Belize 1990

[ShyTorque]

Originally Posted by charliegolf

You had meals? WTF!

CG

I think they were meals....

[Bing]

Originally Posted by Crromwellman

I wonder how sorry some people are that we left Belize, probably to satisfy the bean counters, despite still having interests in that area. The French and Dutch kept garrisons in the area and consequently they had the wherewithall to respond to the recent hurricane disaster. Not us though. We rely on deploying from UK which all takes time and gives the media the excuse, not that they need one, to describe our response as "pathetic" and "too little, too late." If we had kept a small presence in Belize with some pre-positioned stores, we could have responded as quickly as the French and Dutch. Short term thinking rules - OK

RFA Mounts Bay was at Anguilla 12 hours after the hurricane hit with stores and personnel. I doubt anyone stationed in Belize could have got as much there as quickly. The French and Dutch garrisons are on the islands that got hit, which does give you something of an advantage in the response time, but you have to dig yourself out from under the rubble first.

The press coverage has mostly been uninformed b******s.

[sycamore]

CROMWELLMAN,perhaps you should look at `google earth`,and measure the distances involved from Belize to the Islands,;shortest direct is 1600nm,pretty route via SAmerica is 2600nm.Fine if there happens to be a C130/Voyager/A400 in the area,but then you are jeopardising the aircraft flying into/around a hurricane.Not only that,but you have to clear with many countries to overfly,diplomatically,several of whom are not necessarily friendly having foreign military on their doorstep.

[Could be the last?]

Could the HLS be Banana Bank?

The Pumas returned with a couple of dets in 2005 and explored the country ISO 3 Yorks - there were a few hotels and a horse riding ranch surrounding this HLS deep in the jungle.

[Crromwellman]

Originally Posted by sycamore

CROMWELLMAN,perhaps you should look at `google earth`,and measure the distances involved from Belize to the Islands,;shortest direct is 1600nm,pretty route via SAmerica is 2600nm.Fine if there happens to be a C130/Voyager/A400 in the area,but then you are jeopardising the aircraft flying into/around a hurricane.Not only that,but you have to clear with many countries to overfly,diplomatically,several of whom are not necessarily friendly having foreign military on their doorstep.

Sorry Sycamore, I am an ex-Pongo so I was never a navigator and in the highest traditions of the Army I never could read a map. But thank you point taken