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Milnet.ca 50
Forces Halts Soldiers' UNMARKED Care Packages
- Thread starter dangerboy
- Start date
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I can definitely understand why the average civilian might not understand why they can't ship a parcel to "UNKOWN SOLIDER". They also have to keep in mind that there are some wackdoos out there, they would send things just to be cruel and mean or even dangerous. Just because they can send it to "UNKNOWN SOLIDER" they don't always have their best interests at heart. Can you imagine a solider in the FOB's working his a** off and getting a parcel from someone who thinks he's a 'babykiller'? And that's not even mentioning the cost and space needed if everyone was able to send a parcel to "UNKNOWN SOLIDER" Robin
- Reaction score
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FYI, if the photo that's part of this article is accurate, it appears the UK allows "Any Brit Squaddie" packages (assuming, of course, that the pkg in the photo didn't come "pre-screened" through their equivalent of our MFRC system) - shared with the usual disclaimer...
UK troops prepare for Christmas in Afghanistan
Telegraph (UK), 24 Dec 07
Article link
Christmas morning will start early for British soldiers facing the Taliban in the First World War-style trenches that criss-cross southern Afghanistan.
About 7am at Garmser, the most southerly British frontline positions in Helmand province, the sandbagged fighting positions are likely to receive their first incoming fire of the day.
It is something of a ritual, for at this point the rising sun sits directly behind part of the Taliban lines a few hundred yards of desert away and the Taliban fighters can blaze away while the British gunners squint into the glare.
The British troops, a mixture of Royal Military Police, Royal Gurkha Rifles and members of the Household Cavalry, are not expecting any let up for Christmas.
"We'll be 'stood to' until they decide to have a go," said Sergeant Kraig Whalley, a 29-year-old Royal Military Policeman from Macclesfield, who will spend much of Christmas Day looking down the barrel of a heavy machinegun.
For the Royal Military Police contingent the only concession to the season will be three local chickens, procured for $7 (£3.50) apiece from a helpful Afghan policeman, and served roasted on a spit with tinned potatoes and baked beans.
"We were thinking of challenging the Taliban to a game of football on Christmas Day, but I'm not sure they'd get the joke," said Sgt Whalley.
The trench systems around Forward Operating Base Delhi are a place of daily exchanges in static positions, which Sgt Whalley compares to the First World War, and the famous Christmas truce of 1914 in which British and German soldiers laid down their arms to play football.
Though he says that morale among the British troops is high, there are regular British casualties and for many of those serving in Helmand thoughts will inevitably turn to the 39 British soldiers who have died in the country this year, and to their families.
The last of them was Trooper Jack Sadler, a 21-year-old Territorial Army soldier from the Honourable Artillery Company, killed by a mine on Dec 4.
"Jack's death has made me a lot less naive," said Trooper Lorna Kelly, 30.
"There are only six of us from HAC in Helmand. To be honest I never thought it would happen to one of us. It has been very hard, though it's nothing compared to his family's suffering."
A highly paid investment banker for Credit Suisse in civilian life, Trooper Kelly is one of several soldiers from the City of London-based unit to give up a year of handsomely remunerated work in the Square Mile for training and deployment in Helmand.
At the main British base, the sprawling Camp Bastion, tinsel glinted in the desert sun and every effort was being made to put aside thoughts of war.
As well as church services in the camp chapel, the Church of St Michael and All Angels, which is really just a tent, there are preparations for a pantomime performance of Aladdin and a Christmas dinner with turkey in relays, at which, by tradition, officers will serve the troops.
The camp postal service contains the only people with reservations about a surge in parcels posted by the British public following calls from Army commanders to offer greater public support to British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Yesterday 3,000 bags of mail arrived, many containing boxes simply addressed to "a soldier serving in Afghanistan".
There have been enough such parcels to give every one of the 7,200 men and women in theatre two each.
"It has exceeded all expectations and it shows people care," said Cpl Dave Arkel, 35, knee deep in parcels in the mailroom.
"But it's a lot of pressure on us."
UK troops prepare for Christmas in Afghanistan
Telegraph (UK), 24 Dec 07
Article link
Christmas morning will start early for British soldiers facing the Taliban in the First World War-style trenches that criss-cross southern Afghanistan.
About 7am at Garmser, the most southerly British frontline positions in Helmand province, the sandbagged fighting positions are likely to receive their first incoming fire of the day.
It is something of a ritual, for at this point the rising sun sits directly behind part of the Taliban lines a few hundred yards of desert away and the Taliban fighters can blaze away while the British gunners squint into the glare.
The British troops, a mixture of Royal Military Police, Royal Gurkha Rifles and members of the Household Cavalry, are not expecting any let up for Christmas.
"We'll be 'stood to' until they decide to have a go," said Sergeant Kraig Whalley, a 29-year-old Royal Military Policeman from Macclesfield, who will spend much of Christmas Day looking down the barrel of a heavy machinegun.
For the Royal Military Police contingent the only concession to the season will be three local chickens, procured for $7 (£3.50) apiece from a helpful Afghan policeman, and served roasted on a spit with tinned potatoes and baked beans.
"We were thinking of challenging the Taliban to a game of football on Christmas Day, but I'm not sure they'd get the joke," said Sgt Whalley.
The trench systems around Forward Operating Base Delhi are a place of daily exchanges in static positions, which Sgt Whalley compares to the First World War, and the famous Christmas truce of 1914 in which British and German soldiers laid down their arms to play football.
Though he says that morale among the British troops is high, there are regular British casualties and for many of those serving in Helmand thoughts will inevitably turn to the 39 British soldiers who have died in the country this year, and to their families.
The last of them was Trooper Jack Sadler, a 21-year-old Territorial Army soldier from the Honourable Artillery Company, killed by a mine on Dec 4.
"Jack's death has made me a lot less naive," said Trooper Lorna Kelly, 30.
"There are only six of us from HAC in Helmand. To be honest I never thought it would happen to one of us. It has been very hard, though it's nothing compared to his family's suffering."
A highly paid investment banker for Credit Suisse in civilian life, Trooper Kelly is one of several soldiers from the City of London-based unit to give up a year of handsomely remunerated work in the Square Mile for training and deployment in Helmand.
At the main British base, the sprawling Camp Bastion, tinsel glinted in the desert sun and every effort was being made to put aside thoughts of war.
As well as church services in the camp chapel, the Church of St Michael and All Angels, which is really just a tent, there are preparations for a pantomime performance of Aladdin and a Christmas dinner with turkey in relays, at which, by tradition, officers will serve the troops.
The camp postal service contains the only people with reservations about a surge in parcels posted by the British public following calls from Army commanders to offer greater public support to British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Yesterday 3,000 bags of mail arrived, many containing boxes simply addressed to "a soldier serving in Afghanistan".
There have been enough such parcels to give every one of the 7,200 men and women in theatre two each.
"It has exceeded all expectations and it shows people care," said Cpl Dave Arkel, 35, knee deep in parcels in the mailroom.
"But it's a lot of pressure on us."
- Reaction score
- 51
- Points
- 530
There's more to it than pre-screening.
There's costs due to Defence Budgets (or lack thereof
), and very limited cargo space ... for some nations.
Apples/Oranges
Glad their troops can get them -- and that they have the resources to do such; I wish we did.
There's costs due to Defence Budgets (or lack thereof
), and very limited cargo space ... for some nations.Apples/Oranges
Glad their troops can get them -- and that they have the resources to do such; I wish we did.
- Reaction score
- 5
- Points
- 430
milnewstbay said:
Notably, there's no detail on what, if any, security measures were taken with these packages. Were they from a specific programs, approved sources, checked by the service before shipping, etc.?
The standard regulations are:
http://www.bfpo.mod.uk/faqs.htm
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