Fear - The Great Political Tool

It never ceases to amaze me how readily our political representatives offer our troops as aid workers to other countries.  

In the case of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, already there is a team of over 40 military personnel, including logisticians, planners and engineers currently on the ground in Sierra Leone to oversee the construction of the UK’s facility near Freetown and develop sites for new facilities.  These new facilities will house more than 100 members of 22 Field Hospital and provide a 12-bed treatment centre for healthcare workers in Sierra Leone.

Let’s not bother about protecting our borders. The Health Secretary doesn’t think a quick test of those arriving from the affected countries would be useful. Much better headline grabbing by sending military medics to the scene.  Our military medics are the ‘elite’ of all UK medics and as they have only one hospital in which to practice their skills nowadays - the Queen Elizabeth in Birmingham - they will do a good job in Africa, but what about the problems nearer to home?

It’s very thoughtful of Westminster to be so benevolent when there continues to be a serious crisis in one of Scotland’s hospitals.  Aberdeen Royal Infirmary has had staffing troubles for many years.  I don’t know the politics of healthcare in Grampian but I do know this major hospital provides care to a widely spread population as well as the city of Aberdeen.

The Daily Mail reports the CEO of the GMC stating there is a shortage of doctors in some parts of the UK ‘especially deprived areas’.  But Aberdeenshire is not a deprived area.  It is the oil capital of Europe and very wealthy indeed.  Why wouldn’t young doctors want to live and work there?  Apart from their working environment - which is dismal throughout the public areas - the quality of life in the area is good. Seems they prefer the lifestyle of Australia and New Zealand.  Yes, we continue to give excellent training to student doctors yet once they’re qualified they’re off to the sun. A simple solution to this brain drain would be to include a clause in their training contract which states they must serve the NHS for a specific period upon completion of training or refund their training costs. 

Back to Ebola.  My friend Leggy has his take on it. I’m too old to be concerned about Ebola.  My chances of coming into close contact with anyone from West Africa is more or less nil, but as Leggy says Fear is a great political tool.  We saw how effective it was on 18 September didn’t we?

source

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Appalling Judicial Decision

Many of you may have been following the trial and subsequent media articles concerning the five Royal Marines who were accused of murdering a badly wounded insurgent in Afghanistan during September 2011. 

Two marines were acquitted and another two had all charges dropped, but ‘Marine A’ was found guilty of murder and will be sentenced today and quite probably given a life sentence which, I believe, will be undertaken in a civilian prison.  

He is the first British soldier to be convicted of murder on active service abroad since the Second World War. In no way do I condone Marine A’s actions but I think he has been badly let down by one/some of his colleagues.  From the little detail available on the internet, it appears marines were told not to use helmet cameras in certain situations and this was one of them.  However, it’s the actions of civilian judges which prompted this post.

Yesterday, the UK’s highest judge, sitting with two of his colleagues, ruled that it would ‘undermine open justice to conceal the identity of a convicted murderer’ and stripped Marine A of the anonymity granted to him during his court martial.  The Guardian has been very vocal in calling for his identity to be made public - the same newspaper that was happy to expose state secrets which could have repercussions throughout our society.

I have no intention of naming Marine A, because I consider Chief Justice Lord Thomas’s decision appalling. Given the particular circumstances of this case I can’t imagine there were any sensible legal constraints on the judges to force them to come to this ruling. 

There is no public benefit to naming any of the involved parties in this sad affair.  This is nothing more than political grandstanding which will involve the family and friends of Marine A being targets for fanatics in years to come. Not only has his family oat a husband, son, uncle but they too have now lost their freedom.

I firmly believe this case should have been kept within the military justice system and withheld from public scrutiny.  What good has exposing it to the public done other than feed those liberals who are clueless about military matters?  Our enemies must be laughing at how well this country supports its military and dependants.

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A Poem

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past., 

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Joe has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Veteran died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Veteran died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young,
But the passing of a Veteran
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Veteran,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever-waffling stand?

Or would you want a Veteran
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Veteran,
Who would fight until the end.

He was just a common Veteran,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his likes again.
For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Veteran's part,
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A VETERAN DIED TODAY."
Author 'Unknown' 

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A Dereliction Of The Military Covenant

We’re all aware that when anyone joins the military they are conscious of the fact that they are risking life and limb for their country.

Also we’re aware that in recent years governments have done their best to reduce our military security - once the envy of the world - to a fighting force which would be unable to defend these islands without the help of allies.

The excuse for diminishing our military was because we can’t afford because we’re broke.  The UK’s financial situation is nothing to do with the military, but HM Forces have paid a heavy price. 

Redundancies have been immense amidst rumours of the Army laying off soldiers just months or days before their official retirement dates.  These rumours are well-founded and some soldiers are being deprived of 50% of their pensions.

Few join the military for the salary because many could achieve higher salaries.  Few join for the exceptional working hours; 7 days a week on operational duty for months on end.  Many use part of their final pensions to buy themselves a home they can, for once, call their own instead of paying high rents to live in MoD accommodation allocated to their rank and family size.  The Army does offer a good career and opportunities for advancement (at times) because that too can be reliant to ‘dead mens’ shoes’.

Taking into account the years our forces have spent in unwinnable wars at the behest of power-mad politicians military pensions, in comparison with other public service pensions, are not generous but adequate.

Lord Touhig’s evidence is damning (see above link) and it’s little wonder the Coalition’s recruitment policy for reservists is 50% short of its target. Ros Altmann provides a document she presented to MPs and Peers in April this year which lays out the details simply and effectively. Losing up to £200,000 resettlement income is a major breach of trust by the government.

One hundred and thirty soldiers’ pensions are affected by this betrayal but it will also affect their families and extended families.

The armed forces are denied employment rights granted to every other public service worker.  They rely on trust and this has been betrayed.  The government must uphold the Military Covenant for all service personnel and ensure the financial promises made when they signed up, and on which they risk their lives, are honoured.

The government must put in place a fair compensation package that recognises such pension losses and compensate those long serving soldiers affected so far plus ensure such injustices do not happen again. 

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Another One Bites The Dust

Oh how times have changed.  I can remember my father, a staunch Labour supporter, describing rallies or hustings he'd attended and how he judged the politicians by the manner in which they handled those who were in disagreement with their views. 

In those days 'security' wasn't called to remove objectors. Politicians argued their point and used their skills to reduce any tension.  Today's politicians don't even have to do that.  They just give the nod to a 'heavy' and low and behold their critic vanishes.

Retired officers, Joe Eastwood and Ian Brazier, accused the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, of betraying their regiment yesterday - the first day of the Tory Party conference. The BBC reports their removal was due to their refusal to sit down when asked by the Defence Secretary. 

The two men were complaining about the plans to disband the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.  This is a regiment which came into being in the 1950s.  Most ex-military have an attachment and pride in their regiment all their lives but few of today's politicians understand the intensity of such attachments.

One particular of Col Brazier's rant caught my attention.  It was the fact that the colonel had written to Mr Hammond several times but had not received a reply. Why do we allow our paid representatives to ignore our communications?  I hear, all too often, that it's not worth contacting politicians because they seldom respond.

Philip Hammond's statement laying the blame for the disbanding firmly on the Army's leaders is an opt out.  It's well known that the Army heid bummers were told to reduce their full-time soldiers by X millions of pounds and arguments have been flying around for a considerable time as senior officers tried to protect their own.

Sadly, Col Brazier and his colleagues will lose. Just a few years ago thousands took to the streets in Scotland in an attempt to save some of Scotland's historic regiments, but their protests were in vain. The 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is just a continuation of a long term plan to reduce UK Forces to a shadow of what was once a great defence force. 

This is a further attempt to make our forces more 'palatable'. A disgraceful effort to hide the ravages of war.  The reason for most wars is because politicians fail to do their jobs. Let them feel the shame of their failures.

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An Unforgivable Tragedy

The body of young Fusilier Lee Rigby arrived at his regiment's garrison church yesterday and a honour guard from his regiment remained with his body overnight inside the church.

Today he will be given a full military funeral and there will be a private committal on Friday.

I don't intend to say more other suggest we spare a few seconds to remember the horrific death Fusilier Rigby suffered on the streets of London.

May his family, colleagues and friends support each other for as long as it takes.

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Our 'Modern' Army

A couple of friends emailed me this morning asking my opinion of the Telegraph's article 'Army launches recruitment drive for 10,000 new young soldiers ahead of redundancies'. (I don't subscribe to the Telegraph but was able to access it on my iPad, so if you have a tablet you can read it by downloading the Telegraph app).

One of my friends was outraged at what he considered was an insult to those soldiers who would soon be leaving the Army; some involuntarily.

Next month there will be another round of 5,000 redundancies and starting today the MoD will appeal, in a television campaign, for fresh applicants, aimed at the 16 - 24 age group.

Maybe this is why the MoD is starting a recruitment drive.

Critics argue that the Army is losing valuable expertise as it sheds trained soldiers in favour of young recruits, many of whom will be starting on just over £14,000 a year.  I concur, because much of the skill training within HM Forces is expensive but, on the positive side, many skilled soldiers who have been made redundant will be employable in civilian life, even in the current employment market. Sadly, also there will be a good percentage who will be suffering war-weariness and all the health problems associated with numerous deployments in recent years.

The MoD defended its position by stating that around 11,000 leave the Army naturally every year so it has to constantly recruit.

Ministers are trying to reduce the size of the Army from 102,000 to 82,000 as part of deep cuts to the defence budget.  It was initially proposed that numbers would be bolstered by more reservists from the Territorial Army, but it seems that employers aren't at all happy at the prospect of losing an employee for months rather than weeks.  Also, as in any organisation, it's so much cheaper to have youngsters rather than older, more qualified and experienced personnel. Thankfully there are those who recognise their plight and make strenuous efforts to help.

The future of our Army is now becoming evident. A basically trained young force with depleted senior ranks. In a few year's time our Army will be but a shell of what it has been in my lifetime.

What does concern me is that army recruiting has now been outsourced to the private company Capita yet there is no indication that the MoD has made its recruitment department redundant as yet.

Who would have thought that the recruitment of our military was profit-making?

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For Once I Support The MoD

Try as I may I can't download a BBC video and then embed it here so please view  it here.

It never ceases to amaze me how hypocritical politicians are and what short-term memories they seem to possess.

I'm aware the MoD is a monstrous government department - the building itself and the anonymity of the endless corridors conveys inefficiency somehow - but how do politicians expect accurate levels of spending on military equipment over the next decade when officials have little or no idea of what war will be our leaders' next choice?

The cost of the Afghanistan war had reached £17.4 billion six months ago and that sum excludes military salaries. Our exit strategy has yet to be finalised because Pakistani leaders can't decide if or when they will open their borders to allow our troops a way out. One thing is certain, the military will have to leave a great amount of equipment behind, the cost of which will run into another few £billions.

Then there is the £70m we will be contributing a year to help pay for the Afghan National Security Forces plus an aid programme in excess of £70m a year for Afghanistan, according to the Prime Minister.

Surely Margaret Hodge is aware, after her party send our troops to war in Iraq, that the only figures the MoD can project for equipment are those plucked out of thin air?

Of course it will be much easier to give accurate forecasts for salaries and that figure should be reducing year on year as they continue to sack personnel.  This country will suffer for this short-termism because the proposal to rebuild our military by using TA members is backfiring.  But that's another story.

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A Walk With A Difference

On the 8th of August last year an ex-soldier started a walk with a difference, one which will take between 18 months and 2 years to complete.

Christian Nock, 38, is taking on the challenge of walking round the coast of Britain to raise awareness of homelessness ex-military personnel and to raise money for Help for Heroes. Auch, it's been done before you may say and you'd be right, but Christian's project is a little different.  He is sleeping rough every night along the way.

To begin with he had little publicity but, thanks to social media, his efforts are now recognised. He has now received equipment donations from Berkshire Outdoor Leisure and Terra Nova and updates people on his progress through his Facebook page.

On Monday Christian was escorted over London Bridge by the Household Cavalry today and also had a meeting with a couple of MPs.  Only a couple.

If you'd like to keep up with his progress you can read about it here.  Even better, when he arrives in Scotland and if you live near the coast, then you could offer to take him out for a beer, or better still, the use of your garage or garden shed.

Christian started his walk in Blackpool where he used to run a hotel.  He decided to sell up and 'do something'.  Although the walk has been very tough at times he says his faith in human nature has been restored and is so grateful for people's kindnesses.

Being homeless is fairly common among the ex-military. Having spent years working around the world some have been unable to put down roots by having a home of their own.  The homelessness causes all sorts of other problems and we have far too many ex-service personnel in prisons.  For years charities such as SSAFA have tried to help by contacting councils etc., but what is needed is a government funded charity which is effective.  Perhaps the likes of the many anti-alcohol and anti-tobacco 'charities' could afford to lose a little of their funding to support a truly worthy cause.

It's sad, when we're continually told we're a caring society, that the military are treated as second class citizens when they return to civilian life.

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Tommy

Edward emailed the following and I thought today would be an appropriate time to publish it. After listening to David Cameron's weasel words yesterday I would not advise anyone to join the British military, because it's now blatantly obvious our politicians have no regard for any in our forces.  They're just political pawns in the greater scheme of things. It's always been thus.

A guest post from Edward Spalton

Pubs in Exeter have been refusing to serve Royal Marines.  The 'gay' Labour MP Ben Bradshaw declined to take an interest. 

I went into a public 'ouse to get a
pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, " We
serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they
laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to
myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that,
an' " Tommy, go away " ;
But it's " Thank you, Mister
Atkins," when the band begins to
play
The band begins to play, my boys,
the band begins to play,
O it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins,"
when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as
could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room,
but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or
round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin',
Lord! they'll shove me in the
stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy
that, an' " Tommy, wait outside ";
But it's " Special train for Atkins"
when the trooper's on the tide
The troopship's on the tide, my
boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's " Special train for Atkins "
when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that
guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an'
they're starvation cheap.
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when
they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than
paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy
that, an` Tommy, 'ow's yer soul? "
But it's " Thin red line of 'eroes
" when the drums begin to roll
The drums begin to roll, my boys,
the drums begin to roll,
O it's " Thin red line of 'eroes, "
when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor
we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most
remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't
all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't
grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy
that, an` Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's " Please to walk in front,
sir," when there's trouble in the
wind
There's trouble in the wind, my
boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's " Please to walk in front,
sir," when there's trouble in the
wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an'
schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you
treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room
slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the
soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy
that, an` Chuck him out, the brute!
"
But it's " Saviour of 'is country "
when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy
that, an' anything you please;
An 'Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -
you bet that Tommy sees!

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Another Tragedy In Afghanistan

                   
                   

The video shows Brigadier General Günter Katz reporting the death of yet another British soldier in Afghanistan.  

The dead soldier was a member of 28 Engineering Regiment, attached to 21 Engineer Regiment (The Black Rats), and was part of a team preparing Nato bases for handover to Afghan forces.

Six British soldiers were also wounded in the attack, which began with an argument among Afghan troops.  Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening. 

Afghan officials said the man responsible was a soldier, nicknamed Shiekh, from the east country, who often led prayers.

The killing is the latest in a string of insider attacks that threatens to undermine the transition from international forces to local troops due to be completed by the end of 2014.

3.800 British troops are scheduled to leave Afghanistan in December 2014, with the remaining 5,200 at the end of the following year.

The latest attack takes the number of UK service personnel who have lost their lives since this war began to 439.

The past year has seen a surge in so-called 'green on blue' attacks leading to the deaths of more than 60 international troops and raising questions about whether a strategy of training local forces to take on responsibility for security can be successful. These attacks will continue to escalate as troops withdraw from the country.  The taliban want to government their country and little will stop them.

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Our Next War

A British soldier was killed in Afghanistan on Sunday.  Captain Walter Barrie, 41, was serving with the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland when he was shot dead by an individual wearing an Afghan army uniform.

This is the 12th incident this year in which our servicemen have been killed by Afghan soldiers or police and brings the total number of fatalities in the war to 438.

On the Andrew Marr's Sunday Show, General Sir David Richards announced our next war. Hundreds of British troops could be deployed to Syria if the humanitarian crisis worsens he said. I translate that to read 'will' instead of 'could.

It's obvious Obama and Cameron had been discussing this for some time but the US election interrupted their plans.  Now they can continue with their plans.

I don't believe for one minute that our involvement would be limited.  Think back to - then Defence Secretary - John Reid's statement from Kabul in 2006.  We had 3,000 troops deployed there at the time.

 "We're in the south to help and protect the Afghan people to reconstruct their economy and democracy. We would be perfectly happy to leave in three years time without firing one shot."  source

 By then our military had been in Afghanistan for 5 years.  They've now been there for 12 years and the number of troops has risen to 10,000.  So has the number of deaths. Syria will be the next battleground for our armed services, which are being depleted month by month.  Although the appalling reduction in our full-time military is going ahead at considerable spped, the plans to augment the TA are still a pipe dream, because discussions with employers have not yet started and the UK government has little chance of gaining the support of businesses.  But that's a post for another time.

There is a humanitarian problem in Syria, as there is in every war.  The Syrian conflict is complex and, should we become involved, there's little doubt we would be there for some time - not months but years.

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Two More Fatalities

Two British military personnel were killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday and a third was injured.  The fatalities were Cpl Channing Day (pictured) and Cpl David O'Connor (no picture available).

Cpl Day was 25 and belonged to 3 Medical Regiment.  She came from County Down.  Cpl O'Connor was from Hampshire and served with 40 Commando.  Both died in the same incident in the Nahr-e-Saraj area of Afghanistan.

The cause of their deaths is still unclear.  A BBC defence correspondent in Kabul said that an Afghan source reported the pair were killed by an Afghan ally, but other locals disputed this.  The MoD said the UK patrol was 'not working with any Afghan partners at the time' yet the Telegraph runs with a story contradicting this.

UPI reports they were killed by friendly fire from another British unit.

Regardless of circumstances, two young British people are now dead and two families' lives will never be the same.

A total of 435 British Military personnel have been killed in this dreadful war since operations began in 2001.

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May They Rest In Peace

British troops patrol though Nad-e Ali

Yesterday, shortly after the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) reported that three US soldiers had been killed in an incident in south-west Afghanistan by 'an individual wearing Afghan uniform', a British soldier from 3rd Battalion The Rifles, died as a result of injuries sustained whilst on patrol in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand Province.

Later in the day the MoD announced the death of another soldier.  He belonged to the 30 Armoured Engineer Squadron, 26 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers and was killed as a result of injuries received by enemy action while undertaking a construction task in Nad-e Ali.

Yesterday's deaths bring the total number of members of UK's armed forces to have died since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001 to 424.

May they rest in peace.

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Will This Be The Christmas No 1?

An excellent video from Royal Wootton Bassett. Will this be the Christmas No 1?

Or


The Choir starts at 07.20

The Military Wives Choir's performance at the Festival of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall when they sang a special composition. A CD will be released on 19 December. Will this be the Christmas No 1?

For anyone, (Scottish libdems take note) who didn't follow this insight into the lives of military families on the BBC but would like to do so, the BBC has the three episodes on iPlayer.  Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3.

We need more Gareth Malone's in this world.

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Alex Salmond At His Best

How many more times will Willie Rennie (the leader of the Libdems in Scotland), announce he visited Afghanistan?  It was in July for goodness sake and he spent the usual hour or two, awarded by the military on these unnecessary visits, on the ground.

Yesterday at First Minister's Questions, he showed his ignorance regarding military matters.  To imply only the Army would participate in a Scottish Defence Force insults those serving in the RAF and Navy.

His question was poorly composed. Of course soldiers - and all military personnel - are loyal to HM the Queen, but the glue which holds regiments, brigades, squadrons and other segments of the military world together is trust.

To suggest that any Scottish soldier would be breaking the trust of his colleagues if he decided to join a Scottish Defence Force is absurd.

No need to say Alex Salmond handled Willie Rennie's naive, ill-advised and silly question with the contempt it deserved. Another pathetic performance from Mr Rennie.

Video courtesy of Moridura.

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The Answer Lies With The Politicians

Yesterday, two British soldiers were killed when their armoured vehicle struck a makeshift bomb in Afghanistan.

Both men belonged to the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards and had been providing security in the Yakchai region of Nahr-e Saraj when they were caught in the explosion. They were serving with the Formation Reconnaissance Squadron.

One soldier was named as Lance Corporal Peter Eustace, aged 25, from Liverpool. The other soldier is expected to be named later today.

The deaths take the number of British troops who have died since the war began in 2001 to 388.

How many more families, both military and civilian, will suffer the torment grief bestows?  The answer lies with politicians.

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Tranche One Hits The Navy

The former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West was prominent on the media yesterday when he criticised the decision by the MoD to sack about 350 sailors from the Royal Navy.  These personnel had not applied for redundancy.

A total of about 1020 Navy staff have been told they are being made redundant in the first round of military job losses, a third of them compulsory.  Approximately 810 sailors applied for redundancy but only 670 are being allowed to leave. The Royal Marines are exempt from the current round of redundancies.

Specified naval personnel were instructed to notify those who have been selected for redundancy either face-to-face in their Ship or establishment or where this is not possible, by telephone.  Callously the military are still sacking staff by telephone. The order also stated 'There are a number of people who have today been notified of redundancy who are deployed or serving overseas. Arrangements will be made to return them to the UK in sufficient time to start the resettlement process. Applicants selected for redundancy will serve up to 6-months' notice and the aim is for them to be employed in the UK by 16 December 2011. Non-applicants [those who did not apply for redundancy] will serve up to 12 months notice and the aim is for them to be employed in the UK by 30 June 2012'.

While Liam Fox refuses to take any responsibility for his decision and prefers to blame the redundancies on the ineptitude of the military brass, some sailors deployed in war zones must be feeling distraught knowing that, within a year they will no longer be part of the Navy.

Earlier this month about 920 soldiers and 930 RAF personnel were told they too were being made redundant - 750 of them against their will.

Is it any wonder morale is at an all-time low?

This is only the first round of redundancies within the military.  Tranche 2 is due early in 2012 and there will be two further tranches to be delivered by April 2015.

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Buried By The News International Affair

Yet another British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan while our politicians continue to parade their faux anger at News International in the hope that the public will ignore our armed forces are fighting two wars.

The soldier was from 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Princes of Wales's) and was also part of the Brigade Advisory Group, conducting a routine framework patrol with members of the Afghan National Army.  He was in a fire support position, tracking the progress of a foot patrol from his Jackal vehicle.  The foot patrol was returning to the vehicle when both teams came under small arms fire.

An investigation has been called as witnesses reported the shot which killed him may have been fired from a member of the Afghan National Army.

To date 375 soldiers have been killed in this war and many will be made redundant once they return from their deployment if Liam Fox's proposal goes ahead.  The Defence Secretary wants to reduce the regular army from around 100,000 to 84,000 and rely upon the territorial army to take up the slack, but he may be disappointed by the TA numbers who apply.  The TA has been a strong backup to our regular service personnel for years, but Britain's involvement in recent wars may make some decide they've no wish to put their lives in danger when the wars are not related to the security and safety of the people of the UK.

My condolences to the family of this latest fatality.  I can't even imagine the depth of their grief.

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Another Young Life Lost

Twenty year old Scott McLaren would never have thought the above photograph would ever be used. No military person gives the compulsory photo, requested by the MoD when combat deployment orders are issued, more than a fleeting consideration.  They don't dwell on their chances of being killed; if they did we wouldn't have voluntary armed services.

This young man was from Sighthill, Edinburgh and deployed to Afghanistan in April this year as a rifleman in D Company 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Something went tragically wrong on Monday when Scott was discovered missing. I've no intention of speculating on the circumstances except to record he was found dead after a full search by the military. His family have suffered a great loss and the his squadron too.

Another life lost in this war which has now claimed 375 of our military. Surely now our politicians realise we can't instill a western-styled government into these lands. It's been evident for years the majority of Afghanis want to run their country by their own methods.  Yet we continue to pour more and more millions into Afghanistan's corrupt government's greasy hands.

David Cameron announced today a further withdrawal of 500 troops by the end of this year. Add the 400 withdrawn earlier this year and when 2012 arrives less than 10% of our troops will have been brought home. He promises all shall be home by 2015.

Meanwhile the killing will continue on both sides and more body bags will arrive at Brize Norton.  It's all very well offering children bursaries if a parent is killed on active service but wouldn't it be more acceptable if they had lost their lives protecting these islands instead of fighting for a share of Afghanistan's gas and mineral wealth.

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