why dont we look after our own first

[hovis]

My friend just returned from afghan and showed me bullet holes in his camel pack and his body armour. He said "gutted they got my vest as it cost me £1100. I said why did you buy your own? He explained that if they were lucky enough to get issued one in the first place they wouldnt stop a bullet anyway as they are sub standard. A week before the government send 7 million to the tornado victims. I'm not saying we shouldnt help but shouldnt we have our soldiers walking round doging bullets with good body armour first?

 

[chrisd]

He explained that if they were lucky enough to get issued one in the first place they wouldnt stop a bullet anyway as they are sub standard.

You couldn't make it up !

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Who does he work for ?

I was issued with Kevlar body armour every time I went out there.

 

[hovis]

Who does he work for ?

I was issued with Kevlar body armour every time I went out there.

He was a sniper in one of the guard reg's. He said kevlar armour was swapped between on and out going patrols

 

[virtuocity]

I must have seen 1000 arguments against sending aid to foreign disaster zones this week. The "send money to our boys in Afgan instead" argument is the most common and silly of them all IMO.

It's £7 million. That's a TINY amount and is already earmarked for such things. 1000s of people are dying for goodness sake and you want to withhold this vital aid package?

The issue of army funding is COMPLETELY SEPARATE.

This has pangs of "why do we give benefits to foreign people when our lads are fighting for our country. Click like and share if you agree."

Daily Mail tosh.

 

[hovis]

Wouldnt that be robbing peter to pay paul. How would you feel if you where just about to go on patrol in afghan with no kevlar when your squad leader said " oh well, thank god there's 7 million set aside for an incident that hasn't happend yet"

Imagine it was your son

 

[Deleted member 15344]

He was a sniper in one of the guard reg's. He said kevlar armour was swapped between on and out going patrols

Really ? Every single person gets a personal issue of Osprey BA - it is fitted to each person so it's highly unlikely it's swapable.

If the RAF who aren't always on the first line get personal issue then I'm dammed sure the Front line get personal issue of Osprey.

In fact going out to the FOB's all the guy I ever saw had their own person issue.

Which regiment is he in ?

 

[hovis]

Really ? Every single person gets a personal issue of Osprey BA - it is fitted to each person so it's highly unlikely it's swapable.

If the RAF who aren't always on the first line get personal issue then I'm dammed sure the Front line get personal issue of Osprey.

In fact going out to the FOB's all the guy I ever saw had their own person issue.

Which regiment is he in ?

Sorry to sound dumb but its the regiment that guards the palace. He has bear skin hats and all that. But he wasn't out there with them because he was a sniper he was attached to another regiment out there. MIGHT have been the green jackets

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Sorry to sound dumb but its the regiment that guards the palace. He has bear skin hats and all that. But he wasn't out there with them because he was a sniper he was attached to another regiment out there. MIGHT have been the green jackets

He is a Grenedier Guard.

I don't believe he had to pay for his own CBA - unless he wanted different to the osprey Kevlar

And the RGJ have snipers themselves ? Why would he moved to them ? Very strange

In the early stages CBA wasn't the greatest and not everyone had it but that was ten years ago plus - when someone died because they didn't have it that's when the MOD purchased Osprey for everyone. Some even got both the old CBA plus Osprey.

Try and find out which CBA he bought

 

[hovis]

He is a Grenedier Guard.

I don't believe he had to pay for his own CBA - unless he wanted different to the osprey Kevlar

And the RGJ have snipers themselves ? Why would he moved to them ? Very strange

In the early stages CBA wasn't the greatest and not everyone had it but that was ten years ago plus - when someone died because they didn't have it that's when the MOD purchased Osprey for everyone. Some even got both the old CBA plus Osprey.

Try and find out which CBA he bought

He did say he wanted better as the issued kevlar wouldnt stop a bullet. ( would that be a sniper to sniper bullet? ) and he was sent by request to them. Something along the lines of wanting to get his tour done in one go rather than have some sort of break in the middle.

I'll ask him about his ugraded armour

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Kevlar is the lightest bullet proof substance you can get without it getting too heavy to do your work

Kevlar stops bullets - Kevlar is issued. It's been proven and tested

Obviously rounds above bullets is a different matter because they even penetrate tanks

So I'm going to guess that your mate does get issued the Osprey CBA - but has decided to purchase his own. Which is slightly different to your initial statement.

 

[hovis]

Kevlar is the lightest bullet proof substance you can get without it getting too heavy to do your work

Kevlar stops bullets - Kevlar is issued. It's been proven and tested

Obviously rounds above bullets is a different matter because they even penetrate tanks

So I'm going to guess that your mate does get issued the Osprey CBA - but has decided to purchase his own. Which is slightly different to your initial statement.

He said the issue cba kept ripping at the sides and magazine pouches would rip clean off. the turn around time was too long to get new stuff sent hence having to swap. The americans use Interceptor armour which "aparently" is the dogs but almost double the price.

I've noticed from almost every post you make you purposely go against the grain. Is this to start a debate? Or you just being plain obstructive. not saying dont get involved but cant you just take his word for it and get on topic or do you like to pick the bones out of it first. Does it matter why he went to the green jackets? Or decided to take the back plate out of his osprey becasue he couldnt move in it? No, the topic is about looking after our
Soldiers, homeless, emergency services and so on before we dish out to other countrys. For e,g if your dad had a heart attack at home the average time for a paramedic is 25 minutes! Why? Lack of funding

 

[Steve In Spain]

Don't really want to get involved as such, but the Interceptor armour wasn't used after 2006, it has been totally replaced by the Modular Tactical Vest (MTV) which was replaced by the Scalable Plate Carrier (SPC) for the Marines.

A U.S. Marine Corps forensic study obtained by DefenseWatch slams the Interceptor OTV body armor system. As many as 42% of the Marine casualties who died from isolated torso injuries could have been prevented with improved protection in the areas surrounding the plated areas of the vest. Nearly 23% might have benefited from protection along the mid-axillary line of the lateral chest. Another 15% died from impacts through the unprotected shoulder and upper arm.

Like Liverpool Phil, who I am assuming that he served, I am skeptical of your mates claim, I myself did 25 years and haven't really heard of anyone HAVING to buy their own...unless it's by choice and even then I am skeptical it would be allowed.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

He said the issue cba kept ripping at the sides and magazine pouches would rip clean off. the turn around time was too long to get new stuff sent hence having to swap. The americans use Interceptor armour which "aparently" is the dogs but almost double the price.

I've noticed from almost every post you make you purposely go against the grain. Is this to start a debate? Or you just being plain obstructive. not saying dont get involved but cant you just take his word for it and get on topic or do you like to pick the bones out of it first. Does it matter why he went to the green jackets? Or decided to take the back plate out of his osprey becasue he couldnt move in it? No, the topic is about looking after our
Soldiers, homeless, emergency services and so on before we dish out to other countrys. For e,g if your dad had a heart attack at home the average time for a paramedic is 25 minutes! Why? Lack of funding

I spent 22 years in the military so I know about lack of funding for the military

I know about the kit he would be issued because I got the same kit as he would be issued hence why I believe or am suspect about what your mate is telling you - now your saying he was saying it was ripping apart ?!

We all live on the same planet - millions get spent on lots of things both home and abroad - before we start complaining about helping out fellow human beings lets start sorting out benefit cheats.

There are a lot more bigger issues in our country than giving money to starving people or homeless people in another country

I'm guessing you are also not happy with comic or sport relief as well - and Band Aid must have really got on your tits.

There is no "us and them" - we aren't a selfish country, we do give billions to people in this country but we also are gracious enough to help out other people when needed

It's one of the reasons why we are called "Great" Britain

 

[Fish]

Don't really want to get involved as such, but the Interceptor armour wasn't used after 2006, it has been totally replaced by the Modular Tactical Vest (MTV) which was replaced by the Scalable Plate Carrier (SPC) for the Marines.

A U.S. Marine Corps forensic study obtained by DefenseWatch slams the Interceptor OTV body armor system. As many as 42% of the Marine casualties who died from isolated torso injuries could have been prevented with improved protection in the areas surrounding the plated areas of the vest. Nearly 23% might have benefited from protection along the mid-axillary line of the lateral chest. Another 15% died from impacts through the unprotected shoulder and upper arm.

Like Liverpool Phil, who I am assuming that he served, I am skeptical of your mates claim, I myself did 25 years and haven't really heard of anyone HAVING to buy their own...unless it's by choice and even then I am skeptical it would be allowed.

Its always been allowed (or was) but you have no grounds for claims or complaints if you choose to use your own. Our equipment was poor in the 70's and 80's compared to the USA at that time and we would swap or buy their stuff off them when we came across each other in places like Medicine Hat (Batus), especially their boots and gloves. Things have improved greatly since my first excursion to the middle east early 90's so can't give a view of current issue and their quality but it has always been a gripe of most squaddies that our kit could be a lot better.

 

[Steve In Spain]

I left in 1991, so will bow to your better judgement about being allowed to buy and use your own body armour vest as opposed to the issued one.

I know we used to use "self purchased" jungle boots and shirts, but not things like flak jackets etc....

 

[Fish]

I spent 22 years in the military so I know about lack of funding for the military

I know about the kit he would be issued because I got the same kit as he would be issued hence why I believe or am suspect about what your mate is telling you - now your saying he was saying it was ripping apart ?!

We all live on the same planet - millions get spent on lots of things both home and abroad - before we start complaining about helping out fellow human beings lets start sorting out benefit cheats.

There are a lot more bigger issues in our country than giving money to starving people or homeless people in another country

I'm guessing you are also not happy with comic or sport relief as well - and Band Aid must have really got on your tits.

There is no "us and them" - we aren't a selfish country, we do give billions to people in this country but we also are gracious enough to help out other people when needed

It's one of the reasons why we are called "Great" Britain

I agree with this and would go further in saying, lets get our own lazy buggers back to work before pointing fingers at others, and yes their is work out their but many want to pick & choose and aren't prepared to lower their standards and get back lower on the ladder and work their way up again. I'm not for one minute saying its easy and some people aren't genuinely finding it tougher in some areas, but, I'm of the ilk that if you want to work, you can, its out their.

Our flak jackets in NI where old, ripped, shared at times in the 70's and early 80's, some servicemen don't know their born with what's available to them nowadays.

 

[Fish]

I left in 1991, so will bow to your better judgement about being allowed to buy and use your own body armour vest as opposed to the issued one.

I know we used to use "self purchased" jungle boots and shirts, but not things like flak jackets etc....

The 'jungle boots' we used to get off the Americans & Canadians became known as NI boots and eventually our DMS's got replaced with them and became standard issue, we also had their gloves with the knuckle pad which again became NI gloves, all stuff we originally begged, borrowed or stole off off the Americans whilst on shared exercises.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

We still had to use it early. 90's !! Heavy as hell with the SLR added in.

Thankfully the Osprey CBA is actually pretty good , fits well and isn't too heavy. Weight is distrubuted well around the body

And yes there is a lot of work out there but a lot won't get as much money working and believe the jobs are beneath them

 

[Fish]

We still had to use it early. 90's !! Heavy as hell with the SLR added in.

Thankfully the Osprey CBA is actually pretty good , fits well and isn't too heavy. Weight is distrubuted well around the body

And yes there is a lot of work out there but a lot won't get as much money working and believe the jobs are beneath them

The SLR might have been a beast for its time but I trusted it more than anything else I was given