackman-73-000-just-two-days.html

Reports of a coverup by Military Brass

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3231319/A-shameful-injustice-reveal-brass-plot-cover-vital-evidence-vindicate-Marine-given-life-murdering-Taliban-heat-battle.html

 

[Colin Parkinson]

MAX HASTINGS: How can we ever trust Jeremy Corbyn with our security?

The new leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition is a lifelong admirer of revolutionary liberation movements around the world, a sympathiser with Sinn Fein and supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

If he becomes Prime Minister, he is committed to jettisoning Britain’s nuclear weapons, slashing the defence budget and reviewing our membership of Nato.

However remote Jeremy Corbyn’s prospects of securing a tenancy of Downing Street may seem, the US administration in Washington reels at the elevation to front-rank politics of this sworn enemy of almost everything the United States stands for, and of virtually all its foreign policy objectives.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3233299/MAX-HASTINGS-trust-Jeremy-Corbyn-security.html#ixzz3lggjNcK2
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3233299/MAX-HASTINGS-trust-Jeremy-Corbyn-security.html#ixzz3lggcrllm
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

They needed a replacement for that other loathsome creature that just got the boot.

 

[daftandbarmy]

They needed a replacement for that other loathsome creature that just got the boot.

I'm kind of happy they've finally decided to go back to their hard core left wing roots. At least you'll be able to tell the parties apart now.

Blair put everyone in a bizarre 'grey area' that I found unfathomable.

 

[crowbag]

I'm kind of happy they've finally decided to go back to their hard core left wing roots. At least you'll be able to tell the parties apart now.

Blair put everyone in a bizarre 'grey area' that I found unfathomable.

Haha, agreed. This is becoming a very interesting storyline!

"At long last, the left is asking itself whether power without principle is worth having."

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/08/what-corbyn-moment-means-left

"Once the preserve of society’s strange outliers, conspiracy theories have now become the norm among the chattering-class left, even within Her Majesty’s Opposition."

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2015/09/welcome-to-the-era-of-conspiracy-theory-politics/

*edited to add another link

 

[Kirkhill]

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/may/05/six-of-the-best-conspiracy-thrillers

The Corbynite view of the world. Brought to you by the Guardian and the BBC.

Edit:

Almost forgot - the necessary primer for understanding Jez Corbyn and his mates

I'm All Right Jack - Britain pre-Maggie.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Two in every 100 Syrian migrants are ISIS fighters, PM is warned: Lebanese minister tells Cameron jihadists are coming 'under cover' to attack the West

Two in every 100 Syrian migrants are ISIS fighters, PM has been warned

Lebanese education minister said jihadists were being sent 'under cover'

If true, it could mean up to 400 of the 20,000 refugees Britain has promised to accept by 2020 have been radicalised

Warning came as Cameron visited refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3234458/Two-100-Syrian-migrants-ISIS-fighters-PM-warned-Lebanese-minister-tells-Cameron-extremist-group-sending-jihadists-cover-attack-West.html#ixzz3lmCrCDBA
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[crowbag]

How hero colonel resigned in protest at the betrayal of Sergeant Blackman and 'a failure of moral courage by the chain of command'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3230016/How-hero-colonel-resigned-protest-betrayal-Sergeant-Blackman-failure-moral-courage-chain-command.html#ixzz3lOgkwBXG
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

I would love to read an interview with this Colonel - the details are rather ambiguous here. Don't think that is going to happen though...

 

[daftandbarmy]

I would love to read an interview with this Colonel - the details are rather ambiguous here. Don't think that is going to happen though...

Resigning for 'moral reasons' can also sometimes be camouflage for 'I was hacked off anyways and got a better offer from Loblaws so I'll put the knife in on my way out'.  ;D