If you’re single and dissatisfied with the way your life is going, you can turn things around by seeing your situation from a new, more positive perspective….

Just a walt I expect.

“Bert Preast – you are a traitor to ARRSE. Don’t bother coming back.”

Bert can defend himself, but I would just like to point out that Bert is always sticking up for the army on here, as well as educating people about what life in the army is like. You owe him your thanks, not your contempt.

Dave, you are right about the Scandanavians. I would like to see a combat brigade or equivalent from every NATO member.

Until the end of the Cold War the Bundeswher was the finest army in NATO IMHO, beautifully design ed to kill large numbers of russians in a short space of time. Now, I know the German defence budget is now reletively small but 5000 German airmobile troops or, better still, mountain troops would go an awful long way in Afghanistan. Add another 5000 France and 3000 Spanish and it would suddenly look there some sort of atlantic treaty organisation or something…….

Bert Preast – you are a traitor to ARRSE. Don’t bother coming back you foul cunt.

Poke yer dad in the eye for me, will you?

The Common Humanist – I wouldn’t be so critical of the Norwegian and Swedish militaries, particularly their special forces units. The answer on Germany is obvious – sensitivities around rearmament. Still. That having been said, they are in the process of buying some new kit. While the other armed forces mentioned might not be quite as high on an index of martial potency, they are not to be so lightly sneered at.

Bert Preast – I’m going to start by declaring a relevant interest (my Dad works for AgustaWestland) before warning that ARRSEpedia is very funny but not really based on reality.

I’d settle for accepting say, 40% of non useful members defence budgets and then the precious darlings can go home and put their feet up!

TCH

Apologies for the spelling and punctuation in those posts!

I’m not for the EU Army idea, but maybe those nations who don’t mind having a bit of a ruck now and then should be compensated heavily by those who prefer not to, that way we get more efficient and motivated forces and everyone should be happy.

Too many people, too little resources = intractable conflict.

Get used to ‘Darfurs’ happening in Africa (including The Maghreb) and Western Asia. Given the rates of population growth in these areas, often in areas eminently unsuitable (i.e. not temperate), we can expect such conflicts to simmer on and cause much suffering.

What Darfur needs most is birth control and hydrologists. Populations have to match the carrying capacity of their lands. If they don’t the result will be conflict and migration, leading to more misery and conflict.

The rest appear to be there for window dressing only.

The average European…ahem….soldier (in the loosest sense of the word) is good for parades and keeping official unemployment down and apparently not for peacekeeping, peacemaking and generally saving lives.

Why does Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and Sweden have armed forces for?
(And am looking at you ‘our soldiers can’t see action when in Afghanistan’ Germany in particular?

Given that the majority of the Aghan poppy crop ends up on our streets and the next time AQ/Taliban want to reach out it may well be in Europe, why aren’t the EU / NATO nations serious about their obligations?

They’re a good bunch of blokes but it’s no place for the faint hearted or thin skinned, I’ll admit. You know Richard North who blogs for declaring war on Europe and better kit for the army? Every time he goes on there he gets a right pasting too, but he keeps at it as he knows that deep inside every rufty-tufty soldier there’s a lovely fluffy bunny struggling to get out. Er, maybe.

For incredibly unreliable information on our current helo fleet, a visit to the Arrsepedia is a must. The page on the Lynx is worth a read:

http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Lynx

“Old Lynx pilots proverb ‘If something hasnt broken/fallen off/caught fire/exploded/failed/destroyed itself into oblivion/eaten itself/generally stopped functioning….its either just about to or its sat in the hangar’.”

Also note that the proposed replacement, whenever it finally arrives, will be substantially less useful. No wonder Drayson jacked it, the only thing of importance in defence procurement is to try to keep a couple of hundred British workers in hopelessly outdated factories off the dole queue. I can only assume the resulting dead soldiers are looked on as another part of the plan, as they need replacing thus cutting the dole queue still further.