Comments on: How Britain treats its troops

By: Redog70

Redog70 — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:34:01 +0000

I don’t know about this individual case but it has been the standard practice of the British Army for many years now that Soldiers are not to wear their uniform while off duty.
This was due to the threat from the IRA who were actively seeking to kill British servicemen. I saw this danger first hand When i was stationed in Germany there was an attack on soldiers about 400m from the camp, by the IRA. Although not wearing uniform doesn’t take the risk away it lessens it considerably.
While agreeing that our country doesn’t give our troops the recognition they deserve i think a lot of the comments on this thread are not based on knowledge of the situation in the UK.
The IRA were mostly funded by misguided Americans who have some old romantic notion of the “old country” where the big bad British army is oppressing poor Irish farmers who just want to live in peace!!
While the method in this incident may not be to everyones liking, it is ultimately a security issue for the soldiers safety.

By: Common Sense

Common Sense — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 00:50:37 +0000

I personally don’t believe changing clothes lessens the security risk to the soldiers. Their demeanor and appearance usually give them away anyway.

I sat next to a soldier on a flight who was not in uniform and I knew right away who he was. Clean-cut, good-looking, short-hair, nice muscles, and polite with great manners. Not your usually college student.

By: Christian Soldier

Christian Soldier — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 23:56:19 +0000

KCK #26 You have the right plan. Talk-talk-talking without ACTION does nothing.

Call-write-organize!

By: NHMagenta

NHMagenta — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 23:48:53 +0000

A previous poster mentions these troops landed in a part of Britain which has a lot of Muslims.
If the risk of suicide bombers or suicide shooters is so great that the troops have to change to civvies something is seriously wrong!

By: Disgusting — Brits treat their returning soldiers horribly « Absolute Moral Authority

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 23:10:30 +0000

[...] Thanks to Michelle Malkin [...]

By: jeanie

jeanie — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 22:36:51 +0000

the brits have lost it!!! sorry to see what used to be nice people go downhill.

By: ammo john

ammo john — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 21:57:13 +0000

Looks like Oakland and Britain have some thing in common!

By: RightWingGeek.com

RightWingGeek.com — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 21:08:38 +0000

Michelle Malkin » How Britain treats its troops…

Scores of soldiers flying home from Afghanistan on Christmas leave were ordered to change out of their uniforms on a freezing runway before being allowed into a civilian airport terminal.

Troops were told not to be seen in public in their uniforms – w…

By: frizzbee

frizzbee — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 21:04:44 +0000

I envision poor Englanders swimming the channel from Portpatrick to Whitehead, NI, to escape sharia law…Taliban will have a ball (pun!) with the Premier League soocer stadiums…tsk tsk

By: katieanne

katieanne — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:35:01 +0000

This is appalling. PC has gone insane in Great Britain and people are all in a tizzy about offending Muslims.

I can’t believe it has come to the point that a nation with the proud past of England doesn’t support its military anymore. It’s a disgrace. I agree…Churchill is turning over in his grave. But then, looking back, after WWII was over and Churchill had gotten his country through that horror, they threw him out. They have a past history of not appreciating the brave and honorable.

By: nbarry

nbarry — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:14:51 +0000

Since Rick invokes Churchill, I’m reminded of his putdown of hidebound admirals when he became First Lord of the Admiralty before World War I. When they invoked navy tradition in response to Churchill’s modernizing measures, he replied that the navy’s oldest traditions are “rum, sodomy and the lash.”

By: brooklyn red

brooklyn red — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:12:26 +0000

“whined about NAMBLA and France.”

Oh, now I get it…

By: Bob69

Bob69 — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:11:19 +0000

Iseem to recall that the British treated their Navy even worse. Blimey Mate. Here comes Captain Bligh. They have a bad history concerning their military. Seems like we are starting to treat ours the same way. So Sad

By: corkie

corkie — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 19:55:36 +0000

Are we sure that they weren’t forced to change because of the military’s rules? I know the Navy and Marines might fly troops home in uniforms which aren’t allowed to be worn in public. For example, you’ll never see a Marine flying commercially in a camouflaged uniform. I also know that the Brits are even more strict about dress uniform rules in public.

Something very similar happened to my unit once, but the senior officer decided to allow everyone to break the rules since we were returning home from a difficult 6 month deployment. He wasn’t exactly taking a “career” level risk, but someone more anal retentive might have ordered everyone to change.

By: JunkYardBlog

JunkYardBlog — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 19:55:29 +0000

British School: Playing Guns Is Natural And Good For Young Boys…

(And old boys too!) So says Jules Crittenden, who adds a lot to the story. JC sounds like a great dad–telling his kids great stories of real heroes and courage, and making them great toys that raise the eyebrows of……