Army fury as chief in Afghanistan is told he won't get vital armour

[Swamp Thing]

All they need to do is to attach bayonets and charge. Either the enemy flees in terror or the grunts get massacred. Give the squaddies big guns and they just kill lots of innocent people.

Eh?? This isn't Charge of the Light Brigade you know. 'Bout time our soldiers were correctly kitted up. So embarrassing to hear that soldiers buy their own desert boots. Madness...

[Ardesco]

Eh?? This isn't Charge of the Light Brigade you know. 'Bout time our soldiers were correctly kitted up. So embarrassing to hear that soldiers buy their own desert boots. Madness...

Every good soldier buys the majority of his/her own kit because the stuff they issue is utter tulipe. Ill fitting and totally uncomfortable and not what you want to trust your life to. I have yet to meet a soldier who does not spend a large proportion of his money on extra kit.

[Swamp Thing]

Every good soldier buys the majority of his/her own kit because the stuff they issue is utter tulipe. Ill fitting and totally uncomfortable and not what you want to trust your life to. I have yet to meet a soldier who does not spend a large proportion of his money on extra kit.

Sure, I'm not surprised to hear this at all. But why are squaddies shelling out their own hard-earned on basic tools of the job that should have been supplied by MOD?

[MrsGoof]

Sure, I'm not surprised to hear this at all. But why are squaddies shelling out their own hard-earned on basic tools of the job that should have been supplied by MOD?

because you do not need them whilst smoking a cigar in Westminster.

[Ardesco]

Sure, I'm not surprised to hear this at all. But why are squaddies shelling out their own hard-earned on basic tools of the job that should have been supplied by MOD?

Bring back national service!!

All those polititions would then have to do a couple of years service and find out first hand how tulip the kit is and how dangerous this can be if you are placed in active service.

You would then also get the benefit of knocking a bit of discipline into the current youth running around getting away with everything, and hopefully instill a working ethic into the lower classes and also offer to keep them on.

Win win situation as far as i'm concerned!!!

[TheOmegaMan]

Well contractor's often come with a laptop (or on it). So why don't the army buy their own guns ? There could be a basic state funded rifle and a better privatised rifle for those that want it. It is all about choice.

[Ardesco]

Well contractor's often come with a laptop (or on it). So why don't the army buy their own guns ? There could be a basic state funded rifle and a better privatised rifle for those that want it. It is all about choice.

I'm sure the above is meant in jest but anyway...

• You are not allowed to have your own firearm in the field as you are then not insured by the army
• In a fighting unit it is useful if you are all using the same ammunition so that you can share it around if required (with a couple of exceptions).
• Your average soldier can't afford to buy himself a decent firearm because of the crap wages he is on
• They are employees, not a B2B relationship in site, so why should they have to supply thier own kit???

HTH

[ImNotFromIndia]

Every good soldier buys the majority of his/her own kit because the stuff they issue is utter tulipe. ....

True.
I buy all my own gears to do my work.
The other day, I bought myself a laptop.

[Ardesco]

I'm sure that given the choice, the SA80 would not be top of the list...

It's not an SA80 anymore, it is now called a "5.56 Rifle"

HTH

[AtW]

[*]Your average soldier can't afford to buy himself a decent firearm because of the crap wages he is on

What happened with trophey firearms - historically the best way to fix deficiency of your own firearms, sure ammo might be a problem, but you can throw it away.

The national service won't help, in fact quiet opposite - I don't like the idea of yobs getting military training, or worse actual military experience of urban warware.