More than 200 soldiers on their way home from Afghanistan had to strip off their uniforms on the tarmac at Birmingham International Airport and don civilian clothes before being allowed access to the terminal building.
The charter flight was bringing the men back for Christmas leave when it was diverted from its intended destination at RAF Brize Norton because of bad weather, the Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday.
The incident, which has triggered a barrage of complaints to the MoD and to the company which runs Birmingham International, follows another military diversion blunder highlighted by The Herald yesterday in which 130 Wiltshire-based troops returning from Iraq were left 400 miles from home at Prestwick Airport on Christmas Eve. Read Here
(RG) Well once again our returning heroes are treated like lepers back in this Former Great Britain. I was so angry when I read this article that I rang Birmingham airport to complain click the link if you want to add your voice. They stated that it had nothing whatsoever to do with them and it was a decision taken by the MOD. This probably is true but it is still unbelievable that our young men and woman are treated in this appalling way by the very organisation that sends then to War. When I was a serviceman we were told not to travel in our uniforms due to the threat from the IRA. I can imagine that the jobsworths in Whitehall will use this as an excuse. But we all know the truth don’t we. Its ok for them to go thousands of miles overseas and fight and possibly die for their country in uniform but like Harrods
and The Walkabout Bar
BP garages and many other establishments our returning Heroes are made to feel like second class citizens and ashamed to wear their uniforms for fear of upsetting some ethnic group. Its no wonder the British Army is undermanned when you are treated like criminals. This disgusting corrupt Labour Government who have an insitutitional hatred of our Armed Forces may be ashamed of you but we are not.
The charter flight was bringing the men back for Christmas leave when it was diverted from its intended destination at RAF Brize Norton because of bad weather, the Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday.
The incident, which has triggered a barrage of complaints to the MoD and to the company which runs Birmingham International, follows another military diversion blunder highlighted by The Herald yesterday in which 130 Wiltshire-based troops returning from Iraq were left 400 miles from home at Prestwick Airport on Christmas Eve. Read Here
(RG) Well once again our returning heroes are treated like lepers back in this Former Great Britain. I was so angry when I read this article that I rang Birmingham airport to complain click the link if you want to add your voice. They stated that it had nothing whatsoever to do with them and it was a decision taken by the MOD. This probably is true but it is still unbelievable that our young men and woman are treated in this appalling way by the very organisation that sends then to War. When I was a serviceman we were told not to travel in our uniforms due to the threat from the IRA. I can imagine that the jobsworths in Whitehall will use this as an excuse. But we all know the truth don’t we. Its ok for them to go thousands of miles overseas and fight and possibly die for their country in uniform but like Harrods
and The Walkabout Bar
BP garages and many other establishments our returning Heroes are made to feel like second class citizens and ashamed to wear their uniforms for fear of upsetting some ethnic group. Its no wonder the British Army is undermanned when you are treated like criminals. This disgusting corrupt Labour Government who have an insitutitional hatred of our Armed Forces may be ashamed of you but we are not.
"Hold your heads up high and wear your uniform with pride!"
HT/ The Last Of The Few AKA Theo Spark.
As to the point of your article, I am appalled that soldiers returning from forward deployment would be treated so inappropriately. They should have had a damn band meeting them at the airport, and allowed to march off smartly. I can imagine the comments made among themselves — and of course, the civilian “leadership” wonders why no one wants to serve in uniform any longer. Here in the states, there is but one term to explain the “powers that be,” and that word is “assholes.” It sure brings to mind Kipling’s “Tommy.”
ReplyDeleteThank you for your New Year greeting. I must compliment you on this excellent blog. I will add you to my blogroll and favorite sites. You may be interested in my military blog, , a collection of sea-stories associated with my active duty service in the USMC. I will stop back often.
Semper Fidelis,
And the same Happy New Year to you, Sir.
ReplyDeleteIIRC, the diktat that you had to change out of uniform before going onto civvy transport was a John Reid concoction. He was shocked at the number of soldiers in DPM in Heathrow T1, one day - especially the numbers both in desert kit and littering the BA Exec Club lounge :)
The war, at the time, was extremely unpopular and we were clearly at fault for bringing it to the attention of the public.
The particular circumstances of this incident, however, as well as the Prestwick diversion, just show that the old saw "If you can't take a joke you shouldn't have joined" still applies.
I was one of those suaddies made to take my kit off and I just couldent get the punch line Mr Evil.....? Still you probably wear a kilt and are used to a gail blowing up your bollocks!!!!!
ReplyDelete