Over the weekend I saw an article that essentially became the straw that broke this particular camel's back and spurred me into creating this blog. The article, by the Express, is a classic example of shoddy reporting combined with an overwhelming desire to milk a military story. Not only does it mislead the reader with unfounded claims and uneducated opinion, it actively seeks to exploit a vulnerable family for their own ends.
http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/203420/Father-tells-how-soldier-son-died-because-Army-wouldn-t-buy-a-gun/
I have the greatest of respect for any family that has paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving the life of a loved one in the defence of our country. I cannot possibly imagine the pain they are going through, and offer them all my sincerest thoughts and appreciation. That a grieving father should want to place blame on someone, particularly a common target like the MOD, for the loss of his son is entirely understandable. That does not, however, excuse a journalist like Gary Mitchell from reporting the situation responsibly.
Sidearms are not common issue amongst British forces. Certain roles will carry them as appropriate, but most people don't bother because it implies extra weight for negligible benefit. That said, there is no shortage of pistols in Afghanistan so anyone who does want one - regardless of their role - can get hold of one. Crucially, everyone gets thoroughly trained in their use prior to flying out. If Guardsman Major had wanted a pistol, he could have had one. That in itself debunks the myth that the Express attempt to perpetuate, but for the sake of argument let us look a little closer at the situation surrounding Gdsm Major's horrific murder...
Gdsm Major was part of a training team embedded within an Afghan unit. Chances are he'd been amongst these men for some time, sharing the same living spaces, meal times, and recreation periods with them. He'd almost certainly come to be friends with them and feel he could relax in their presence. The attacker, claimed to be Taliban, has successfully infiltrated the unit and done his job of blending in. Gdsm Major, like most soldiers working in Afghanistan, probably looked forward to his downtime as an opportunity to chill out and take off his heavy, hot body armour. There aren't many places in Afghanistan that someone can do this risk-free, but within the walls of a guarded compound you're probably going consider yourself safe enough. Do the Army and MOD have a responsibility to tell everyone that they can never remove their armour, regardless of how safe you think you are? Are they required to keep their weapons trained on all local forces at all times? How many more would then suffer from heat exhaustion when it goes over 40 degrees? What are the loyal Afghan's going to think when we tell them we can't trust them enough to socialise with them? How is a bloke having a kip supposed to stop another bloke with a machine gun when that same bloke was making him a brew just ten minutes earlier?
Adrian Major's son was unlucky, like most war casualties are. He was the victim of a well-planned infiltration that could not have been anticipated in more than the most general of terms. The lad was only human, and had to sit down and relax at some point. Pistol or not, his attacker was going to get the drop on them and kill someone. It's a horrible truth, but it is truth all the same.
No comments:
Post a Comment