Post by Frenchie on Jul 8, 2009 19:13:06 GMT 1
Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth asks the Great British Public for patience today.
He reiterated the 'Raison d’être' for our presence in Afghanistan which he stated as:
That sounds noble and oh so commendable, but how are we supposed to get to that admirable end with piss poor kit and weak management at the highest level.
Without 100% support from those who send our forces into harms way it'll be a cold day in hell before those noble ends are attained.
As an ex squaddie watching the tragic news on a daily basis I just can not believe that this government is doing all that it can to protect our men and women from IED's over in that troubled country.
Over thirty years ago our army experienced similar problems in 'Bandit Country' (SA) in NI. The solution, because we didn't have the proper wheeled kit to take on the IRA, was to limit all travel around the area to helicopter transport. This included logistics as well as operations.
Asked whether or not he was prepared to buy more helicopters for use in the Afghan theatre Mr Ainsworth tells us today that our lads will get an upgraded Chinook which will have increased lift capacity!
He is asking us to have patience.
I say that we need to see action, not have patience because while we are dutifully showing the government that we have this patience, our men and boys are dying in Afghanistan.
What we need is more helicopters, as well as the 'upgrades' to the pitifully few Chinooks that are available to our forces out there.
The men and women of our armed forces carry out these seemingly impossible tasks without complaint. They trust those who send them into danger to equip them properly and look after them while they get down and dirty to solve their masters political and security problems for them. The do it for us; the Great British Public!
We should show our appreciation by putting pressure on this government to provide our people with the proper equipment. Bring the Snatch 2's back to the UK and provide the army with real protection. Throw the useless Viking on the scrapheap and get those Mastifs out there instead of procrastinating about cost and numbers.
These measures, which the government are giving nothing more than a half hearted nod to must become the highest priority. No more meetings about the best way to minimise the damage caused by parliamentary snouts in the trough. Get this mess regarding our forces equipment sorted out quickly and that will be worth more than a couple of points in an opinion poll!
Just how much patience must we endure Mr Ainsworth?
He reiterated the 'Raison d’être' for our presence in Afghanistan which he stated as:
- to prevent a return to Taliban control that allowed terrorists to flourish and threaten our national security.
- to prepare the way for elections this year by confronting the insurgents, denying them the freedom to operate, isolating them, and degrading their capability.
- to provide the time and space for the Afghan forces to take responsibility for the security of their people, and for the Afghan Government to build their civil society.
That sounds noble and oh so commendable, but how are we supposed to get to that admirable end with piss poor kit and weak management at the highest level.
Without 100% support from those who send our forces into harms way it'll be a cold day in hell before those noble ends are attained.
As an ex squaddie watching the tragic news on a daily basis I just can not believe that this government is doing all that it can to protect our men and women from IED's over in that troubled country.
Over thirty years ago our army experienced similar problems in 'Bandit Country' (SA) in NI. The solution, because we didn't have the proper wheeled kit to take on the IRA, was to limit all travel around the area to helicopter transport. This included logistics as well as operations.
Asked whether or not he was prepared to buy more helicopters for use in the Afghan theatre Mr Ainsworth tells us today that our lads will get an upgraded Chinook which will have increased lift capacity!
He is asking us to have patience.
I say that we need to see action, not have patience because while we are dutifully showing the government that we have this patience, our men and boys are dying in Afghanistan.
What we need is more helicopters, as well as the 'upgrades' to the pitifully few Chinooks that are available to our forces out there.
The men and women of our armed forces carry out these seemingly impossible tasks without complaint. They trust those who send them into danger to equip them properly and look after them while they get down and dirty to solve their masters political and security problems for them. The do it for us; the Great British Public!
We should show our appreciation by putting pressure on this government to provide our people with the proper equipment. Bring the Snatch 2's back to the UK and provide the army with real protection. Throw the useless Viking on the scrapheap and get those Mastifs out there instead of procrastinating about cost and numbers.
These measures, which the government are giving nothing more than a half hearted nod to must become the highest priority. No more meetings about the best way to minimise the damage caused by parliamentary snouts in the trough. Get this mess regarding our forces equipment sorted out quickly and that will be worth more than a couple of points in an opinion poll!
Just how much patience must we endure Mr Ainsworth?