I have just sent this to the Oxford Mail for publication
Oxford Mail Sunday 15th November 2009
From ...Roger Sofarover.... RAF Puma Pilot (Retired)
Reply to Mr Jeff Clarke “so fed up with the pilots purposefully coming so close to his home” - "Is harassment of residents the role of the military?"
Responding to Jeff Clarke of Dry Sandford who is clearly wondering if the Puma helicopter training flights that pass above his Dry Sandford home are simply to harass residents. I can say that, yes, our mission is to harass residents, specifically Mr Clarke.
We do not train 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide freedom and security to all residents of the United Kingdom. We exist only to annoy the very people we are sworn to protect, against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We spend months and years overseas, away from our families and loved ones, in some cases making less than minimum wage, choosing to live a life in which many qualify for Tax credits, just to have the chance, one day, to annoy people like Mr Clarke.
There is no more sought after position in the military than the Jeff Clarke Annoyance Task Force. As a matter of fact, the servicemen who will spend Christmas dug into fighting positions in Afghanistan and their brothers in the sky, braving anti-aircraft missiles and artillery, are just there training to come back to England and fly missions over Mr Clarke’s house. It has nothing to do with the security of the nation. It has no impact on our ability to carry out missions in Africa, The Middle east and other far reaches of the globe, and it has no bearing on Mr Clarke’s ability to enjoy nature and peaceful quiet living. It certainly was not valuable and necessary training to help sustain the lives of those who assure the nation's freedom, should they ever be sent into harms way just to do that.The strange almost scientific war scene he describes is put on solely to make noise and to destroy his scenic view corridors in Dry Sandford. As for Mr Clarke believing “It’s like a war zone around here” in Dry Sandford, no Mr Clarke, I absolutely assure you it is NOTHING like a war zone, as many young men and women who have returned to this country missing arms and legs will testify.
Next time Mr Clarke may want to look upon those loud machines and think about the men and women who fly, ride in, and maintain them. Ponder the sacrifices they make in providing this nation with the warm blanket of freedom we all enjoy. Maybe he might even imagine how much more disturbing it would be if he were not sure what country the helicopters were from, or whether they were going to attack his beautiful neighbourhood. But he shouldn't worry too much about that, because we will not let it happen.
Do let me know if it gets published. I do hope so
