British troops prefer Iraqi boots... This is PITIFUL !!!!!!

[MORTARDUDE]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/World/story_ ... 801f7fdc0a British troops prefer Iraqi boots


AFP - British soldiers have been scavenging the debris of war for Iraqi army boots because the British army variety are disintegrating in the hot desert sun.

Guardsman Lee Williams, 18, of the Desert Rats' Royal Scots Dragoon Guards battle group, found a new pair of boots in an abandoned barracks which he said were "lighter and more comfortable" than the British footwear.

He added he had been forced to swap his footwear because no replacements were available for his own disintegrating boots.

Equipment shortages have affected British forces since their arrival in the Gulf.

Other soldiers are wearing patched-up combat trousers, repaired in one instance by removing a pocket, and in another case by cutting up a colleague's spare shirt.





Army officers concede there have been problems with supplies, partly because of the relatively short time available between the announcement of British deployment and the soldiers' arrival in the Gulf.

Guardsman Williams, from Birmingham, accepted that his footwear problems would not prevent him fighting effectively, but said that he was disappointed that he was having to wear Iraqi boots.

"I was in a prisoner of war camp two days ago in which there was an abandoned barracks and I saw a room full of boots and clothing," he said.

"The English boots I had on were coming apart, they were the black ones, not desert boots, and the sole on them was coming off because of the heat.

"So I picked up a pair of the Iraqi boots for myself. There were lots of them, and they are more comfortable and lighter than the ones I was wearing.

"I'm not too keen about it for obvious reasons and I would not have believed it if you'd have said that I would be wearing Iraqi boots before I came out here."

Another Irish Guard, Guardsman David Richardson, 22, from Manchester, has cut up his own trousers in an attempt to repair holes in the crotch and backside.

"I've only got one pair of desert combats and they were issued second-hand with tears in them which have got worse since I got here," he said. "I've had to cut my pocket out to make patches to cover up the holes. It's embarrassing.

"The Iraqi army seems to be better clothed than we are. We are supposed to look like professional soldiers, but we don't. I look like a tramp."

[El Prez]

It's no joke M'Dude, our shiney toothed Prime Minister has just rented a 777 to fly out to Camp David for 36 hours, and yet our guys don't have new adequate desert kit. The piece about not having time to prepare is utter crap. It's all down to budgets and good old 'the lads will make do'.

[Andy O'Pray]

Whatever has happened Rob? Our kit never used to be like that. I still have my old Denison smock and not even a moth hole in it.

Aye - Andy.

[El Prez]

In terms of kit and stores/availability this always sticks in my mind. 1978, told I was going to Ballykelly with Dieppe flight. We were not allowed to wear flying suits, apparently they made us conspicuous targets, not the aircraft, the suits! We were required to wear combats, these of course were extremely hot and uncomfortable in a perspex cockpit in summer, as I'd discovered the previous year in Belfast with M flt. So,....... the new camo shirts and trousers had just arrived in stores. I requested 8 sets for the 4 pilots and was turned down as they were required to be held in stores 'in case of a conflict occurring.' Forgive me, but wasn't NI and our situation a 'conflict.' To complete my whinge, we were given one, 1, uno, observer, and I was tasked to train one Gunner driver as an observer. The other (6 approx) fully trained air gunners and observers had to remain in Coypool in case a 'conflict' might arise, or they were needed for an exercise. Is it any wonder I kicked myself outside a year later?

[TheCount]

So you didn't complete your service?

As each day passes I'm wondering If I'm making the right decision, I might move to America as a UK'ian refugee, maybe join the Us military and secretly send large quantities of Kit back to the UK.

I don't know if I want to serve a Government that is so blatantly ignoring the needs of its armed forces while having no quarms about sending them 1000's of miles to fight a War.

God damn

[El Prez]

Completed nine years, as required; after that you could sign on in increments of 3 years, or go for 22 in a oner. I saw a light, pity but I did.

[barrybudden]

It really is depressing when you see young men and boys out in Iraq doing Tony's bidding, some have laid down their lives. And they havent been given the proper kit to do the job! Money is spent hand over fist keeping ilegal imigrants and other wafes and strays in hotels on the south coast of England.

Someone some where has their priorities all wrong.

[gash-hand]

I agree. I think half the problem is that the forces don't have a proper public voice, and until something like this happens joe public generally doesn't think too much about them - blindly assuming that we get the best kit in the world.

Personly I'd like to see a truly independent commission setup that oversees and authorises all kit/eqpt purchases - as apposed to the semi-political debarcle we have at present, thats made up of politicians, civil servents and senior officers that don't want to rock the boat.

This commission should be made up of specialists in their field - infantry, armour, aircraft etc etc and preferably be equal with NCO's/officers who have done the job and worked with the kit for real, and who know what will and won't work. A few civil servents would be necessary to guide the ex-servicemen through the ways of the government processes, but each should have an equal vote on acceptance with no rank structure.

[K24io]

Funny that there is a shortage of desert kit really, considering the sheer volume MoD disposals have been punting out!

You want desert boots and combat and your a civvy? no problem, but if you are serving they won't buy them back for you!

Real joke. We are still sending lads out there all the time as well, but I don't seem to see any press taking notice of it. I know that there will always be extra forces going out or coming back but I think the numbers are creeping up.

[Topper]

I was told that British troops did the same thing with Argie boots in the Falklands War.

[martin walkinshaw]

in otterburn, a few years ago?? i was ds at the uklf a/tk consentration and was sat in a 9x9 with some wee dude from the procurment dept at the mod at about three in the morning dicussing why every time the guy on the ground okayed a piece of kit it came back completely u s? the answer i recieved was from a bloke who obviously did'nt realy care about seeing his next birthday and without doubt thought he was talking to somebody that had a devoid interest. my was he in for a shock.
companys tendering equipment to the armed forces tended to drop the standard of the kit as soon as they got the contract, i know this will not come as a major suprise to most people, however my flash to bang time was minimul to say the least and the wee man then had to find his way back to the main cp on his jack jones. take another bo**ockin marti w.
in if i remember rightly the procurment dept lost somewhere in the region of £450,000,000 at the end of last year on the aircraft deal. roll on the revolution!!!
to change the subject slightly i attended the veterans plennary on the veterans initiave, at the victory services club on weds which was chaired by lewis moonie. i would love to air my veiws on this however my flash to bang time is much more forgiving now. please do not hesitate to get in touch for any information that the govrnment has acknowledged veterans/former service personnel require that is not filtering down to local authorities.
may they rest in piece and their families find pice!!!!
dulce et decorum est pro patria mori!!!

[garycroxford]

In contrast to all this, I found this article in the SANDY newsletter (UK Forces in the Gulf newsletter) - scan down to page 7.

http://www.operations.mod.uk/telic/sandy2.pdf

Different boots perhaps?

[Sisyphus]

Seems like Guardsman Williams has a 1st class sense of humour. I never believe what I read in te=he press - I think he was windiing up a journalist. He was talking about flip-flops wasn't he?

[gash-hand]

The Sandy Times looks like the self gratifying politicians pamphlet it really is - sort of publication thats best used for wiping ones a*se.