Prince Harry current events 13: January 23 - March 5 2007

[Skydragon]

Prince Harry shells out more than pounds1,000 on war gear

London, Feb 25 (ANI): Prince Harry has had to spend more than pounds1,000 on extra kit for duty in Iraq. The 22-year-old royal, third in line to the throne, bought at least ten items

[ysbel]

Don't tell me the soldiers of the British Army have to pay for their own war kits!

My confidence in the British Army has just diminished. Doesn't the Army have enough money to outfit its soldiers?

[Suonymona]

I think they are going to deploy Harry in the south, where the fighting is almost non-existent and he is very unlikely to be blown up by an IED and/or captured.

I suspect they will name a different site, closer to Bahgdad, as the deployment site in order to diffuse attempts. Also that Harry will have his hair cut very short in order to hide him better.

Of course since the British troops are being pulled out, by the time Harry's callup rolls around, he might not really go at all! Timing is everything.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by ysbel

Don't tell me the soldiers of the British Army have to pay for their own war kits!

My confidence in the British Army has just diminished. Doesn't the Army have enough money to outfit its soldiers?

I guess it's similar in any army around the world. The army pays for the things in "necessary" quality, but of course in the outdoor shops much better things are available. If you have the money, of course you can invest in the high end products if it's allowed to use them.

[Suonymona]

The British Army (like most of its Government funded programs) is severely cash-short. I forget the name, but one of the prominent barracks was featured in several articles recently as being unfit for dogs, let alone soldiers and veterans.

Of course, the USA troops are no better helped. Many private organizations are sending over everything from basics like toilet paper to much scarier (because they are not mandatory) things like bulletproof vests and helmets that don't fall apart.

However, should Harry actually go, I believe his regiment will be the best-equipped along with his security detail. Perhaps it will show what can be done for troops with the right motivation.

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by ysbel

Don't tell me the soldiers of the British Army have to pay for their own war kits!

If they want the top quality items, they have to pay for them themselves. A couple of instances.

The boots that were supplied to some soldiers were a disgrace, the sole came away from the uppers "because they didn't know they were going to be used in a 'hot country"

They ran out of Shemaghs in desert colours, so supplied them in 'unusual' colours.

Sleeping bags of inferior quality and a size designed for men and women of 5ft 9in and under.

My confidence in the British Army has just diminished. Doesn't the Army have enough money to outfit its soldiers?

No, the government has cut the budget for the armed forces, whilst sending more and more men to war zones. The joke at the moment is that if Blair intends fighting anyone else, they had better send Dad's army!

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by Suonymona

Of course, the USA troops are no better helped. Many private organizations are sending over everything from basics like toilet paper to much scarier (because they are not mandatory) things like bulletproof vests and helmets that don't fall apart.

On the contrary, the US troops are very well equipped, they set up coffee bars, their vehicles are far superior, they are all provided with bullet proof vests, unlike the UK troops.

However, should Harry actually go, I believe his regiment will be the best-equipped along with his security detail. Perhaps it will show what can be done for troops with the right motivation.

Harry is going, but there will be no separate security detail and his regiment will not receive any extra equipment, which is why Harry is having to buy his own.

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

If they want the top quality items, they have to pay for them themselves. A couple of instances.

The boots that were supplied to some soldiers were a disgrace, the sole came away from the uppers "because they didn't know they were going to be used in a 'hot country"

They ran out of Shemaghs in desert colours, so supplied them in 'unusual' colours.

Sleeping bags of inferior quality and a size designed for men and women of 5ft 9in and under.

No, the government has cut the budget for the armed forces, whilst sending more and more men to war zones. The joke at the moment is that if Blair intends fighting anyone else, they had better send Dad's army!

This is truly scary, skydragon! No wonder the governments didn't institute the draft. Its one thing to subject volunteers to these conditions; one can say that they agreed to it when they signed up.

But its quite another thing to draft someone so they have no choice and then put them in these conditions.

For the most part I am quite comfortable with class differences and the fact that some people have more because of who their parents are - its a fact of life and most of the time, its not harmful. Otherwise I wouldn't be following royalty.

But the one area where I don't like seeing kids with rich parents getting an edge is in a combat zone where lives are at risk. That must be incredibly difficult on the morale of the men whose parents cannot afford the 1000 quid to outfit their sons.

[Skydragon]

A lot of the time parents and other relatives help out and ebay has a thriving trade, so I am told.

The British in Afghanistan and Iraq are called 'the borrowers' or 'the Flintstones' by the Americans and the Canadians, who by comparrison are superbly equipped!

The MOD should be supplying all these men and women with the equipment they need, but as any senior officer will tell you, complaining to the MOD is like banging your head against a super foam pillow.

[Elspeth]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

If they want the top quality items, they have to pay for them themselves. A couple of instances.

The boots that were supplied to some soldiers were a disgrace, the sole came away from the uppers "because they didn't know they were going to be used in a 'hot country"

They ran out of Shemaghs in desert colours, so supplied them in 'unusual' colours.

Sleeping bags of inferior quality and a size designed for men and women of 5ft 9in and under.

No, the government has cut the budget for the armed forces, whilst sending more and more men to war zones. The joke at the moment is that if Blair intends fighting anyone else, they had better send Dad's army!

What they really need to do is send Blair's son and the children of a few other high-ranking politicians, and they'd find the money fast enough. Perhaps these reports of Harry having to buy extra kit might wake people up to what's going on over there.

[BeatrixFan]

They can't send Euan Blair. He'd spent half his time in the bars of Baghdad.

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by Elspeth

What they really need to do is send Blair's son and the children of a few other high-ranking politicians, and they'd find the money fast enough. Perhaps these reports of Harry having to buy extra kit might wake people up to what's going on over there.

I'm afraid unless you are involved with the forces, people will just think, 'thank goodness Harry can get his own stuff'. The papers here were full of reports of how one man died after he was ordered to hand over his bulletproof vest to another soldier.

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

I'm afraid unless you are involved with the forces, people will just think, 'thank goodness Harry can get his own stuff'. The papers here were full of reports of how one man died after he was ordered to hand over his bulletproof vest to another soldier.

Yes, I heard about that. A tragedy!

[Roslyn]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

I'm afraid unless you are involved with the forces, people will just think, 'thank goodness Harry can get his own stuff'. The papers here were full of reports of how one man died after he was ordered to hand over his bulletproof vest to another soldier.

This is very disturbing news to me! If a government is going to send its soldiers to a war zone, they should all be properly and equally supplied with everything they need IMO, and I assumed they all were these days.

I don't recall ever hearing or reading that our Aussie service personnel don't have what they need. I know a fellow who was in the Gulf in the early 90s and is still serving so I'll ask him when I get a chance.

[Harry's polo shirt]

I am so proud of Harry! and nervous. I bet he is very excited.

[lilytornado]

Well, I hope for him, that he doesn't have to be at the worst places... getting traumatized, maybe having to kill someone..I think not, but to me it seems as if he wanted to see the "real" thing...
Sometimes a thing that sounds exciting in your dreams, isn't that cool anymore, when you are confronted with reality. War is never fun.

[Harry's polo shirt]

I am sure he has dreamed of fighting in a war when he was a child, but I think Harry wants to fight for his country. He doesn't want to fight just to experience it. I think he wants to fight to protect.