2 Royal Anglians return home

Lance Corporal Scott Hardy and Private James Grigg from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment were killed by an IED in Helmand on March16th. Their bodies were brought home today.

Hundreds of people lined the high street of Wootton Bassett showing respect and grief as the flag-draped hearses carrying the two soldiers drove past.

Of L Cpl Hardy his CO said: "Always ready to see the bright side of life, always ready with banter when the situation allowed it. Mature and unflappable, he was one of those individuals who takes life in their stride He was earmarked to attend

the Section Commanders Battle Course later this year and we expected him to pass with flying colours. His performance leading men in the most demanding of circumstances in Afghanistan was notable - he was steadfast under fire and hugely brave. Blessed by a robust sense of humour, Scott was the first to laugh at life's challenges and keep soldiering on."

And of Pte Grigg, Lieutenant Colonel Woodham said: "He was passionate about soldiering too; he thought himself lucky to have found a job where he could combine the two things that he loved so much. In turn, we think ourselves lucky to have worked alongside him. Friendly, polite and endlessly helpful, he was a real team player that you would want to have on your team. He was reliable - a man you could trust."


Never forgotten


BBC: Bodies of Royal Anglians return home
MoD: Lance Corporal Scott Hardy and Private James Grigg killed in Afghanistan
Evening Star: Silent tribute as soldiers' bodies return home
PeterboroughToday: Mourners gather as soldiers return

National Trust - National Dishonour

Visitors to the National Trust estate at Wightwick Maner near Wolverhampton have been rightly angered by the Trust's decision to place the war memorials in honour of 36 estate workers on the walls of the public toilets.

What went through the heads of the National Trust managers when they decided that the most fitting place for the two memorial plaques - one to 33 men who died in WW1 and the other to three who died in WW2 - was hanging on the walls of the toilets?

These managers are no better than Philip Laing who was photographed last October urinating on Sheffield's War Memorial. At least Laing had the excuse that he was drunk; what excuse does the National Trust have? ...er..."I'm sorry. I should have sorted this sooner rather than later".

The Mail: Memorial to the fallen... on the toilet wall: Anger at siting of plaque honouring men who died in two world wars

The Mail: Anger of WWI veteran's family after binge-drinking student is pictured urinating on war memorial

The Sun's Jobs For Heroes campaign launched

In response to reports that there may be as many as 50,000 ex-Forces personnel without jobs, the Sun newspaper has today launched its "Jobs for Heroes" campaign.

The aims of the campaign are to make UK companies more aware of the value to them of employing ex-servicemen and women, to get recruitment agencies, major UK companies and political leaders working together to deliver jobs for veterans and to bring all this wasted talent into worthwhile employment.

The focus for this recruitment drive is recruitment consultants, ForceSelect which specialises in getting jobs for Service leavers and ex-Service personnel.

Well done, yet again, to The Sun!

The Sun: These heroes risked their lives for us... give them a job, not the dole

Scout goes to US company, General Dynamics

The MoD has today confirmes that British arms manufacturer BAE Systems has lost out to the American company General Dynamics in the race to secure the $6billion contract for the next generation of light tank for the British Army.

The initial order will be for around 600 of the so-called Specialist Vehicles with oders for more likely at a later stage.

Although the contract is going to an American company the MoD has gone to great lengths to claim that the vehicles will be assembled in the UK. Yeah, well we've heard that before. General Dynamics will doubtless start repatriating jobs when the going gets tough back home.

This deal is another example of Britain losing expertise, particularly R&D, to foreign companies; once these skills and the manufacturing base are lost, they will never return. Every sell-out to a foreign country digs away at our ability to act independently. We've seen how hostile the current US administration is to the UK when Hilary Clinton joined forces with Argentina saying that the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is negotiable. With the extra control the US will now have over the Army's tank fleet, they may make negotiation the only option.

I wonder how much the lobbyists and their labour party stooges get for securing a $6billion contract. I image that would have been a very expensive cab.

MoD: New contract for more armoured fighting vehicles
BBC: General Dynamics beats BAE to win UK tank-making deal

The Mail: Government accused of 'cover-up' over 'cash for access' scandal after No 10 refuses to launch investigation

Gordon Brown admits to misleading Chilcot

So, Gordon Brown has started to backtrack on the assertions he made at the Chilcot inquiry. No surprise there then.

He has today been forced to admit that he had misled the official inquiry into the Iraq War when insisting the defence budget had risen in real terms every year under Labour.

Since his appearance in front of Chilcot, his evidence at the inquiry had been repeated challenged by military chiefs and top MoD civil servants, not to mention defence pundits in the media (except the Daily Mirror, of course); they all seemed to have a different recollection of events from Gordon.

At PM Questions today, when confronted with Commons figures which proved that the defence budget had been cut 4 times during his chancellorship, he was forced to admit he had been economical with the truth.

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said of Gordon's disclosure: 'This is a humiliating climbdown for Gordon Brown as his attempt to rewrite history has failed and his fantasy figures have been exposed. He has made repeated and fundamentally false claims, misleading Parliament, the public and, worst of all, the armed forces and their families."

I expect that this will be only the first of many confessions to be squeezed from Mr Brown. He may well be summonsed to appear before Chilcot again and this time he may not get away with it so easily.

Let's hope he comes up before the bench before the elections.

The Mail: Brown admits defence budget did NOT rise every year - as he claimed to Iraq inquiry

Sky News: PM Writes To Iraq Inquiry About Defence Cash

Captain Martin Driver - Fallen Viking

Captain Martin Driver of 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment died at Selly Oak Hospital from wounds received from an IED when leading his men against the Taliban.

Captain Driver was Second-in-Command of A (Norfolk) Company and was serving as Acting Company Commander when he was tragically killed.

From the accolades he has received on the MoD website it is clear that Captain Driver was an amazing soldier, a remarkable man.

"Martin served as a 'Viking' officer, died commanding 'Viking' soldiers, and will never be forgotten."

MoD: Captain Martin Driver dies in Selly Oak from wounds sustained in Afghanistan

2 Mercian cheered through Newark

Thousands of local people lined the streets of Newark, Nottinghamshire to cheer the proud members of 2nd Battalion, the Mercian Regiment when they marched through the town yesterday.


Yesterday's Freedom Parade followed on from equally popular marches on Friday in Glossop and Monday in Ripley.

Their CO Lieutenant Colonel Colin Marks, said: "Our links with Nottinghamshire go back for over 200 years and they are more important to us now than they have ever been. We continue to enjoy tremendous support from the local communities. These marches are an opportunity for us to say thank you to our families, friends and everyone back at home."

Today 2 Mercian are marching through Mansfield. The boys will be getting tired 'cos after that they still have four more parades to go:
March 18th - Ashbourne Parade
March 19th - Freedom of Matlock Parade
March 19th - Freedom of Chesterfield Parade
March 20th - Homecoming Parade through Redditch


Well done, 2 Mercian! Well done Newark!

The Sun: Thousands salute their heroes
BBC: Troops march through Ripley town centre in Derbyshire
Flickr: 12th March 2010 Parade through Glossop, Derbyshire, England

Royal Anglian Regiment: Viking Family Support Group

It is a very difficult and worrying time for families and friends when their loved ones are away fighting on the frontline in Afghanistan. With the tragic news this week that three members of 1 R Anglian (the Vikings) have been killed, for the families of those Vikings serving out in Helmand the need for mutual support must be stronger than ever.

To help provide this help and support the Viking Family Support Group was set up two years ago by two Mums, Alison & Tracey, whose sons were serving with the Battalion.

The Group's website has a forum which is design to enable all Vikings and their family & friends to have an easy means of communication. The forum also serves to provide a reliable source of information relating to the current activities and deployments of the Vikings, up coming social events and a reliable method of support.

An example of the support the forum has been giving appeared in yesterday's Southend Standard newspaper. Mrs Hughes, whose son Mark is on his first tour with the Vikings’ D Company, explained how much she has been helped by her contacts on the Forum: “We have talked about whether it’s better not knowing about what’s going on, but at least now, we can know and deal with what comes along. You are almost more prepared. Otherwise, I think your imagination would work overtime. When people lose a loved one, the group is very supportive. There is nothing we can really do, but knowing there is this close-knit group which cares, helps a bit.”

Reading the comments in the Standard's article clearly shows the invaluable service that VikingFSG provides.

Southend Standard: Online support for troops’ families
The Viking Family Support Group

Two Royal Anglians killed in Helmand

The MoD today announced yet more sad news from the Royal Anglian Regiment. Two soldiers from the 1st Battalion were killed yesterday afternoon when they were caught in the blast from an IED which exploded near them.

At the time the soldiers were serving as part of the Household Cavalry Regiment Battle Group tasked with clearing the Taliban from the area around Musa Qal'ah.

Their deaths bring to five the number of Vikings killed since their current tour started last October. A Battle Group commander spoke of the courage these guys have when every day they go out on patrol knowing the dangers they face from IEDs.

These losses are particularly tragic as they come at a time when the Battalion has been so successful in their mission to bring improved security and stability to the local people.

"Their determined courage in the face of the danger from IEDs and the sacrifice they have made will not be forgotten."

MoD: 2 soldiers from the Royal Anglian Regiment killed in Helmand
The Times: Afghanistan: trio from 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment die in three days

Daily Mirror tries to hide its antipathy to Afghan Heroes

A typical labourite response to the bikers' tribute at Wootton Bassett last Sunday was posted on Chris Hughes' blog in the Daily Mirror, that erudite organ of the labour party.

In his article titled "Wootton Bassett Bikers - A Response" he smugly wrote: "Now we've seen it all - hundreds of bikers showing their "solidarity with frontline troops," by trundling their petrol guzzling and fume spewing steeds through Wootton Bassett. I think it's great that they raised more than £100,000 by going on their road trip jolly and that the money will go to our forces.

"But I wonder if someone - just for a change - could set a trend by doing something they hate doing to raise money for good causes. And something that isn't so public and... well.... so annoying?"

I suppose that's the sort of comment you'd expect from the Daily Mirror's "defence correspondent" (actually, he can't make up his mind 'cos he also claims to be the Mirror's "security correspondent"). It shows how the newspaper and those close to the labour party treat with distain those who show respect for, and give support to British soldiers fighting in Afghanistan

Interestingly the link to this article has now been cut; presumably the Mirror didn't want to further prejudice public support so close to an election.

I wonder whether Chris will next be posting an "apology"; I doubt it some how.

_________________________________________________________
19/03/10: I stand corrected; apparently he has now apologised though I haven't been able to find it on the Mirror's website.

The Independent: Forces of Facebook turn on Daily Mirror

Royal Anglian dies from wounds

The MoD today announced the sad news that a soldier from 1 R Anglian died yesterday at Selly Oak Hospital from wounds received fighting the Taliban.

The soldier had been serving as part of the Household Cavalry Regiment Battle Group and had been seriously wounded in an explosion in the Musa Qal'ah district of Helmand province on 21st February 2010.

Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: " The blast happened while he was on a patrol to the north of Musa Qal'ah district centre, part of the ongoing successful operations in the Musa Qal'ah area to drive the insurgents away from the local people and away from the district centre."

"He was one of us, one of our own, who fell doing his duty. We will remember him."

He is the third Viking to have been killed during the Battalion's current deployment in Helmand.


Never forgotten.

MoD: Soldier dies of wounds at Selly Oak
The Sun: Blast hero loses his fight for

The lights go on again along Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall has been lit along its entire length for the first time in 1,600 years.

More than a thousand volunteers lit the 500 gas-powered beacons one-by-one to create a line of light more than 84 miles long.

Designed as a symbol of Emperor Hadrian's contemporary-sounding policy of "peace through strength", the wall marked the northern frontier of the Roman empire. Appropriately, the modern military joined in the illumination, with some of the beacons lit by servicemen from the RAF's electronic warfare centre in Spadeadam forest.

Si vis pacem, para bellum - if you wish for peace, prepare for war.

BBC: 'Line of light' at Hadrian's Wall

Bomb disposal hero Olaf Schmid awarded George Cross

Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid of 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, the Royal Logistic Corps was killed in Afghanistan on 31st October 2009 when the IED he was disarming exploded; it was the 65th IED he had had to deal with during his five months on the frontline. He died on his last mission just before he was due to return home.

S Sgt Schmid's exceptional courage and professionalism had saved the lives of many of his friends and comrades in 2 Rifles Battle Group.

Described by his CO simply as "the bravest and courageous man I have ever met" and by his friends as "a legend who stared death in the face", S Sgt Schmid is to be awarded the George Cross for his bravery.

The GC ranks alongside the VC as it is the highest military award for outstanding heroism not in the presence of the enemy.

Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid GC, hero

The Times: Bomb disposal hero to get George Cross
MoD: Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid killed in Afghanistan

also
The Independent: Gallantry awards to mark brutality of Afghan combat

Basra Memorial Wall rededicated at Arlewas

The Basra Memorial Wall was rededicated yesterday in a service alongside the National Armed Forces Memorial at Arlewas.

The Memorial Wall, on which inscribed the names of the 178 British servicemen and women and one MoD civilian who died in Iraq during operation TELIC, had originally been set up outside the UK HQ in Basra by British soldiers in remembrance of their fallen comrades.

With the withdrawal of British forces from Iraq, the families and friends of those named on the Memorial Wall began what was to be come a three-year campaign to get the government to agree to bring the monument to their loved ones back to the UK.

It was a hard-fought campaign since labour ministers were reluctant to agree to the repatriation. However after much public and service pressure, an agreement was eventually dragged out of them and the Basra Memorial Wall now stands in its place of honour in the grounds of the National Arboretum at Arlewas.

What is particularly significant about this Memorial is that it was conceived, set up and maintained by British soldiers themselves who added a new plaque, bearing name and regiment, each time one their comrades was killed. At the service Stephen Robbins, Chaplain General to the Armed Forces recalled how members of 37 Armoured Engineer Squadron had built the Wall on their own initiative and in their own time, often in darkness after a day’s work.

It was fitting therefore that the dismantling, transportation and re-erecting of the Wall were all carried out by current members of 37 Armoured Engineer Squadron.

Almost 500 family and friends attended the re-dedication service along with leading members of the Armed Forces; political leaders were also present.

Carol Jones, whose son Sergeant John Jones from 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was killed in 2005 when a roadside bomb blow apart his Snatch Land Rover, said at the ceremony: “It’s the closing of a book for me. I’ve cried more today than I have in all the last four and a half years..... [John] was a good lad, a very good lad. .... They hadn’t even a medications box with them, they could do nothing.” Carol, who had been refused permission to visit the Wall when it was in Basra, played a leading role in the campaign to bring the Wall home.

Another leader of the campaign was Brian Tanswell who laid a wreath on behalf of all the familes. Brian, whose son Lieutenant Tom Tanswell was killed in Iraq in 2006, said: "I feel honoured to lay the wreath on their behalf and take comfort from knowing this memorial is here for us, in its rightful place in the UK, an everlasting tribute to our loved ones, where families, friends and comrades can come and remember them."

“There is the national memorial but this is the military one. This was the one made by the boys for the boys,” explained Roger Bacon, whose son Major Matthew Bacon, 34, of the Intelligence Corps was killed by a roadside bomb in 2005.

As Carol Jones pointed out, this is not the government’s wall. “It was put up by our sons’ friends, in honour of our sons. It belongs to us.”

MoD: Basra memorial wall rededicated in UK
The National Arboretum: Basra Memorial Wall rededication

Aquilavictrix: Basra Wall begins its journey home
Aquilavictrix: Basra Wall is coming home

Musa Qaleh: an all-round success story for British troops

Until the recent arrival of additional US troops in Helmand, UK forces had been responsible for the security of 70% of the total Afghan population with only 30% of the coalition troops.

This statistic in itself underlines how heroic have been the achievements made by British forces so far in Helmand - not only in providing dramatically improved security to such a large proportion of the Afghan people but also in delivering the enhanced stability that enables reconstruction to take place.

The arrival of an additional 12,000 US marines has meant that UK forces can be released from protecting such places as Musa Qaleh and redeploy into deeper and more effective formations in central Helmand. This rebalancing will allow British troops to deliver yet more security as well as freeing up the time and resources necessary to extend their training and mentoring role with Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan National Police (ANP).

UK forces first deployed to Musa Qaleh in summer 2006 since when dramatic progress has been made. Insurgent activity in the district centre has been contained and greater security has been brought to the area - a direct result of the developing partnership between UK and the ANA and the ANP. However, as Defence Secretary Ainsworth said when paying tribute to British troops: "We must never forget the 23 brave service personnel who gave their lives to make Musa Qaleh an area in which Afghans can go about their daily lives in security and under strong, stable governance".

Although responsibility for security in Musa Qaleh will pass to the Americans, reconstruction will remain a British responsibilty. Already healthcare, education (2,300 kids in school when two years ago there were none) and employment have all improved and there has been a tangible increase in commercial activity in the bazaar and markets. Work will soon be starting on a new local government centre and other civic infrastructure projects.

Speaking ahead of the handover to the US Marine Corps, Lt Col Harry Fullerton, CO the Household Cavalry Regiment said: "The important thing to stress is that what they are taking over is a British success story, British battle group's have been here over the past years and they have progressively expanded the area of governance, it hasn't been without its cost but it has been a cost worth making in order to deliver success for the British Army, the British Government and most importantly the people of Afghanistan."

Job well done!

MoD: Household Cavalry commander reports on challenging three months in Helmand

Police students raise £6,500 for Help for Heroes

Students at the Metropolitan Police Academy at Hendon have raised over £25,000 for various charities.

Each intake year raised money for its preferred good cause and students from year 2009/10 chose to donate the money they raised to Help for Heroes - and they raised a massive £6,500!

The police students had organised a number of fundraising activities. One event was a sponsored cycle ride from London to "Kabul" though the students were able to cover the 3,500 miles without actually leaving war-torn Croydon.

The cheque was handed over to Help for Heroes at the passing-out ceremony on March 5th. Sergeant Graham Watson said: "I would like to thank all the students for their support and co-operation in raising this amount of money for this extremely worthwhile cause. It is always an honour to show support for the men and women of our armed forces."

Well done, the Met Cadets!

Metropolitan Police: Police students raise £25,100 for charity

Army boxing championship: 2 R Anglian through to the Finals!

The boxing team of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment, the Poachers, last night beat 2 PARA in the Army Boxing Semi Finals in Celle, Germany.

After a exhilarating evening involving 4 knock-outs and 2 stopped fights the Poachers emerged victorious 5 bouts to 4.

Rumour has it, it was one hell of a night!

They now go on to meet 3 PARA in the Army Finals on April 15th at the Maida Gym, Aldershot.

Well done, again, Team Poachers!

Good luck in the Finals!

MoD: Boxing - British Army website

Plans for Sandhurst Mega Mosque turned down

With 6,500 local residents lodging objections, Surrey Heath Borough Council had little choice but to reject the application to build a mosque in Camberley, Surrey.

The decision to reject the application was greeted with cheers from the hundreds of people who had attended the planning meeting.

To make way for the giant mosque, the local Muslim group were intending to bulldoze the cluster of listed Victorian school buildings which currently occupy the site and which are situated within the Royal Military Academy Conservation Area.

Local residents maintained not only that the existing school buildings formed an intrinsic part of the town's traditional English heritage and should be protected, but also that the size and scale of the proposal would mean that the mosque would dominate the town and tower over the surrounding buildings.

There was also a major concern both locally and nationally that the twin 100 foot high minarettes would give clear line of sight to the parade grounds of nearby Sandhurst.

The Muslim group are sure to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate to get the decision of the town overturned. It must be remembered that the Planning Inspectorate is just another arm of the central government and is indifferent to local opinion and local democracy. The Planning Inspectorate is only there to enforce the dictates of their political masters in the Department of Communities and Local Government, the fiefdom of Hazel Blairs MP. Bearing in mind how the labour party is constantly trying to appease the muslim community and "bring them on-side", the objectors to the proposed mosque may well still have a fight on their hands.

The Mail: Thousands of residents force council to reject plans for giant mosque next to Sandhurst military academy

AquilaVictrix: Mega Mosque designed to overlook Sandhurst

LPPV catfight (2): Ocelot or Supacat?

It was at last year's DSE International Exhibition (see Aquilavictrix LPPV: Orcelot v SupaCat) that the mittens came off in the contest between Force Protection's Ocelot and Supacat's SPV400 to win the contract for the Light Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV) that will replace the Army's much criticised Snatch Land Rover. The two contenders have been undergoing engineering and operational trials at test facilities at Millbrook and Aldershot and a decision on the winner is expected by August with a military in-service date the following year. Funds will be provided through the Urgent Operational Requirements process.

Back in Spetember 2009 the MoD was saying that they were initially looking to place orders for 400 vehicles. Needless to say, Gordon Brown has now halved that. Continuing his 12 year jihad against the Armed Forces, the prime minister has taken another swipe of his axe to the Army's funding and announced that now only 200 would be ordered.

Funnily enough and with true labour spin, he tried to make his announcement sound as if he was promising 200 extra vehicles rather than what he was really doing which was to provide 200 fewer! The hypocrisy and duplicity of this man is unbelievable!

Brown's announcement comes in the wake of the barrage of criticism that he and his fellow ministers received at the inquiry into the deaths of the four soldiers killed when their poorly protected Snatch Land Rover was hit by an IED. This decision of Brown's to actually halve the number of Snatch vehicles being replaced, is therefore particularly callous and sinister coming as it does at this time.

DefenseNews: 2 Vehicles Vie for U.K. Army LPPV Award

Royal Anglian Regiment: Essex Boys dun good

Lieutenant Colonel James Woodham MC, commanding officer of 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment, has been paying tribute to the men under his command currently serving on the frontline in Afghanistan.

Lt Col Woodham explained how the Battalion has been playing a key role in turning the tide "very fast" against the Taliban in all four of the districts of Helmand - Lashkar Gah, Gereshk, Musa Qaleh and Nad Ali - in which the guys have been stationed.

He singled out C (Essex) Company (NB this story has been taken from an Essex newspaper) for their success in winning hearts and minds in Nad Ali district. Engaging with the local people, providing sustained security and working together with them to rebuild their communities is what Operation Moshtarak has been all about and 1 R Anglian has been making a big difference in this regard - or as Lt Col Woodham puts it: “It is changing the local dynamic, bringing an ungoverned area back in to government hands”.

Lt Col Woodham, however, also pointed out that all this success has come at a high cost: two soldiers from C Company, L Cpl Adam Drane and Pte Robert Hayes, were killed fighting the Taliban in Nad Ali earlier in the year.

In praising his men, their CO said: “It’s quite humbling to see the guys suffer the most exacting loss, get on and go back in to the same area to face the same threat. These young men are the heart of the British Army and the nation. At times, we are quick to have a go at the youth of today, but it is my experience that with a decent environment and training, they can do the most extraordinary things.”

Lt Col Woodham went on to say: “We want to say a really big thank-you to everyone back in Essex. You will see us marching through the county’s streets this summer to show our appreciation.”

And, James, the people of Essex will be turning out to show their appreciation and respect for the guys as well! [Parades are scheduled for June 15th in Barking & Dagenham and June17th in Southend.]

Chelmsford Weekly News: Commanding officer pays tribute to Essex soldiers’ Afghan effort

Rifleman James McKie returns Taliban's grenade

Question: "What does it feel like to pick up a live grenade?"

Answer: "When I saw the grenade there and thought, aw, I just hope it doesn't hurt too much. I knew that I had to get it away from us and, as I picked it up I thought that, if this doesn't come off or I hadn't done this, the result's going to be exactly the same. My main thoughts were for the other guys, Captain Kerr and Rifleman Holcombe because we had lost Corporal Green the day before and I wasn't prepared to see another guy from my platoon get hurt, even if that meant that I got hurt myself."

These are the words of Rifleman James McKie of Reconnaissance Platoon, 3 Rifles when recounting how, in the middle of a fire-fight, he picked up a Taliban grenade which had landed amongst his patrol and hurled it off the roof where the guys had taken up position. The grenade exploded on its way down into the alley just a couple of feet away. This act most probably saved the lives of all three of them.

When asked whether he would be going back to Sangin straight away, Rfn Mckie replied: "I can't wait to get back there. I really miss the other guys and it would absolutely break me if another one of them got hurt while I was out here waiting to repatriate Greeny. I'm sure they understand but it doesn't make it any easier for me. If anything, if we can get a few more of them, it's worth it."

Talking to the media back home in New Zealand, James said: "I love soldiering. I love being here in Afghanistan. Obviously bad things happen and I can't go back and change it, but what I can do is try and stop things happening around me. As far as the military experience goes, this is the ultimate for a career soldier."

Rifleman McKie said of the incident, in Sangin on March 3rd: "People keep telling me how brave I am. I'd like to think that anyone in that situation would have done the same or something similar because you can't just sit there and let yourself or other people get hurt."

Whatever you may think, James, everyone else thinks that was a bloody brave thing to do! What a hero!

. . . . . .

Sadly Rifleman Jonathon Allott, another guy from Rfn McKie's battalion was killed a short time after this interview.

BBC: British soldier throws back a grenade to save lives
TVNZ: NZ hero back from Afghanistan in May

Army gagged during the election campaign

While our old friend Gordon is making electioneering trips to Afghanistan, grabbing any photo opportunity he can with the troops and cynically using them as "political props" to divert attention away from the "disingenuous" comments he made at the Chilcot Inquiry, while all this is going on the MoD has ordered a "truth blackout" over the war in Afghanistan for the duration of the election campaign.

Although Britain's Armed Forces are engaged in a major war and Operation MOSHTARAK is about to enter a critical phase, the British public are apparently only going to be allowed to hear a sanitised, labour-spun version of events.

To manage the news to their own liking the government, through the MoD, has decreed that:

• British journalists and TV crews will be banned from the Afghan frontline;
• Senior officers will be prohibited from making public speeches and talking to reporters;
• MoD websites will be “cleansed” of any “non-factual” material including anything containing troops’ opinions of the war;
• The only information provided about operations will be through MoD briefings in Whitehall.
  

The labour government is clearly seeking to avoid any news that would cause further damage to their ratings. They certainly don't want the voting public to hear Army generals criticising policy, complaining of the lack of vital equipment and accusing labour ministers of neglecting the Service Community.

As far as Gordon and the labour party are concerned, our troops can spill their blood on the frontline but mustn't spill the beans back home.

The Telegraph: Army faces Afghan gag for election

Army homes fall into ruin so that Gordon's friends in the City can live in luxury

An article in yesterday's Sunday Times exposed how wheeler-dealing by government ministers has allowed soldiers' homes to "fall into ruin".

When the government sold off the military housing stock - 56,000 properties - to the private sector back in 1996, the MoD remained responsible for repairs and maintenance.

When this sale of the century went through it was on the understanding that a significant part of the £1.67billion raised would be spent on refurbishing the dilapidated homes that soldiers and their families were having to live in.

So, guess how much of the £1.67billion has actually been spent on refurbishment and renovation: according to the Times, about £60million or 3.5% of the money raised.

And where has the remaining £1billion gone? To HM Treasury of course. And who has been in charge of HM Treasury since 1997? You guessed it, good old Gordon Brown.

So while our soldiers are being sent to the frontline knowing that back home their wives and children are having to endure damp, leaks and broken boilers, Gordon is happily giving away to his friends in the City the money that should have been spent on bringing their homes upto standard.

Nice one, Gordon.

Minister admits scale of cuts in training exercises

A few days ago Liam Fox MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, tabled a written question asking the government how many training exercises originally planned for 2010 have already been cancelled.

In reply Armed Forces Minister, Bill Rammell, admitted that 55 exercises had so far been cut. However, he also said that: "Success in Afghanistan is our main effort, and will remain our principal commitment for as long as it takes. Our approach at this time must be - and is - Afghanistan first. All exercises that better prepare our forces for operations in Afghanistan will continue but those exercises that are considered not to directly support our effort have been examined critically and, where appropriate, cancelled."

The training exercises cut were:

I don't know how many training exercises are undertaken each year but 55 sounds like a lot. Snatching short-term savings by cutting the training budget is bound to have long-term implications for the future effectiveness of the Armed Forces especially as they should be prepared for combat in a variety of warzones.

[not sorry to see "French Connection", "Tricolour" and "Asterix" go, but great shame about "Roman Eagle"]

Lives on The Line - fairness for the wounded

A campaign has been launched to put right yet another injustice in the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).

As it stands, those injured during the first four years of the War on Terror, i.e between 2001 and 2005, receive considerably less compensation than that paid out to those injured later in the war.

At least 100 service personnel seriously injured at the start of the campaigns receive virtually nothing, £150 a week if they're lucky.

As the campaign says: "Fairness dictates that, given the sacrifices made by British troops in service of our country in Afghanistan and Iraq, each soldier seriously injured in these theatres should benefit from the same compensation arrangements, enabling them a decent on-going quality of life".

The campaign is being headed by Col. Richard Kemp, former Royal Anglian and former Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, and supported by the Daily Telegraph newspaper which has for some time been running its own campaign "Justice for Wounded" seeking fairness in the AFCS.

Although the government has recently been forced to make improvements in the compensation awarded under the AFCS, it has failed to provide adequate compensation for all those injured in the war. As Col Kemp says: "The arbitrary date chosen by the MoD means that soldiers who have been left severely disabled while fighting for their country have been left far less able to rebuild their lives than comrades in the same battle zones".

The country has asked these brave men and women to put their lives on the line for us, it is morally indefensible not to pay them fair compensation for the injuries they received when doing so.

To bring pressure on the government to recognise the sacrifices made by all of those seriously injured in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, sign the petition at Number10: Lives on the Line

The Telegraph: Former Afghanistan commander accuses ministers over 'shameful' compensation for injured soldiers

Facebook: Lives on the Line

The Telegraph: Justice for Wounded

Welsh Guards come home again to Wales

250 soldiers of 1st Battalion The Welsh Guards marched through the streets of Cardiff yesterday to a hero's welcome from hundreds of well-wishers lining the streets of the city.

The Battalion returned from a tough six month tour in Afghanistan in October. Seven of their number lost their lives in the fighting including their CO, Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe; the others to lose their lives were Major Sean Birchall, Pte John Brackpool, LCpl Dane Elson, Lt Mark Evison, LSgt Tobie Fasfous, Gdsm Christopher King.

During their tour the Welsh Guards were a key component of the major summer offensive known as Operation PANCHAI PALANG (PANTHER's CLAW) and captured the towns of Chah-e Anjir and Basaran, both of which were under Taliban control.

Now, back home in Wales, the guys are receiving due recognition for their valiant work fighting the Taliban. Guardsman Christopher Davis said: "To see all the support that we get is great and it's nice for our families to see us marching. It does bring back memories though, especially of the guys who didn't make it back. It would have been nice if they could have been marching with us."

The Freedom of the City of Cardiff Parade will be followed by other homecoming parades across Wales. Marches will be taking place:
March 8th - Swansea
March 11th - Merthyr Tydfil
March 12th - Newport
March 16th - Bridgend
March 24th - Caernarfon
March 26th - Rhyl

The Cardiff parade also marked the launch of Armed Forces Day 2010. Cardiff has be chosen to be the focus of the national celebration which this year will be taking place on June 26th. Brigadier Russ Wardle, Commander of the Army in Wales, said: “Armed Forces Day is designed to be an opportunity for the nation to express its gratitude to the men and women who have served in the armed forces for them and it is a chance for the armed forces to show themselves off a bit. I have no doubt Cardiff will put on a great show.”

Well done, the Welsh Guards! Well done, Cardiff!

Cymru am Byth!

BBC: Welsh Guards stage homecoming parade in Cardiff
MoD: Welsh Guards launch Armed Forces Day 2010 at parade
MoD: Welsh Guards return from Afghanistan
MoD: Welsh Guards in action in Operation Panther's Claw (video)

The Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal

The Princes of Denmark

It sometimes seems that the only real military allies the UK has in Europe are the Danes and their fellow Balts, the Estonians.

750 Danes are serving in Afghanistan, proportionately one of the highest national contingents out there. 31 Danish soldiers have given their lives fighting to make Afghanistan a better, more secure place. A high price; in fact this casualty rate, 4.1%, is higher than both the UK's 2.6% and the US's 1.3%.

Unlike other European countries, the Danish people are honouring their commitments to NATO. We had thought that the Dutch could be relied on, but then, I suppose, so did the people of Srebrenica (the Danish Army's record in Bosnia on the other hand earned them great respect). It is most likely that the Dutch will soon be pulling out, leaving their NATO allies in the lurch. Other European contingents are reluctant to be posted to "restive" regions like Helmand or to take the fight to the Taliban; they'd rather leave that to the professionals.

The Danes, however, are in the thick of it and holding firm against the European flight to the Maginot line. Their forces in Afghanistan continue to have strong public support at home - their recent military resurgence has rightly been a source of great national pride.

As one Danish soldier said: "It is too easy to stay at home, and Denmark is doing its part"

There's no 'to be or not to be' for these Vikings.

Cuts on the Home Front undermining morale

A 'leaked' memo from General Sir David Richards, Chief of the General Staff, has pointed out the blindingly obvious: that returning home from a hard-fought tour in Afghanistan to sub-standard living quarters back in the UK is not good for morale.

And it had all seemed to be going so well: Project Slam developments completed at Northwood, Catterick and Perham Down, upgraded family quarters at Blandford, funds even being brought forward from future years to speed up the refurbishment programme. However the latest cuts to the Armed Forces budget is putting paid to all that.

Gen. Richards' memo flagged up that reductions in the Armed Forces budget have caused the refurbishment programme to stall and and improvement plans to be postponed. Cuts are having "a cumulative and corrosive effect on our soldiers and their families. ...... As Chief of the General Staff, I register an early concern about the impact on morale, the potentially severe downstream impact on retention, and our ability to sustain the campaign in the long term."

The General's comments came after he'd seen the results of an internal survey carried out at 'home' bases in the UK, Germany, N. Ireland and Cyprus. This survey showed the effects that the recent £100m cuts, and the diversion of resources to fund the war in Afghanistan, were having on morale across the Service Community. The survey highlights that there is a real feeling that Service personnel consider themselves undervalued by the government.

And its not only the poor state of military accommodation that is fuelling this feeling of neglect. Shortages in training and IT equipment, the axing of events like the annual Aldershot Army Show, the undermining of the harmony guidelines, extended times away from home between deployments, the threatened 20% cut in numbers, shortages of medics, etc are all compounding the problem.

Another concern is that after two or three successive deployments to the warzone, coupled with the sheer intensity of the fighting and the relentless pace of operations, there is an increasing incidence of both physical and psychological injury for the guys serving out there.

General Richards is perhaps unexpectedly broadcasting exactly the concerns of his predecessor, General Dannatt: that you can't fight a war with the funding profile of a peace-time budget. Last August Gen. Richards was characterised as being a subtle, behind-the-scenes political animal. Today, however, he may be turning out to be the vociferous champion that the Army badly needs.

The Mail: Troops' morale is in crisis at defence cuts, says Army chief

British Forces Resettlement Services' Job Fair

The high level of UK unemployment, coupled with the threatened 20% reduction in Service numbers, means that managing the transition between military and civilian life may well be a hot issue within the Armed Forces over the next few years.

Recognising this, the British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS) is going to be holding a "groundbreaking" job fair and networking event for ex-forces people tomorrow, 4th March, at the Garrison Sports Centre in Aldershot. The interactive event will help past, present and future service leavers – as well as their job-seeking family members – access a range of support organisations and find meaningful employment. For those not wishing to move directly into full-time employment the event will also have organisations presenting gap-year opportunities.

Not only will there be exhibits and free seminars and presentations running throughout the day; the organisers are also throwing in a free "curry supper".

Present at the fair will be BAE Systems, Boeing, The AA, BSM, Marstons, Security Networking Events, Airbus, EADS, Rushmoor Borough Council, Hampshire Police, Civvy Street and The British Legion.

The keynote speech will be provided by Colonel Richard Kemp CBE, former Royal Anglian, Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, best-selling novelist, Cabinet adviser and Essex boy. The focus of his speech will be on the importance of a positive CV. He says: "The CV is probably the single most important element in finding a new job, and far too often highly competent service people will miss out on opportunities because their CV does not properly reflect all that they can bring to an employer......In my experience since leaving the Army, most former service people tend to very much undersell themselves. It is really important that they recognise the impressive range of skills and experience they have acquired in their military service so that they can market themselves to employers.”

The Job Fair at Aldershot will be the first of a series of similar events which ex-military recruitment specialists Gemini Forces will be hosting across the country over the coming year.

Gemini Forces: Challenges of ex-Services personnel returning to ‘civvy street’ thrown into the spotlight

Army training at the touch of a screen

LINE Communications, a leading supplier of Technology Based Training, has announced the imminent release of three major mobile learning solutions for the British Army.

The MoD has commissioned LINE to develop three highly innovative learning solutions to be delivered on mobile devices. Two of the projects will be delivered using Apple iTouch. The first covers training on vehicle service schedules and the second delivers restricted content quickly and securely to the target audience. The third project delivers complex procedural training using touchscreen tablets. All of the projects are due for release in early April 2010.

LINE prides itself on working "pragmatically to deliver the MoD’s modernisation and training transformation agenda across Defence to genuinely improve operational capability".

Let's hope LINE's touchscreen solution is significantly better than my new LG-POP which fails to respond however gently or firmly, casually or positively, I touch the screen.

L/Cpl Andrew Ferguson: the 'miracle of Helmand'

A Taliban bullet passing through his neck a mere 3mm from his spine isn't going to stop Lance Corporal Andrew Ferguson from rejoining his mates in the thick of it in Afghanistan.

L/Cpl Ferguson, serving with 1 R Anglian out in Helmand, was on patrol and clearing a compound of insurgents when he was hit by a sniper's bullet. Despite the near fatal injury and also under heavy fire, he carried on giving directions to his men until he was medivac'd by US helicopter to the field hospital at Camp Bastion. After emergency treatment there he was flown to Selly Oak for surgery.

That was back in December. Now, instead of being so nearly paralysed, Andrew is well on the way to making a full recovery. Already on light duties back at his base in Pirbright, he says he is now looking forward to returning to the frontline.

He's now known as 'the miracle of Helmand'; his mates tell him he should have kept his head down!

Good news, Andrew!




The Mail: The 'miracle of Helmand' soldier who survived a sniper shot - which missed his spine by fraction of an inch