Undercover Soldier

[Stretch182]

Watching this now, and getting very cross. Whilst I would never condone bullying - especially in a training environment, I rather think this "undercover reporter" is making a bit too much of some of the standard "buggeration factor" that we all know and love!

[maxdrypower]

Thinking same thing , fxxxxxg puxxy , god help him in the type of scrap some of the boys are facing in the sandpits, :ugh::ugh:

[Stretch182]

Exactly! T**ser

[spheroid]

What a compete load of Bo££ox...... Some bloke thought he saw some other bloke (whom he can't identify) possibly hit another bloke ....maybe....



Oh dear, how sad, never mind.

[winchman]

How obviously loaded the conversation with other recruits, totally piss poor reporting..... No Charge to answer your honour!!!

[Checkboard]

Not To**er - traitor!

Took the position of another volunteer, took the pay and training for 6 months with no intention of fulfilling his oath, and in the end found nothing.

Hope he is made to write letters of apology to the families of those he trained with who continue on for active service.

What's the prison sentence for fraud (6 months pay and training under false pretenses?) :mad:

[Stretch182]

Certainly not my definition of "Public Service Broadcasting"

[WPH]

Suffice to say he might have been better off in the Army because he's a crap journo!

Utter garbage, that the BBC should have been ashamed of.

[chicane]

Lots of people on AARSE not happy as you'd expect.

Whilst the racism on there made my skin crawl and was in no way acceptable, it all appeared to be from recruits (who weren't the cream of British society), not any of the DS. The rest of the winges from the pink and fluffy jurno could all be put down to a bit of character building and aggression...... it's the Infantry, not the Ladies Baloon Corps!

Anyway, please vote with your fingers and make a complaint to the BBC. This is not the way our lience fees should be spent! :=

http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_stage1.shtml (http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_stage1.shtml) :ok:

[reacher]

Anyone got a link?

[wilma_flintstone]

BBC NEWS | UK | Army trainers 'bullied recruits' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7623567.stm)

[XV277]

Even my other half, who has no connection to the forces (well, her dad served in the Signals in Burma in WW2), said "Most of the 'bullying' was when they cocked up things that could get them killed. What did he expect - it's the Army for goodness sake, not the Boy Scouts"

Couldn't have put it better myself!!

[serf]

As always, CGS dealt with it very well on the news, talked about different perspective, preparing troops for what lies ahead but still with the message that bullying will be dealt with.

[PPRuNe Pop]

The Mail reports that three officers and two corporals have been suspended.

[stiknruda]

Turned the box on to watch this. Turned it off after 14 minutes of complete bolleaux.

What a cowardly waste of everyone's time.

Stik

[Roland Pulfrew]

Couldn't be bothered to watch all of that programme, poor journalism, as we all might have guessed. However instead of complaining on here why not complain here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/). They are supposed to be a public service broadcaster and we pay for them. If you feel strongly enough, then let the BBC know!!

[mustpost]

As someone with a bit of experience in the game, can I agree with all of the above -very poor non-programme which proved nothing. They tried very hard to make something stand up, and failed. Barely watchable too.

[Ewan Whosearmy]

Disregarding the reporter's total failure to actually prove that there was bullying going on... he did at least did bring to the Army's attention the fact that there are some very stupid instructors behaving like total idiots around recruits carrying loaded, cocked and 'safety off' weapons.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Journos trolling for turds? That's a new one...:rolleyes::hmm:

[Gainesy]

As for the "undercover" thing, give us a break. Try a Taliban training camp if you really want to play "undercover".

[XV277]

Disregarding the reporter's total failure to actually prove that there was bullying going on... he did at least did bring to the Army's attention the fact that there are some very stupid instructors behaving like total idiots around recruits carrying loaded, cocked and 'safety off' weapons.

Good point

[Biggles225]

As I'm out of the country for a while, is there a link to this bit of journalistic excellence? Just reading about it in the online news it didnt seem that much like 'bullying', just more like harder training than the reporter was ready for. W:mad:!

[Mister-T]

I imagine its available on BBC I Player

[matkat]

Agree with all of the above very poor reporting with a non-story no back up no corroboration they should not have even bothered could just have made it up in BBC hq this reminds why I do not(and will not) pay for a TV license.

[airborne_artist]

I didn't see the programme, but trust me, I've seen some totally pointless and brutal treatment of young army recruits.

Friday night at Sennybridge - we are sharing the camp with some infantry recruits on their battle camp. Officers have gone off for regt. bash, leaving SNCOs in charge, so they go out on the lash in the town, and get back at 0130, more than a little pissed. Decide it would be fun to get all their lads out of bed and beast them up the hill behind, and anyone late on parade has to carry one of the other up/down.

Our SNCO, a Hereford resident, hears this, and sorts it out. You've never seen such submission from a Sgt and 3 x Cpl in your life. :}

[BEagle]

Started to watch it........
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/Internet/zxzxz.jpg

....when I woke up, someone was giving Harriet Harman a hard time about Gordon Brown.

Presumably it wasn't the same programme?

[Gainesy]

someone was giving Harriet Harman a hard time

Now that conjures up a mental image to put me off lunch...

[scarecrow450]

Yea, giving her a what ? oh sorry I'll get me coat.

[Al R]

That was a disgraceful waste of OUR money, I hope the editorial team is hanging its collective head in shame. Lets not forget either, that the army decided to suspend some NCOs before he had even finished filming. The entire 6 months proved only that the army was able to act on its own initiative to deal with allegations of bullying.

It provided no balance either - in 6 months, all it managed to show was that out of a cadre of about 17500 NCOs the British Army might have 3 bullies.

Finally, heres the extract from Hansard. It suggests that this debacle was nothing more than a considerable amount of public money, as well as being symptomatic of the shyte editorial that the BBC is only capable of these days:

"Mr. Caplin: The cost of recruiting and providing training for an Infantry recruit for the financial year 2003–04 at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick was as follows:

Cost for financial year 2003–04 (£)

Recruiting cost...................................£ 4,000
Cost of training an infantryman...........£22,000
Total training and recruiting costs........£26,000"

If we factor in cost of training a replacement for this clown, then we're talking about £52,000 and 12 months that an infantry unit on Active Service somewhere is going to be without a man with a rifle.

So, if you're a sponging BBC journalist reading this, the next time you report that a aeroplane isn't being serviced properly because there is no money, or that an infanteer was killed through a lack of equipment in Afghanistan or Iraq, don’t forget to mention the £26k and the time that you squandered on our behalf, will you?

Oh, and lets have one about the BBC going undercover at the BBC - a tale of how much wasted ferrying employees by First Class to Peking???

C:mad:ts. Complaint in.

TheyWorkForYou.com: Are your MPs and Peers working for you in the UK's Parliament? (http://www.theyworkforyou.com)

[ralphmalph]

:"So the Cpl hit you ?"

:"Yeah he just facking knocked me to the ground and ****......"

I rest my case your honour there is a clear cut case with evidence for bullying!.

Whilst I am aware that training soldiers to kill others is unpleasant, the rubbish spouted here does not even come close to real life!

Regards

Tony

[Al R]

Pop said; The Mail reports that three officers and two corporals have been suspended.

Thats it then - 2 NCO fall guys.. 14 beats a-bout tahn!

Because lets face it, the defence that an officer spends most of his free time abusing himself is a pretty strong one.

[Clockwork Mouse]

Fatone,
Perhaps you should read Ralph's post again, more carefully this time. He was being clumsily ironic, as I read it, and fully on side against this Beeb garbage.

[scarecrow450]

According to the Sun! the Army are thinking of him sending him somewhere so they can get their moneys worth out of him !!! You're in the Army now | The Sun |Showbiz|TV (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/article1713448.ece)

[dallas]

According to the Sun! the Army are thinking of him sending him somewhere so they can get their moneys worth out of him !!! You're in the Army now | The Sun |Showbiz|TV (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/article1713448.ece)
Brilliant - that would be the coup of the decade if they did!

[Arclite01]

Hmmmmm

I actually thought that the Army seemed a lot softer than when I was in.........

If this is bullying then I think the stuff I saw must have been barbarism !!!

What a joke, all I saw were the time honoured methods of team building which I have seen over and over again - I think we called it DISCIPLINE.............

I also dropped out before the end of the programme.......................



Arc

[parabellum]

They should definitely keep this pratt in, or he can face the consequences of knowingly making false representation, (Prison?).. Personally I think they should keep him in and go out of their way to publicise his every weakness and unsuitability for soldiering, and as a journalist, able to report objectively on the armed forces.