v6man54deg              Geffd wrote on 16. Aug 2006 at 08:14:


No need to be embarrased, it's not your fault that you've got to go. It's not Tony Blairs fault either. He's just following orders.
I, for one, am proud of all our armed forces personel, who are out there, and elsewhere, doing their best, with substandard equipment, for this inept government.

Most of the 232 UK Euro fighters seem destined to be cannibalised to keep a much smaller fleet in spare parts (half of the RAF fleet so far now in bits reportedly) due to lack of cash.

Sea Harrier scrapped due to no money for engine refurbishment (Falkland Island lesson long forgotten)

Present Government disbanding Infantry Regiments during Iraq war where boots on the ground are in desperately short supply. Not even enough Army personnel to assist BAA with the latest Airport Security panic/farce.

Military hospitals disposed of completely by previous Major Government, injured and disabled returning solders told to join NHS queue, Territorial’s simply dumped. One poor solder was apparently at an NHS Hospital asked to remove his uniform as some Muslims could find it offensive.

I could go on and on and on ------------   

The problem is not with the British Army, which is doubtless one of the best fighting forces in the world. You can always point out that this bit of kit could have been better and that they should have not used Snatch Landies to begin with, but get proper APCs instead – and complain about the quality of the boots and what have you – but you always get that and this is not the reason why you win or loose a war.

The current problem facing modern armies is how to combat terrorism / guerrilla war. Unfortunately no one found the formula yet, The Americans use impressive fire power but to no avail – no amount of Apache Longbow will solve the problem of road-side bombs and suicide-strapped desperados.

The British Army went for the ‘heart and minds’ campaign – that just about worked in Basra, but in Helmand they were greeted back with hale of bullets. And the Israelis recently found out that having a massive air force and the heaviest-armoured tank in the world (Merkava Mk-IV) is not working against a couple of guys hiding in the bushes with a portable Katyusha launcher or a Russian anti-tank rocket.

Sure, are guys should have the right and best equipment, but our problem at the moment is not with the kit or with the soldiers – it’s with how you actually win this type of war.