# And the most useless officer in the entire British Army is.... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 19, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840 "2007-02-19T18:39:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/41 "2007-02-20T14:16:35Z")
[QUOTE=Sailboat] If he was sheltered from service, like, say, the Bush twins, would you be Pitting the royals for not exposing their own to danger? Sailboat [/QUOTE] Sheltered? You mean because they weren’t forced to go into the volunteer military? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/42 "2007-02-20T14:29:11Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] Sheltered? You mean because they weren’t forced to go into the volunteer military? [/QUOTE] Forced? You mean their parents have no influence over them at all, so only force could constitute sheltering them? No, I mean “advised by their parents and social class to stay out of the military, and following that advice, supported by money enabling them to do so, to lead cushy lives, unlike the princeling in question, who is in fact going in harm’s way.” Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/43 "2007-02-20T15:47:31Z")
[QUOTE=Knorf] I appreciated Liberal’s post. [/QUOTE] As did I. > [@](#): > > As for the OP, I think it’s pretty weak. I doubt very much that Prince Harry is really going to be causing any significant troubles. Considering how often the royal family goes hunting, I also suspect that he is actually skilled with firearms; also I doubt his military training kept him away from such in the first place. I hope it turns out to be a healthy, maturing experience for him. Yep, I’ve heard that whole Sandhurst thing ain’t exactly a tea party. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/44 "2007-02-20T15:49:03Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] And besides that, the Americans already do a fucking fine job of needlessly endangering British troops. [/QUOTE] :rolleyes: Whatever you say, dickhead. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/45 "2007-02-20T15:58:32Z")
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF] :rolleyes: Whatever you say, dickhead. [/QUOTE] Ah, I am crushed by the force of your retort. ::stumbles weeping out of thread:: ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/46 "2007-02-20T15:59:38Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] You really are the King of useless posts about nothing. [/QUOTE] What, are you handing him your crown? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/47 "2007-02-20T16:00:06Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] And besides that, the Americans already do a fucking fine job of needlessly endangering British troops. [/QUOTE] Shitheel. Re: Prince Harry, I hope he sees action because I believe he will do quite well. Minus the Nazi Armband Stunt, he might’ve been just what the Brits needed to inspire them off of their fat, pasty asses. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/48 "2007-02-20T16:10:46Z")
[QUOTE=El Cid Viscoso] Shitheel. Re: Prince Harry, I hope he sees action because I believe he will do quite well. Minus the Nazi Armband Stunt, he might’ve been just what the Brits needed to inspire them off of their fat, pasty asses. [/QUOTE] Heh. I’ll see your “fat, pasty asses” and raise you comparative obesity rates in the UK and the States, goober. 😛 Seriously, if Harry’s presence causes more Brit deaths than US friendly fire has, I’ll be slightly surprised. For all that, though, the snark was more of a “fucko off” to the OP than anything else, 'cos I don’t see what part of this is any of his fucking business. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/49 "2007-02-20T16:29:34Z")
[QUOTE=Swallowed My Cellphone] Prince Harry isn’t “pretending” to be anything. He is the most senior royal to ever opt for the Army rather than the Navy, and went through Sandhurt’s tough training program with no special treatment. He learned armoured tactics, tank repair, and is a qualified troop leader for tank recon. [/QUOTE] > [@wikipedia](#): > > In January 2006, Clarence House announced that Prince Harry would join the Blues and Royals, a regiment of the Household Cavalry, and train as a reconnaissance troop commander.[4] Since then, it was reported that he was expected to deploy to Iraq in May of 2007 as part of the 1st Mechanised Brigade of the 3rd (UK) Mechanised Division, although both the royal family and the Defense Ministry declined to confirm those reports.[1] The Blues and Royals would form part of the force patrolling the governorate of Maysan on the Iran-Iraq border. > [@CNN](#): > > One royal source told the newspaper it was a “distinct possibility” that Metropolitan Police representatives would continue to oversee Harry’s security amid military concerns he could become a target for insurgents Wait a sec - he’s going to be driving around the desert wrapped in a [Challenger tank](http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/av/challenger2.htm), and they might send some Police reps to be his bodyguards? That’s hilarious. Are they going to jog alongside the 62 ton behemoth, or will they have a police car with flashing red & blue lights? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/50 "2007-02-20T16:55:35Z")
[QUOTE=Sailboat] Forced? You mean their parents have no influence over them at all, so only force could constitute sheltering them? No, I mean “advised by their parents and social class to stay out of the military, and following that advice, supported by money enabling them to do so, to lead cushy lives, unlike the princeling in question, who is in fact going in harm’s way.” Sailboat [/QUOTE] I guess I was sheltered too. No encouragement from my family or friends to join. In fact the opposite. I was supported by my parents middle class money. I had a roof over my head, clothes on my back and food in my stomach. I would have continued to have that support for as long as it took to find my way. Somehow I wound up in the army anyway. I must have been drafted and forgot about it. What a crock of shit. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/51 "2007-02-20T16:58:57Z")
[QUOTE=muldoonthief] Wait a sec - he’s going to be driving around the desert wrapped in a [Challenger tank](http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/av/challenger2.htm) \ [/QUOTE] Not in a Challenger tank, but in an armoured car (Scimitar?). ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/52 "2007-02-20T17:11:07Z")
[QUOTE=muldoonthief] Wait a sec - he’s going to be driving around the desert wrapped in a [Challenger tank](http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/av/challenger2.htm), and they might send some Police reps to be his bodyguards? That’s hilarious. Are they going to jog alongside the 62 ton behemoth, or will they have a police car with flashing red & blue lights? [/QUOTE] And, being British, no guns. 😃 I know, I know. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/53 "2007-02-20T18:23:04Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I hope the Brits will take a lesson from the US — do _not_ invest Head of State and Head of Government in the same person. Be grateful for your Queen. She can do no real harm. If Bush were just our Head of State, the stuff he does would be merely funny. [/QUOTE] I think both countries have not yet learned the real lesson. As I have suggested before, a democracy needs no head of state at all. It’s a fundamental violation of the democratic spirit to invest a single person with even the symbolic position of “head” of the “state.” We are all the state – any one of us can be that symbol. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/54 "2007-02-20T18:26:01Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] I think both countries have not yet learned the real lesson. As I have suggested before, a democracy needs no head of state at all. It’s a fundamental violation of the democratic spirit to invest a single person with even the symbolic position of “head” of the “state.” We are all the state – any one of us can be that symbol. [/QUOTE] Was it me or did **Liberal** get his point entirely ass-backwards - that the States should take a leaf out of Britain’s book? (I’ve volunteered Andrew’s services as Viceroy of North America before now. You know it makes sense. We _can_ get rid of Kings if we really want to - we did it twice in the 1600s for a start.) ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/55 "2007-02-20T18:33:38Z")
[QUOTE=muldoonthief] Wait a sec - he’s going to be driving around the desert wrapped in a [Challenger tank](http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/av/challenger2.htm), and they might send some Police reps to be his bodyguards? That’s hilarious. Are they going to jog alongside the 62 ton behemoth, or will they have a police car with flashing red & blue lights? [/QUOTE] It looks like he’s a qualified soldier fully prepared for serious combat… When I first read reports that there was the possibility of an entourage of Metro Police to protect him, I laughed. _That_ would definitely paint a bull’s-eye on his regiment. Let the soldier do his work, he’ll blend in well enough if there weren’t some obvious “special guards” standing around him all the time. The OP said Harry is “useless” and he most certainly is not. But all the hand-wringing about his safety and the idea of bodyguards getting underfoot is going to seriously hamper any legitimate and significant contribution he _could_ make if they stayed the hell out of the way. War is dangerous, he will be in danger. But stop pointing the spotlight on him and let him do his job. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/56 "2007-02-20T18:44:29Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] I guess I was sheltered too. No encouragement from my family or friends to join. In fact the opposite. I was supported by my parents middle class money. I had a roof over my head, clothes on my back and food in my stomach. I would have continued to have that support for as long as it took to find my way. Somehow I wound up in the army anyway. I must have been drafted and forgot about it. What a crock of shit. [/QUOTE] I guess I must be misunderstanding your defensiveness or something. The point of my post was to say that joining the military was a commendable and brave act on the Prince’s part, not a farce. It appears that the point of your post is to emphasize that you joined the military for reasons you saw as commendable. If so, why are you angry at me for snarking at those who do not join the military while espousing patriotic sentiments? What am I not getting? Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/57 "2007-02-21T02:09:35Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] I think both countries have not yet learned the real lesson. As I have suggested before, a democracy needs no head of state at all. It’s a fundamental violation of the democratic spirit to invest a single person with even the symbolic position of “head” of the “state.” We are all the state – any one of us can be that symbol. [/QUOTE] I would agree with you except that, constitutionally, we are a republic. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/58 "2007-02-21T02:53:10Z")
[QUOTE=Sailboat] Forced? You mean their parents have no influence over them at all, so only force could constitute sheltering them? No, I mean “advised by their parents and social class to stay out of the military, and following that advice, supported by money enabling them to do so, to lead cushy lives, unlike the princeling in question, who is in fact going in harm’s way.” Sailboat [/QUOTE] What a load of malarkey. It doesn’t matter what influence their parents have on them. The simple fact of the matter is that the choice whether to go into the military or not is theirs. They can’t be forced to join nor can they be forced by their parents to not join if they apply for enlistment or commissioning and meet all the eligibility requirements. Your follow on posts to this are just lame attempts to show that you weren’t just taking a cheap shot at Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/59 "2007-02-21T03:01:26Z")
Got delayed so couldn’t edit the above post. The Bush children weren’t sheltered from joining the military. If they so desire, and qualify, they can join now. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840/60 "2007-02-21T11:22:09Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Was it me or did **Liberal** get his point entirely ass-backwards - that the States should take a leaf out of Britain’s book? [/QUOTE] I’m pretty sure Lib meant it as ‘learn from our (that is, their\*) mistake’. - I have the same Queen you do, albeit a different PM, and there’s the whole Governor General thing in between… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-most-useless-officer-in-the-entire-british-army-is/392840.md?page=4)