Chin up Chappie,
You are integral to this and your emotional involvement is a great strength of the whole case - by showing solidarity in the face of such enormous personal pressure, you indicate that you mean business, especially as you have the families' support and I still find myself in awe of your determination.
If ever we talk in TLAs (three letter abbreviations) that you cannot fathom, please don't be afraid to ask. We, like doctors, lawyers and politicians, hide behind these TLAs in case anyone should find out that we are only human and, actually, quite simple and predictable!
As usual, you have highlighted our (techically-minded blokes) errant focus on minor details and procedures. You are absolutely right to draw our attention back to the big picture - other forces had this stuff - why not us?
ESF costs very little and is relatively simple to fit, as the Aussies have proved. A sensible taxpayer (and voter) may well ask why the MOD (who are meant to have the big picture) have not got it sorted and sooner - they have failed to provide any sensible answers yet. You are right, the timescale and the applicability of this relatively cheap modification is a big worry for me and for others, especially when you consider what our forces are presently doing.
I will back you up and repeat "ALL, NOW please".
Why the media have not picked this up and run with it, I'm not sure - probably because they are tied up with the Home Office's 'Lost Foreign Criminals Scandal'. However, I do know that the Parliamentary Defence Committee may still be asking questions. The AOC will be questioned by Nige today and there may be some fall-out from that, which the media might want to follow up, so all is not lost.
However, guys and girls, Nige and Chappie would love some more 'hard' info on the history of herc protection - it doesn't matter whom or when. Please contact them as we are all on the same side.
Keep plugging at it Chappie.
Flipster
Who was Portaloo?