View Full Version : Bog Standard
Flatus Veteranus
16th May 2002, 20:58
The 18 troops stricken with the dreaded lurgy at Bagram were discussed on the Today programme this morning. The retired Army medical consultant opined that it was probably some form of gastro enteritis caught and spread through the latrines. Andrew Gilligan, the BBC Defence Correspondent revealed that, having been amongst the first to arrive at Bagram, the British contingent were the only ones still using "hole-in-the ground" crappers. Because, he thought, rough living was part of the grunt culture and made them feel they were hard men. Well, any fool can be uncomfortable. But to take it to the point that more casualties are taken on the bog than in action is ludicrous! :o
Vortex_Generator
16th May 2002, 22:48
According to "Soldier", the US troops in Afghanistan refer to the Brits as Flintstones because they live in stone age conditions. Says it all really.
WE Branch Fanatic
16th May 2002, 22:56
Somebody should make Blair crap in a hole in the ground.
RotaDish
17th May 2002, 03:33
If it turns out that they were infected by the "Limited Field Facillities"........could be a lawyer job? Particularly if we are the only forces treating our people this way (As indicated by a former poster).
Pity really, we used to be respected. I suppose respect in all it's forms is too expensive these days. (Deep eh?)
Rota
Flatus Veteranus
17th May 2002, 10:04
Trouble is, RotaDish, that I am not sure whether the conditions were indeed inflicted by HMG or were self-inflicted as part of the grunts' macho culture. Which would be OK (well, not really if it has put 38 troops hors de combat!) if the grunts did not spend so much time and energy in this forum slagging off "the crabs" for soft living! Just as well that chopper crews did not seem to figure amongst those aflicted. :(
A good pic in this am's Torygraph of "our lads" washing their hands. Outside the crapper? Just like their Mummies taught them ? :)
Going into theatre like Bosnia/Kosovo/Afghanistan you expect an initial period of 'roughing it'. However, within days of the US Forces going in, the comfort facilities soon start arriving. Not so for our lot - in Kosovo our guys were still showering in cold water, washing in buckets, etc long after arrival. Never mind that the Army have mobile bath units which can supply constant hot water, laundry machines and so on. The Lords and Masters at the top just couldn't care less - if it saves a few bob not sending in the special kit, then that's ok and our wonderful Armed Forces can just lump it.
And when you get back from your three or six month stint in a slum you're off on exercise for eight weeks to the sunny wilds of nowhere in Canada. Oh, and by the way, when detached from Germany we'll take away your LOA. And no, we're not going to give you any part of the UN pay which goes straight into the treasury (unlike most other nationalities, who pay it directly to the troops). And no, we're not going to give you your pay in a war zone tax free (unlike the US Forces). But we will give you a phone card - if you can find a phone to use it with.
No wonder the guys have had enough.