I am absolutely staggered about the questioning of the entitlement of OSM (Sierra Leone). I have been holding off even mentioning this subject because it is so emotive. I will say this. I was in Afghanistan during Op Anaconda, a US offensive that resulted in several fatalities. Within days of the completion of the Op, the US Defence Secretary himself was in the hangar at Bagram pinning medals on the chests of proud US servicemen. Contrast this with Innsworth. At the time of the death of the crew of XV179, over 3 years had passed since the commencement of Afg conflict. Members of that crew had performed heroic tasks in Afg. They were still waiting for their recognition from Innsworth. The MoD may be happy to risk manage the lives of the crews but they could at least offer timely recognition of bravery. Please forward the details of this person questioning the bravery of Dave via PM.
I have been invited to meet AOC 2GP on 04 May. I would very much like to advise him in person who is responsible for this heartbreaking deed.
Last edited by nigegilb; 23rd Apr 2006 at 12:32.