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Was a massive turnout today. Pretty humbling to know the bodies of these lads were in those coffins driving by.

Hope upon hope there isnt another week like this one. 8 in a day is just too high a price to pay.





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RIP

I hate to sound cold, but why these lads in particular?

Don't get me wrong here as I feel as though all of our lads and ladies who die for us should be remembered. I find it a tad disrespectful that these boys in particular are remembered over the rest because a newspaper or two wants to sell some newspapers and make some money through a bit of hype.

Either way. R.I.P. boys.

I don't think anyone is being disrespectful to anybody else,there was a respectful turnout last
week in Bassett.To lose 8 soldiers in 1 day is a terrible side to the war in Afghanistan.

RIP To all those who've in been lost in Battle.

I believe it's the highest death toll in a single week since operations began, so to dismiss it as selling papers is a bit misguided.

R.I.P

As per above. RIP

They died doing something i couldnt do.

They have my respect and debt of gratitude.

RIP

Good to see Wiltshire folk showing deserved respect.

Rest in Peace.

My nephew flies out there Friday to serve and is followed by my cousins son in 2 weeks, I hope for a safe return of them to our soil.

RIP to all the servicemen that have lost their lives out there and in every conflict.

Lest we forget.

Well said and I hope for a safe return for all your family and everybody else's. 
Are the yanks and other nations losing as many men, and does anybody ever hear what losses the taliban are taking.

The American forces have lost over 4000 more soldiers than the UK in the Middle East.

If you think ordinary people want to remmember them because of newspaper hype then that is your own personal judgement.

As I said, it is too many men to be losing in a day. Hence the depth of feeling.

The Yanks seem to be having some luck in Afganistan at the moment, not loosing too many. But overall they have lost a massive 712 men, to our 184. Their death toll in Iraq was also horrendous. Canada 123 men lost. Questions need to be asked of other NATO members (particularly Germany and France) who continue to sit in their bases and fail to get after the Taliban.

The only reason these boys in paticular are being remembered today is because their bodies were flown in today.The people of Wootton Bassett and surrounding areas have been out in force for every body flown in,this showing of respect is certainly not Paper led its people led, and it makes my heart swell with pride that people can take a bit of time to do this.

Not talking about the Middle East Rich, Afghanistan in particular is what I would be interested in hearing about.

Bugger me, everybody bangs on about the World Wars in this county, and for which we get criticised for starting wars, and now you want us involved

Middle East, Greater Middle East - whatever.

I would like to know how and when this war in Afghanistan can be won? When will the bodies of young lads stop being flown home to their grieving parents.

I understand that we are fighting off a terrorist organization and by doing so protecting our country. But is there an end in sight? Or will we have years and years of standing on the streets remembering the dead?

Years and years I rekon. Will be far far worse if and when we have to intervene in Pakistan to stop Islamic militants having control of nuclear weapons.

We cant afford to loose either war (Afganistan or Pakistan). Thanks to mass immigration we are inextricably linked to Pakistan. If we allow it to become an Islamic state that wages war on the West then Britain's domestic and international position will become pretty grim. I dont think it will stop until the funds from Oil rich arabs in countries like Saudi Arabia dry up. Their money is/has changed the face of Islam. In fact, the sooner the Middle East runs out of oil the better.


For Ronnie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_casualties_in_Afghanistan

You're just not team players, are you?

Thanks for that

Good turn out by the Military college today as well.

Just so dissapoint that these lives are wasted on an impossible to win war. The British Army have gone into Afghanistan twice before and lost. Christ, the Russians dumped 200,000 troops in there and couldnt win.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ministry-Defeat-2003-2009-British-Iraq/dp/1441169970/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242260139&sr=1-1 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ministry-Defeat-2003-2009-British-Iraq/dp/1441169970/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242260139&sr=1-1)

It applies just as much to Afghanistan as Iraq.

Under equipped and vulnerable. Disgraceful.

And lots more about what is happening in Afghanistan that the media are not interested in at http://defenceoftherealm.blogspot.com/ (http://defenceoftherealm.blogspot.com/). Particularly about the failure to invest in and supply vehicles that can withstand IEDs.

when aaaaaall the bad people are gone and er presumably that includes all of the bad people we're creating by killing their family.

big picture- it's a aimless conflict, in that the aim pretty much revolves around killing anyone who disagrees with you.

small/closer to home picture- these poor sods get to go and do what to them would be an honest days work, except potentailly be killed doing it.

i know it's a job i couldn't do and have nothing but respect for them, it's a shame their lives are in vain

For some reason, i'm starting to fancy a military career... i can't put my finger on why though

I have massive respect for all off them. They are as ever doing a fantastic job with one hand tied behind their back by the politicians.
I suggested my son thinks about a career in the forces, but not the Army. It's too bloody dangerous. Selfish I know but he's the only som I've got. This adds to my sadness at seeing these lads come back in coffins all around his age if not younger.
Succesive governments have constantly applied cuts to our armed forces, but still want to act as a global super power. These guys in Afganistan are paid less than a bloody traffic warden, & one real nappy outreach worker gets two to three times as much) & are true lions led by donkeys. 
What annoys me is that a Goverments first duty is to defend the nation, but it's the area that is continually cut.  Both parties are guilty of this, but on Browns watch it has gone beyod the pale, & they are now telling blatant lies too.
We have even got to the stage where the serving military are speaking out about it.
I could go on all day about this, they have wrecked the Navy, effectively taking out the carriers & then cancelling replacements. The airforce has planes that are falling apart, & blow up beacause they won't spend money on making them safe. They cut the helicopter budget, withdraw others because they can't fly in the Afgan air & then lie saying there are more copters when there are.
I knoe cuts have to be made to rectify Browns spending splurge on other areas, but defence should not be cut at all. (Spending should be more efficient though). 
Browns VAT cut of 12 billion, would have been better spent on building equipment for the forces, & could have created jobs into the bargain.
IMHO Brown has their blood on his hands.

Found out yesterday that my cousin who's in the RAF is out in Afghanistan at the moment. Bit strange because the last I heard he was working on Tristar at Brize Norton, so not sure what they've got him doing out there.

my guess would be working on Tristars! :soapy tit wank:

and to be fair Oxfordshire folk as well. I paid my respects last night outside the JR hospital in Oxford and there must have been hundreds lining the surrounding streets. Very humbling

They are used for troop transport. Falling apart as well.

Frankly defence spending is a fucking joke. Year after year, moratoriums are placed on spending and projects get salami-sliced to save money which means we can't deliver what the guys/gals at the sharp end really want. We're lumbered with a whole host of cold war equipment (Challenger 2, what the fuck are they good for?), Chinook's with major structural defects (not called the flying banana for nothing.....) and aircraft that are 40 years old and hanging due to some fuckwit's incompetence for thinking we didn't need any air transport, but we really did need 270 odd Eurofighters as they fly fast upside down, make lots of fucking noise and spit flames out the back......I'm still not convinced by the need for the two new carriers, albeit it does protect jobs on the Clyde.

The way its going at the moment we won't have an Air Force in 2014 because some fucking idiots can't make up their minds whether my safety-critical to flight safety project delivers 'enough' savings over its lifecycle.........FFS................

All I know is that some good people in my organisation are working their bollocks off round the clock to provide the forces with the best equipment we can at best value for money to the tax payer, albeit with both hands tied behind our backs and blindfolded.

Does that count as a rant?

Heard today that we have 500 fighting and other helicopters in our arsenal......just 30 are in Afghanistan...its all about money,if we havnt got the money to fight a far away war then we shouldnt be there.....most of these men who are dying are young men and in my opinion 18 year olds shouldnt be in any combat in our services.

Problem is leefer old bean, is that half our equipment isn't 'available' for the troops to use for reasons various. Lack of spares, not configured for a hot climate etc.

As I said previously, the defence strategy over many years - since the collapse of the Berlin Wall and Eastern Block - has not adapted to the new threats. Lessons were not learned from Gulf War I. Its in the process of transition, but it takes decades to actually realise and we're left with a host of legacy kit that is next to useless in the current operational climate. Like Challenger 2. And we have over 200 of the fucking things!

A really silly question here.....how do they get helicopters to Afghanistan...transport them in big planes or do they fly out and keep refueling..serious question?

I'd have decent money on them being transported out there on ruddy great big boats.

Through Pakistan I believe.

Probably a combo of all the above. You can certainly get an Apache in the back of a C17, but you certainly would need to physically fly or float a Chinook out there.

Although I don't think (I may be mistaken) that we have the ability to do air-to-air refuelling on Chinooks as yet.....another project shit-canned through need to find savings......

I have been watching a program on Channel 5 on Friday nights called Airforce Afganistan and they transported one out there in last weeks program.

Take apart the rotar blades and engines on top, load them inside and then wheel it into the back of one of those big fuck off jet things you see flying around Swindon sometimes that are based at Brize!

Apparently flying them out there would reduce the amount of time that the Chinooks could stay out there because each one has to come back for a refurbish every 6 months or so many flying hours.

They only have 6 Chinooks out there in total, with a 7th that is always either in transit between the UK or being refurbed if you catch my drift!

Fucking hell, I do believe I have learnt something from a Channel 5 program.

I thank you!

Thing is I'm not sure who is to blame.
The MoD appears to be stuffed with idiots who are more concerned about plkants for their offices than providing for the guys on the front line. The government continually cut the budget, & spin/ lie to the public about it. FFS the defence minister these days also has responsibility for something else because defence isn't important enough for the sole attentions of one of the great & good.
Ultimately I guess it's the person(s) in charge who should but won't carry the can.

Just watching Air Force Afghanistan on Channel 5 - first time I've seen it.

Chuffed to fucking bits to see the C-130J landing on that dirt strip, given I was responsible for the trials programme that made that happen.

Oldest survivor of WW1 has died.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8157128.stm

RIP

Saw that Bob...113 is an amazing age...RIP indeed.

Actually it's 23. The lynx were withdrawn cos they can't fly in that heat/altitude !

Tell you what though... Next time a goverment minister goes out there I bet they have a helicopter to fly him about. In reality they should take Brown out there & stick him in a lanrover & give him a tour of Helmand

RIP Josh Hammond who was laid to rest yesterday a family friend his life was just begining he was 18 and all the other lads who have died doing the job they love fighting in Afganistan, respects to all the people of Wooton Bassett 4 their support  :(