I know this was supposed to be a joke, but its actually a pretty good point. I don’t know about YOU, but if it were me I’d just as soon not have the prince in my company…especially after all the publicity that he was going over, and all the threats against him. Bad enough to be over there at all atm…but I’d have to say I’d feel like there was an even bigger bullseye on my back if the prince was about as every nutball over there focused on either trying to wack him or capture him. Bit hard on the sidekicks in that situation, what?
Just to amplify this point, moot though it may be, a Scimitar ‘Tank’ weighs in at about 8 tonnes, a Stryker at more like 16 tonnes. I don’t think it can be considered to have tank-like blast resistance in the same way as main battle tanks do. It’s a *very *light tank
Actually it’s classed as a tracked reconaissance vehicle, and is essentially equivalent to an armoured car, with its maximum armour protection effective only against heavy machine gun bullets. (For comparison, the British WW2 Staghound medium armoured car was almost twice the weight and likely twice as heavily armoured.)
The UK Defence Minister has said that it is to dangerous in Iraq to send Harry.
Obviously not dangerous enough to prevent other mothers sons being sent though.
What really pisses me off about this selective situation is that Harry has said he’ll continue with his army career. Doubtless he’ll end up a full colonel, or higher, with a chestful of medals without ever seeing or firing a shot in anger.
What’s the point of being in the army if you’re just going to play at soldiers.
Actually just by disciplined and maintained observation they could easily find out where he was based and the patrol patterns(even allowing for some randomness deliberately included in the equation).
Thats of course if the media dont tell them anyway as they told the Argentinians beforehand that the Paras were going to assault Goose Green which resulted in Argentinian reinforcements being flown in just before the battle.
A few other points in answer to other postings .
The level of violence would actually rise,not just be redirected at his unit ,for the simple reason that locals who might otherwise not be tempted to take part in the terrorism would be very,very tempted by the the large cash bounties put on his head for kill,wound or capture and once they’ve acquired the habit they may well keep on practising it.
His unit ,I believe,do not use M.B.Ts but light tanks which are NOT built like brick outhouses and are vulnerable to shaped charge weapons amongst others .
The propaganda value of his being killed or captured would be massive,similar to the son of the P.O.T.U.S. being Kd or Cd and would in all likelihood encourage terrorist recruiting in much the same way as the WTC atrocity did.
That said I would not be stunned with amazement if after all the media interest
has all died down he was quietly sent out there as Cornet “Smith” or similar though this is only a guess on my part.
Finally I too find the R.N.s reaction to Irans breach of international law shameful but I suspect that Britains step back from starting a shooting war with Iran was most probably as a result of the rules of engagement very,very heavily "recommended "by the U.S. government at the outset though this too is only my guess.
In Iraq the U.S. calls the shots.
Just one last,last point !
I wonder how many of the posters who are so gung ho about sending someone else into danger have ever volunteered for the same thing?
Bit late to the show I know. I was all in favour of Harry going and doing the job he signed up for, but as has been said, academic now.
Just want to make sure you saw this:
Well I’m an old codger, missed WW2 and was to old for any of the conflicts that followed altho’ I was in the army, rose to the dizzy heights of corporal I might add
I suppose I was old enough for the Mau Mau business but the powers that be decided that my expertise in cookery was better suited to feeding the officers at Richmond RAF base.
Have no doubts about it, if I had been told to go I would have gone, volunteer?
All foreigners love our Royal Family. Well known fact. Simply having Prince Charles ex-wife’s son walking out ahead of a patrol will ensure not a single shot is fired.
"Right then its the Catering Corp for you lad !Theyve killed more squaddies then any other mob that I know of "
“The British Army cookery course is the hardest course in the world son”
“Why do you say that sir?”
“Well no ones ever actually met any one whos passed it going by the grub they always serve up !”
Sorry Chowder just had to dig up the traditional jokes for use on encountering Army chefs.
In truth Ive had some bloody excellent food from you guys with the Crabfats coming a close second ,the worst was from the Fishheads.
Thing was Lust4Life when I joined the army you had to take an aptitude test and it seems I did so well (insert smug smile here) that instead of allowing me to join the tank regiment with my mate I was inducted into The Royal Signals as a “Special Operator”
I had no idea what this entailed until 3 weeks into basic training when I found out that I’d have to take parachute training as well as learning Morse Code. In the event of hostilities the idea was that yours truly would be dropped behind enemy lines ::eek:: to relay info.
So after basic I was transferred to Richmond RAF, did para training then 2 drops , broke my ankle and after it mended I somehow found myself a corporal seconded to the Catering Corps.
I turned out to be a fairly decent cook and was then given officers mess duties. The rest as they say is history
Good hit Chowder !Bet you were reaching on the second jump,not that Ive ever done that myself he lied.
I think there was a big sigh of relief alround when morse got binned ,"Can you send a P.L. Noduf mate we’ve got a man badly injured "
“No sorry hes going to die cos Im crap at Plain Language.
But if you want any figures sent then Im your man!”
I didn’t break my ankle following a para drop. No, I fell off a lorry while totally shit faced, the dozy bugger on a motorbike behind ran over my bloody foot .
Anyway after recovering I got transferred to Cardington RAF where the R101 airship took off only to crash in France. It seems that my culinary skills were known throughout the UK which is why I ended up doing what I did
Eh, it wasn’t Harry’s choice not to be deployed. There’s no shame in being promoted up the ranks without firing a shot. Many many people in the U.S. Army are 0-5s and 0-6s without having ever been in combat.
The “dumbass” as you put it has a hell of a lot more constraints on his actions than even the poorest of British citizens .
I would not be totally stunned with amazement if the Primeminister sent a message a few years back to Buck.House that it wouldn’t be a bad idea if Harry volunteered to join up ,and that the Army might be a nice choice.
Translated ,you’re joining up mate ,its your duty to your mum and the country ,but we’ll let you pick the regiment.
Damn right !Never serve in close proximity to a high profile political target or someone who looks like he might be out to get the Victoria Cross
,you’re doomed !
You might just as well tell everyone what you’re going to do back in dear old Blighty on your last day in country and how you’re going to watch your new born son grow up and learn to play cricket when he’s older.
