//Appologies,
Antoinette (Toni) I thought you were a bloke.//

I am a bloke. Toni is short for Antonio. I didn't choose it. But since there is no 'y' anywhere in my name, it doesn't make much sense to go adding an extraneous one when I contract my name.

I'd appreciate it you wouldn't either, because phonetic spelling annoys me. Night is not spelt 'nite', through is not spelt 'thru', and Toni is not spelt 'Tony', even if you are rubbish at English.

//the Koran does describe the attributes of the houri eg wide and beautiful eyes, hairless except the eye brows and the head, voluptuous, round breasts which are not inclined to hang, Beautiful,
hymen unbroken by sexual intercourse, non-menstruating / non-urinating/ non-defecating and childfree, never dissatisfied.//

Well, most of those could still apply to the WOW nerd model of virgin I described. Maybe not the beautiful part, although eye of the beholder and all that.

I’ve come into this late & it has only just arrived in my computer today.

I’ve just come back from the 1 R.A.R. Coral Reunion at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville. Approximately 850 Veterans of the Battle & about 150 Timor, Somalia & some of us first Tour blokes (65/66). A wonderful four days were had by all.

Speaking to the CO, The RSM & the Diggers. Off the record they are all disappointed by the latest directive. In their view it is another Moral destroying decision by men who should know better. It’s done to appease the Politically Correct Leftist element in today’s society. Unfortunately, it’s having the reverse effect on the moral of the Troops. I suggested that maybe the next directive would be to replace their weapons with Feather Swords. I got a wry grin from the CO & the RSM but a definite from the Troops. “It looks like it’s going that way, after all you have to be careful not to hurt anyone.”

Officers are now refusing to take any risks, just encase something might go wrong & they have to take the blame. An example given by one Platoon Sgt. The observed about 40 Taliban using a building for a week for sleeping. They made a plan to raid the building just on first light & capture all 40 or so. The plan was to land the Platoon 12 k from the site & proceed by foot & arrive & be in position before first light. Their OC refused to give them the Chopper support needed to carry out the Op. In case something went wrong. Eventually they got the choppers but 3 hours after the time they had planned for. They arrived at the hut after first light & observed all of the bad guys leaving. They captured only two.
cont

cont
That’s the effect that Military Command is having on the Military Commanders on the Ground. The other thing is, with Communications these days. They must record, by direct link video, to some Military Lawyers, somewhere, watching the unfolding action back in the safety of their office & only act on their advice. This is so sad.

Steelie: Cambell is ex-SAS and has been awarded the DSC along with the Commander of the Legion of Merit from the Americans.

Yes, lots of senior Officers get awards for actions they were never at. Long Tan is a good example.

ismise: I meet a lot of current serving members and ones who have recently served and they ain't a happy lot.

Yep, tis so true.

OSW: The fact he was CO of a SAS Sqn. means nothing, such positions ('Ruperts') are not required to reach SAS standards, as they're essentially Command and Administrative appointments.

Yep, so true.

Foxy: what Lieutenant General Campbell is objecting to is the inappropriate use of death symbolism.

Why is it , “inappropriate.”

Foxy: From what I've read he is trying to engineer a culture of discipline that is appropriate for a military force in the 21st Century.

Well the real facts are that it’s having the opposite effect.

It’s a good thing that these “Arm Chair Generals” don’t leave the safety of the wire. Their chances of coming back would be nil. Accidents happen, you know.

I believe Blamey had a luck escape when he addressed the Troops who fought a fighting retreat against the Japanese on the Kokoda Track. Calling them cowards for retreating. Some of those men had only six weeks in the Army before they were thrown in against Battle Hardened Japs.

Hey mhaze,
Nice article find earlier, cheers.
People probably think a lot of things that I say are ridiculous, but I think I'm right far more often than I get things wrong.

Time usually proves me right.

Hi there TTBN...

General CAMPBELL'S military achievements are a bit hard to tell, from his Photograph TTBN. To be fair he's been around, apparently saw some combat, as he's got the 'Combat Clasp' the copper coloured badge situated above the riband of his medal ribbons. He's got the Aust. Active Service Medal 1975 - Most appear to be campaign awards; what we called the 'EBM' (Every 'Buggers' Medals). That said, he's definitely been around as I mentioned above.

I dunno mate what they're trying to do with todays Army. If they keep chipping away at the old time traditions and conventions that have existed in the ARA since WWl, they'll manage to cut the very heart out of the military forces in quick time. Now they've compulsorily imposed female soldiers, on the ranks of the male regulars, it's just another hurdle we must ensure we don't trip over, lest we run foul of serious military discipline.

Please don't get me wrong, there are many areas within the Australian Armed Forces where females can and do perform really well. Even in front line operations like pilots, flying everything from rotor wing to fast attack A/C. There are many important rolls for them in the Army as well. But lets not 'trash' all the old traditions that have been with us for 'yonks', and have served us all very well, for nearly a century. Entirely for the sake of this damned Political Correctness. Thanks TTBN.

Foxy,

How are you going with that militaristic, so-called, Rising Sun?

All those nasty death-dealing swords and bayonets, once dripping with human blood, and that SAS Dagger badge, a symbol of stealthy attack and the unsuspected lethal stab or slitting of the throat, truly a symbol of death.

They'll soon be Campbelled.