Originally Posted by Capt P U G Wash
FodPlod (or should I say Navel_Gazer?), it’s a bit lazy to post data copied from Rum Ration, but using your quoted figures...
As it was my FOI request that gleaned the figures, no accusations of laziness or plagiarism, please.
...Excluding the RMs who take their turn magnificently in the HERRICK arms plot, that means an average of 859 RN personnel have been deployed on HERRICK each year, or, assuming they are on 6 month tours, about 430 at any one time. From a regular RN (minus the ~7,500 RMs) that equals less than 1.5% deployed. Doesn’t sound so good now does it?
Knowing you by reputation, I can understand your keeness to downplay the achievements of the Naval Service but even over the course of ten years, 16,174 Afghanistan OSMs/clasps for an organisation numbering c.35,000 still constitutes an impressive contribution. The same can even be said for the 8,591 OSMs/clasps among the c.27,000-strong RN component, especially in a 'land war' which is not its core business.
Incidentally, why are you so eager to divorce the RMs from the Naval Service when they are a proud part of it? I also note that your own interpretation does not take into account the many personnel who have deployed more than once (three or four times in many cases, esp Medics, FAA and RMs). Your own 'percentage' statistic is therefore risible whereas my numbers are absolute, i.e. number of medals/clasps issued.