Mick Smith - Times Online - WBLG

My Son's in Afghanistan: I'm So Proud, and So Scared

Ross has just flown back to Afghanistan when his mother Mandy hears that a soldier from his unit has been killed.

The dog was barking like crazy! I heard the window being pushed up and, even though it was the very early hours of the morning, I wasn’t worried. Ross was just doing his “I’ve lost my key and don’t want to waken you” routine. Again! He also lost his driving license in the ATM machine, (but didn’t mind waking me to borrow money when it hadn’t worked!) he lost his shoes, phone and countless games of golf. The house was completely Rossed and bursting every night with his friends. They occasionally played Call of Duty on his laptop, using a plate of his body armour as a mouse mat and it felt like a miracle at times, that no-one was sectioned. He had a brilliant time. We all did.

It Wasn't Like That in My Day! Can Nimrod's Reputation Revive?

Our resident veteran Chuck Unsworth reflects on gentler happier days for the aircraft that became the RAF's Nimrod spy plane

Despite the tremendous intensity of action, even today’s warfare is not continuous contact or permanent patrol.  On active service there are lulls or points in the day when soldiers may be able to relax and switch off as best they can.  Soldiers do this in a variety of ways.  An essential part of my usual preparation for manoeuvres or active operations was the selection of a good paperback book.  I used to read voraciously whenever the opportunity arose.  Indeed I still enjoy the process of choosing books to read on long journeys, where others are doing the navigating and piloting.  For me now that is largely when taking holidays.

My Son's in Afghanistan: The Sheer Joy of R+R!

Mandy, our soldier's mum, gets to see her son back from Afghanistan on R and R

When Ross pulled up in the car, Beenie fled upstairs. He looked so skinny, so tired and so damn beautiful. “Alright mum,” he yelled, “got that tea on yet?” He was straight off the plane and still in his uniform. We just hugged and hugged. “Ok...ok, let go...will you,” he laughed, “ let me at least put this body armour down, it weighs a ton!” I blubbed like a baby.

The Real Reason Why Our Forces Will Never Have Everything They Need to Fight a War

The news that half of our army and navy have considered quitting over the failure to provide proper equipment will be no surprise to readers of this blog. What is more difficult to work out is how those responsible for the failures to provide sufficient supplies of adequate equipment can explain away such incompetence. I found a sort of an answer during a recent holiday in Greece. Re-reading a book, I first read long ago, I found it contained some very insightful writing on the failures that bedevil our military and it is worth sharing.

It Wasn't Like That in My Day! But These Wonderful Flying Machines Bring it All Back

Resident Veteran Chuck Unsworth looks back at some veteran aircraft, and he's not talking about the Nimrod! This wonderful contraption is an Avro triplane, the first all-British aircraft.

Last weekend the Shuttleworth Collection, based at Old Warden airfield in Bedfordshire, held one of its regular ‘Flying Days’. The Collection is a splendid display of vintage and veteran aircraft, in excellent condition.  Many have been restored to perfect flying condition.  The sight and sound of these aged aeroplanes as they taxi, take off and land is exhilarating.  The next Flying Day is on 3rd of August and promises to be a fine day out, but to me the static display, where you can get close to the magnificent craft and really scrutinise them, is the most interesting part.  Beautiful engineering and craftsmanship is everywhere.  Wood skeletons and canvas, steel wires, bronze, manganese, perspex, paper-thin sheet metal, machined steel, cast iron, copper, brass and so on.  It’s the sheer engineering and design effort that has gone into getting a man off the ground and, albeit precariously, into the air.

My Son's in Afghanistan: Can't Wait 'til He Comes Home on R+R!

Soldier's mum Mandy is looking forward to her son coming home on R+R

When Ross told us that he was back at base in Kandahar and would remain there till his R+R, we all danced around the house. But then we heard nothing at all from him. Seems he is up to a hell of a lot more in the mountains with the Quick Response Team. Immediately after dropping them off, their Chinook was forced to land when one of the rotors clipped the mountain side. “Mum, we just stood back and watched in horror as this huge helicopter fought desperately to negotiate the terrain before finally landing. A Sea-King was rapidly deployed, with a team of mechanics on board, and to see such a little thing take over was pretty amazing.”