Useful

**Bubbles_Barker** · 09-08-2009, 13:10

Originally Posted by meridian

Why oh why oh why are the MoD so specatcualalry vulnerable to this kind of ridiculous reporting, has no one ever thought of getting your digs in early. In this case, why didn't they open Aschurch up to the press, explain how vehicle management works, why you need kit at home and showcase what a cracking job is being done.

Since when was the NOTW and the rest of the tabloid press (or any of the press) interested in what the MOD actually has to say or any 'good news' story? They're interested in bringing the government down. Now I don't have a problem with that in this particular case but I'm afraid half-truths, disinformation and downright lies is not the way to go about it (and that's not the MOD I'm talking about

).

**LISpace** · 09-08-2009, 13:20

Originally Posted by Spanner

NOTW story run by MSN.co.uk

MSN.co.uk

Richard Kemp should (and probably does) know better. I suspect he is trying to raise his profile for business reasons.

**PE4rocks** · 09-08-2009, 18:54

Originally Posted by tropper66

Originally Posted by meridian

Why oh why oh why are the MoD so specatcualalry vulnerable to this kind of ridiculous reporting, has no one ever thought of getting your digs in early. In this case, why didn't they open Aschurch up to the press, explain how vehicle management works, why you need kit at home and showcase what a cracking job is being done.

Openess and truth are concepts unknown to the MOD

You're just an old cynic you are.

That's two of us then, pint?

**whitecity** · 09-08-2009, 21:00

Originally Posted by CH512O

Originally Posted by whitecity

Originally Posted by Bubbles_Barker

I think I can see how my Monday is going to be spent now.

Option A:
Roll up sleeves and muck in with the grease monkeys at Ashchurch to get the vehicles prep'd sooner.

Most of the work is done outside Ashchurch with civilian companies.

That's an answer derived from option B. Well done!

Originally Posted by CH512O

Originally Posted by whitecity

Option C:
Brief senior MoD officials on how a military with aspirations (and claims) of rapid and flexible global intervention requires at least 4 months to refit and refurbish equipment being deployed from one theatre to another.

4 months i think is quite good, bear in mind it has to get from Iraq to UK and back out to HERRICK. In between it goes back to above mentioned companies to be "refurb'd" or updated equip fitted.

The time through the system is reasonable. The system is the problem!

Originally Posted by CH512O

Originally Posted by whitecity

Option D:
Brief senior MoD officials on how a military with aspirations (and claims) of the closest equipment interoperability requires several months - if not years - to rework all its new equipment so that it becomes unique to UK forces and denies the possibility that any non-UK spec'd has any place in the inventory.

UK ECM v Rest of the World......no contest, UK all the time.

And...?

**leveller** · 09-08-2009, 21:07

Originally Posted by meridian

Why oh why oh why are the MoD so specatcualalry vulnerable to this kind of ridiculous reporting, has no one ever thought of getting your digs in early. In this case, why didn't they open Aschurch up to the press, explain how vehicle management works, why you need kit at home and showcase what a cracking job is being done.

I drive past Aschurch weekly, and you can see most of the stuff parked up, because a road runs past it, and I mean all down the side of it. Open link fence.
It wouldnt be difficult to make up a story, with load of kit on view?

**Joe_Private** · 09-08-2009, 21:15

In other news, the RAF appear to have lots of aircraft at Brize Norton, and the Royal Navy have two ships and several submarines in Plymouth.

**MikeMcc** · 09-08-2009, 22:06

Just posted a comment - I somewhat doubt that it gets added!

The article is wrong. Whilst we are still involved in a war, we still have a peace-time army. Quite rightly the guys expect to spend more time with their loved ones than on tour. This means that, prior to going on tour the guys need to train on the kit that they will use. So they need kit here to do so.

The reference to Odiham is irritating. Guys doing training need to fly to train, be that with troops or families. It's good for the families to see some of the kit that that their husbands and fathers use. It's a good morale booster and also helps with relationships with the local community.

The references to the number of Warriors is also spurious. There has been a draw down in the number of infantry units, primarily due to Treasury cut-backs, hence there are now a surplus of vehicles. It's no use for them to be in theatre if there's no troops to put in them.

The article also fails to address the problems of getting the new kit outfitted with all of the UK kit needed so that they will be useful. The guys at Ashchurch should actually be supported for the excellent job that they are doing in achieving this, rather than ridiculed. The job of getting the kit, making sure it is fit for service, shipping it out to theatre, making sure the guys are trained to use it and that the spares are available to keep the m running is a massive and thankless task.

It does seem that this viewpoint doesn't fuel the outrage-machine that sells newspapers though.

**OldSnowy** · 09-08-2009, 22:32

Originally Posted by meridian

Why oh why oh why are the MoD so specatcualalry vulnerable to this kind of ridiculous reporting, has no one ever thought of getting your digs in early. In this case, why didn't they open Aschurch up to the press, explain how vehicle management works, why you need kit at home and showcase what a cracking job is being done.

I've been involved in trying to refute crap like this in the past. The plain fact is that the media - especially the press, and particularly the tabloids, simply will not print facts that rebut their 'stories'. It's that easy - they print lies and half-truths, and refuse to let facts interfere with a 'good' story. THey just will not admit - ever - that anything they print is not true. If taken to Court (almost always a waste of time) you may see a small paragraph on p35 in a few weeks.

Check out the Fox News depictions of Amsterdam recently to see the sort of stuff Murdoch is sending out in the USA, it's be laughable if it weren't so pathetic - and scary...
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/07/29...reilly-fa.html

**leprecon** · 10-08-2009, 10:20

The truth is that no matter how armoured a vehicle is, when it hits a mine or IED, the people inside will be thrown around like rag dolls (even if wearing restraints), thus sustaining blunt force injuries, compression injuries, and blast injuries (such as blast lung).

Yes, better equipment helps, but short of wrapping all soldiers in layers of cotton wool and bubble wrap it isn't going to stop all injuries.

Plus what about the guys doing top cover? An essential job, which is probably the most vulnerable to any kind of attack.

I'm not a big supporter of this Government, but common sense has to be applied.