British Military Current Events

[daftandbarmy]

It looks like British Parachute units are going to be reduced by 4000 positions and their jump pay cut by 10%.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8536958/Paratroopers-hit-by-pay-cut-on-return-from-Afghanistan-war.html

If this goes through the British will only have a Parachute capabilty that Canada had with the Airborne Regiment unless you include 1 Para.
Most of Britains Parachite units will be in name only like the 101st Airborne Division.

Pretty much the same scenario as in 1981, just before the Falklands War, with only one battalion 'in role' amd the other two farmed out to non-parachute roles. After the craphat units proved their worth (or not) down south, they created 5 Abn Bde out of thin air.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Unlucky...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1392073/Military-Cross-hero-pair-Royal-Marines-killed-Afghanistan-explosion.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

And the opposite... some regiment will get very lucky!

Kate Middleton provokes battle between Army regiments
The former Kate Middleton is being lined up to become the colonel-in-chief of an Army regiment.

http://www.arrse.co.uk/naafi-bar/163541-fight-over-who-gets-best-looking-colonel-chief.html

 

[OldSolduer]

And the opposite... some regiment will get very lucky!

Kate Middleton provokes battle between Army regiments
The former Kate Middleton is being lined up to become the colonel-in-chief of an Army regiment.

http://www.arrse.co.uk/naafi-bar/163541-fight-over-who-gets-best-looking-colonel-chief.html

I think she should be Col in Chief of the Joint Personell Support Unit.......in Canada. ;D

 

[dapaterson]

There's a bunch of people in Kingston now cheering for Charles to take the throne - so William will become the Prince of Wales and Kate the Princess of Wales.

(And I'm sure there are still others hoping that when that newly-minted Princess of Wales comes to visit her Own Regiment, that she'll bring along her sister...)

 

[OldSolduer]

There's a bunch of people in Kingston now cheering for Charles to take the throne - so William will become the Prince of Wales and Kate the Princess of Wales.

(And I'm sure there are still others hoping that when that newly-minted Princess of Wales comes to visit her Own Regiment, that she'll bring along her sister...)

And to visit The JPSU.  :nod:

 

[dapaterson]

JPSU HQ in Ottawa?  Or the IPSC in Kingston?


...or a National tour of all the IPSCs?


(Which would lead to a large increase in folks claiming long-term injuries and requesting, nay, demanding, that they be posted to the JPSU...)

 

[OldSolduer]

JPSU HQ in Ottawa?  Or the IPSC in Kingston?


...or a National tour of all the IPSCs?


(Which would lead to a large increase in folks claiming long-term injuries and requesting, nay, demanding, that they be posted to the JPSU...)

JPSU Prairie.

 

[REDinstaller]

Ie Yours then.  :nod:

 

[daftandbarmy]

JPSU Prairie.

I assume, then, that you had somethign to do with the cities selected by the new Royal couple of their upcomig Canadian tour?

Prince William and Kate's visit to Canada will include Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa and a stop in Calgary on the first day of the Stampede.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will also stop in Montreal, Quebec City, Yellowknife, Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I.
The tour begins June 30 and will conclude July 8.

The royal couple's plans include:
• Ottawa and region, from June 30 to July 2.
• Montreal on July 2.
• Quebec City on July 3.
• Charlottetown from July 3 to July 4.
• Summerside on July 4.
• Yellowknife from July 4 to July 6.
• Calgary from July 6 to July 8.

The duchess is reportedly a fan of the book Anne of Green Gables, which is set in Prince Edward Island and written by Lucy Maud Montgomery

The tour ends in Calgary on the same day that the world-famous Stampede rodeo kicks off with a parade.
William and Kate were married in Westminster Abbey on April 29.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2011/05/30/calgary-canada-royal-visit-william-kate.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

There might never be a good time to get out of Afghanistan

If Britain and America are to withdraw their troops, they must do so on their own terms, writes Malcolm Rifkind.

Adlai Stevenson once remarked that “making peace is harder than making war”. Both President Obama and David Cameron would find it difficult to demur. Reports in Washington and London refer to disputes between army commanders and their political masters as to whether a substantial drawdown of troops from Afghanistan should begin this year.

The politicians, it is said, are anxious to demonstrate to a sceptical American and British public that an end to the conflict is in sight. The military are concerned that a premature withdrawal will look like a scuttle, and jeopardise victory just when the terms of the war with the Taliban are changing in our favour.

The concerned citizen finds it difficult to know whom to believe. There tends, on these occasions, to be greater sympathy for the perceived motives of the generals than for those of the ministers. The army commanders are often seen as professionals, untainted and objective, while the politicians are assumed to subordinate the public interest to their yearning for short-term popularity.

Both stereotypes have a grain of truth, but both are unhelpful and misleading. Governments, whoever is in power, are anxious to serve the nation’s real interests. In wartime, this means either victory or genuine peace with honour. They are, of course, not immune to the political benefits that will bring, as was demonstrated after the Falklands war.

The military fully supports these objectives but, like any other honourable profession, is concerned with the reputation of its own forces and gives priority to ensuring that all that can be achieved by military skill, courage and strategic judgment is delivered.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/8548733/There-might-never-be-a-good-time-to-get-out-of-Afghanistan.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

Ayo Gurkhali!!

Bravery medal for Gurkha who fought Taliban

A Gurkha who fought off an attack by at least a dozen Taliban insurgents has been presented with the UK's second highest bravery medal by the Queen.

Cpl Dipprasad Pun, 31, of Ashford, Kent, said he was "very proud" after receiving the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross at Buckingham Palace.

He said he thought he was going to die and so had nothing to lose when his checkpoint was ambushed in Afghanistan.

Out of bullets, he used the tripod of his gun to beat one militant away.

"I was sentry at night on the checkpoint and suddenly I noticed there were many Taliban surrounding that checkpoint in position to attack," he said after the ceremony.

"I opened fire on them and we fired at each other. There were many, I was alone."

He said at one point his weapon failed and he resorted to using his machine gun tripod to knock one insurgent off the roof of the compound.

'Nobody can kill us'

"I had so many of them around me that I thought I was definitely going to die so I thought I'd kill as many of them as I could before they killed me," he said.

"That incident happened in the middle of my tour and after that I thought nobody can kill us now - when we met the enemy, I wasn't scared.

"I thought the Taliban did not have the capacity to fight with us."

The Gurkha, who was an acting sergeant with the 1st Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles at the time, said he saw some Taliban trying to plant bombs beside the compound's gate.

He came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s for more than 15 minutes during the attack near Babaji in Helmand province last September.

In total he fired more than 400 rounds, launched 17 grenades and detonated a mine.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13619825

 

[daftandbarmy]

Armed Forces 'should recruit more part-time soldiers', review urges

The Armed Forces should recruit more part-time soldiers to help Britain prepare for conflict and natural disasters, a review ordered by David Cameron has concluded.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8556176/Armed-Forces-should-recruit-more-part-time-soldiers-review-urges.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

Marine killed by Taliban leaves £100,000 in his will to send
32 of his mates on holiday

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/3647074/Marine-killed-by-Taliban-leaves-100000-in-his-will-to-sendbr-32-of-his-mates-on-holiday.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=Our+Boys#ixzz1Q0hcoJ58

 

[57Chevy]

Marine killed by Taliban leaves £100,000 in his will to send
32 of his mates on holiday

Now that's what is known as "esprit de corps" 

:cheers:

Noun: A feeling of pride, fellowship, and common loyalty shared
          by the members of a particular group.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Outspoken military chiefs were ‘putting lives at risk’ by warning that Britain would struggle to fight the Libyan war for more than six months, Liam Fox said yesterday.

The Defence Secretary issued the warning as he admitted for the first time that the UK could be forced to cut firepower elsewhere in the world if the conflict dragged on.

Dr Fox slapped down commanders as he announced the biggest shake-up in the Ministry of Defence in more than half a century.

He unveiled a radical raft of reforms to purge military top brass, reduce rivalry between the Army, Royal Navy and RAF and cut waste and red tape at the cash-strapped department.

The remarks about Libya came on the day the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, accusing him of crimes against humanity.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2008584/MoD-chiefs-face-losing-control-forces-crackdown-wasteful-infighting.html#ixzz1Qd9dOneh

 

[OldSolduer]

Outspoken military chiefs were ‘putting lives at risk’ by warning that Britain would struggle to fight the Libyan war for more than six months, Liam Fox said yesterday.

The Defence Secretary issued the warning as he admitted for the first time that the UK could be forced to cut firepower elsewhere in the world if the conflict dragged on.

Dr Fox slapped down commanders as he announced the biggest shake-up in the Ministry of Defence in more than half a century.

He unveiled a radical raft of reforms to purge military top brass, reduce rivalry between the Army, Royal Navy and RAF and cut waste and red tape at the cash-strapped department.

The remarks about Libya came on the day the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, accusing him of crimes against humanity.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2008584/MoD-chiefs-face-losing-control-forces-crackdown-wasteful-infighting.html#ixzz1Qd9dOneh

Almost sounds like the Stalin purges in the 1930s.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Almost sounds like the Stalin purges in the 1930s.

Well, it IS and article in the Daily mail... also known as the 'Hussif's news'  :

 

[Kirkhill]

Totally apropos of nuffink - but could I ask the mods to sticky Pippa's picture to the top of every page in this thread.

Everytime that I come to check out D&B's latest discovery, the first thing I see at the top of the page is Pippa ..... and immediately my disposition improves.

It must be the white dress....

 

[daftandbarmy]

Totally apropos of nuffink - but could I ask the mods to sticky Pippa's picture to the top of every page in this thread.

Everytime that I come to check out D&B's latest discovery, the first thing I see at the top of the page is Pippa ..... and immediately my disposition improves.

It must be the white dress....

You can try and poke her on Facebook, you know: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pippa-Middleton-Ass-Appreciation-Society/183120471735513