Dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq fell sick at bases using "unmonitored and potentially unsafe" water supplied by the military and a contractor once owned by Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, the Pentagon's internal watchdog says.
A report said soldiers experienced skin abscesses, cellulitis, skin infections, diarrhea and other illnesses after using discolored, smelly water for personal hygiene and laundry at five U.S. military sites in Iraq.
The Defense Department's inspector general's report found water quality problems between March 2004 and February 2006 at three sites run by contractor KBR Inc., and between January 2004 and December 2006 at two military-operated locations.
It was impossible to link the dirty water definitively to all the illnesses, according to the report. It does say, however, that KBR's water quality "was not maintained in accordance with field water sanitary standards" and the military-run sites "were not performing all required quality control tests."
The report said KBR took corrective steps and was providing adequate water quality by November 2006. But military units at the two sites they controlled were still failing to perform required quality control tests and maintain appropriate records by that time.
"Therefore, water suppliers exposed U.S. forces to unmonitored and potentially unsafe water," at the military sites by late 2006, the report said.
The problems did not extend to troops' drinking water, so it is said, but rather to water used for washing, bathing, shaving and cleaning. Water used for hygiene and laundry must meet minimum safety standards under military regulations because of the potential for harmful exposure through the eyes, nose, mouth, cuts and wounds.
The KBR sites were Camp Ar Ramadi, Camp Q-West and Camp Victory. The military sites were Logistics Support Area Anaconda and Camp Ali.
The inspector general's study confirmed AP reports on the contaminated water in early 2006 and provided additional details on the scope of the problem at the Iraq bases. In January that year, interviews and internal company documents disclosed the problems at Ar Ramadi and showed that KBR employees could not get the company to inform base residents.
Halliburton Co., then KBR's parent company, disputed the allegations even though they were made by its own employees and documented in company e-mails. In March 2006, the AP obtained an internal Halliburton report that, in one instance, the company missed contamination that could have caused "mass sickness or death" at Ar Ramadi.
The report said the event at Ar Ramadi could have been prevented if KBR's reverse osmosis units on the site had been assembled, instead of relying on the military's water production facilities. In other words, a money saving exercise put the health of servicemen and -women at risk.
In addition, military medical records — tied to no particular base in Iraq — showed 26 cases of food and waterborne diseases, including hepatitis, giardiasis and typhoid fever.
Well, from a company where profits are everything what else can one expect, even if they try to be green by donating trees to this or that park or woodland.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008
British Army Loses 'Batallion' a Year to Drug-Use Discharges
Research into Compulsory Drugs Testing (CDT) of UK service personnel, published today by the Journal of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), has identified a rise in positive tests for illegal substances in the British Army from 517 individual cases in 2003, to 795 in 2005 (and 769 in 2006), and also a four-fold growth in soldiers testing positive for the class-A drug cocaine.
Professor Sheila Bird, a Senior Scientist with the Medical Research Council writing for the RUSI Journal states that the British Army’s substantially increased urinary cocaine positive rate – up from 1.4 perthousand in 2003 to 4.0 and 5.7 per thousand in the first semesters of 2006 and 2007 respectively (up to a four-fold increase) – could however just be the tip of the iceberg.
The government has refused, on the grounds of cost, to disclose key data on CDT practice, such as whether there have been subtle changes in test practice since 2003. Changes might include better test sensitivity, more testing after weekends, or intentionally targeting returnees soon after home leave. Such alterations could go a long way to explaining the increased rate of cocaine positivity without much underlying change in soldiers' infrequent cocaine use. However, if there has been no alteration in CDT practice since 2003, then the cocaine-positive results are worrying on two counts: first, the hike in cocaine positivity signals a genuine change in soldiers' drug use during a period coincident with major operations; secondly, infrequent cocaine use has a high chance of going undetected so that the observed cocaine-positive rates could in fact be masking infrequent cocaine-use rates that are two to three times higher.
Traces of cocaine are found in urine for only two to three days after use. By contrast, cannabis remains in urine for two to three weeks. In 2003, cannabis accounted for half (50 per cent) of all CDT positive tests, whereas cocaine was 22 per cent. By 2006, around 50 per cent of all positive tests registered cocaine use, with cannabis around 30 per cent. Professor Bird’s article suggests soldiers’ drug use may have shifted away from cannabis partly to minimise their chance of testing positive in CDT.
Comparing data gleaned from parliamentary questions on CDT, Professor Bird’s analysis counters claims that this trend is a ‘reflection of society more generally’, when placed in societal context alongside the declared ‘drug use in the last month’ of respondents to the British Crime Survey. The self-reported survey of some 6,000 respondents aged between 16-24 years notes cocaine use to be 28 and 30 per thousand respectively in 2003/04 and 2005/06, and 32 per 1000 in 2006/07. Military cocaine-positive rates, twenty times lower in 2003, were only six times lower in 2006/07.
Since most military personnel who test positive for drugs are dishonourably discharged, irrespective of which illegal drug was misused, these findings will place even more scrutiny on the debate over recruitment and retention of service personnel. Only last month the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that seventeen soldiers from the 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) tested positive for cocaine after a rest and relaxation period in Cancun, Mexico following an exercise in Belize.
Professor Sheila Bird, who conducted the research, said:
Military personnel take calculated risks as part of their professional lives. Their calculation about the risk of testing positive in CDT, and ministerial as well as public health scientists’ interpretation of the ongoing hike in soldiers’ cocaine positive rate is severely handicapped by the government’s refusal (on grounds of cost) to disclose key information such as whether the tests are targeted and if the pattern of weekday and weekend testing has altered, in particular since 2003.
If there have been changes to the testing regime with relation to the day the sample is taken, this can have a substantial effect on the rate of positive tests. Such a change could itself discover three times more cocaine positives without there having been any alteration in underlying use of cocaine by service personnel, if their use of cocaine is infrequent, sporadic, but primarily on home leave or at weekends.
If, however, there has been no recent change in test practice, then the cocaine positive findings are genuinely concerning. Why so? Because the 4.0 to 5.7/1000 urinary cocaine test positive rates in 2006 and 2007 could mask a two to three times higher sporadic cocaine user rate, if infrequent use is primarily at weekends and testing is not specifically targeted on Mondays.
Christianne Tipping, Defence Management analystat RUSI, who has written alongside Professor Bird in the Journal on the MoD’s drugs policy, said:
The issue of an increasing number of drug-related discharges at a time when recruitment and retention are problematic needs to be examined by the MoD.
The hardline policy on drugs has served the MoD well to date. CDT exists to deter rather than to try to catch every single person who might engage in occasional drug use. It also helps to maintain operational effectiveness and reduce possible security risks, such as blackmail. However, there could be a need to look at a more pragmatic management strategy so that recruitment difficulties in certain trades are not compounded by high discharge rates resulting from drug offences. The MoD needs to be sure its near zero tolerance approach still constitutes the best way of managing the problem of drug abuse in the Armed Forces.
Drug abuse in the Armed Forces is a live issue at present, especially after the recent case involving the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, but it is important to stress that drug misuse in the Armed Forces as a whole involves relatively low numbers.
<><><>
The Journal is the leading publication of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Published six times a year, it is an internationally recognised authority on defence and security issues.
Professor Sheila Bird, a Senior Scientist with the Medical Research Council writing for the RUSI Journal states that the British Army’s substantially increased urinary cocaine positive rate – up from 1.4 perthousand in 2003 to 4.0 and 5.7 per thousand in the first semesters of 2006 and 2007 respectively (up to a four-fold increase) – could however just be the tip of the iceberg.
The government has refused, on the grounds of cost, to disclose key data on CDT practice, such as whether there have been subtle changes in test practice since 2003. Changes might include better test sensitivity, more testing after weekends, or intentionally targeting returnees soon after home leave. Such alterations could go a long way to explaining the increased rate of cocaine positivity without much underlying change in soldiers' infrequent cocaine use. However, if there has been no alteration in CDT practice since 2003, then the cocaine-positive results are worrying on two counts: first, the hike in cocaine positivity signals a genuine change in soldiers' drug use during a period coincident with major operations; secondly, infrequent cocaine use has a high chance of going undetected so that the observed cocaine-positive rates could in fact be masking infrequent cocaine-use rates that are two to three times higher.
Traces of cocaine are found in urine for only two to three days after use. By contrast, cannabis remains in urine for two to three weeks. In 2003, cannabis accounted for half (50 per cent) of all CDT positive tests, whereas cocaine was 22 per cent. By 2006, around 50 per cent of all positive tests registered cocaine use, with cannabis around 30 per cent. Professor Bird’s article suggests soldiers’ drug use may have shifted away from cannabis partly to minimise their chance of testing positive in CDT.
Comparing data gleaned from parliamentary questions on CDT, Professor Bird’s analysis counters claims that this trend is a ‘reflection of society more generally’, when placed in societal context alongside the declared ‘drug use in the last month’ of respondents to the British Crime Survey. The self-reported survey of some 6,000 respondents aged between 16-24 years notes cocaine use to be 28 and 30 per thousand respectively in 2003/04 and 2005/06, and 32 per 1000 in 2006/07. Military cocaine-positive rates, twenty times lower in 2003, were only six times lower in 2006/07.
Since most military personnel who test positive for drugs are dishonourably discharged, irrespective of which illegal drug was misused, these findings will place even more scrutiny on the debate over recruitment and retention of service personnel. Only last month the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that seventeen soldiers from the 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) tested positive for cocaine after a rest and relaxation period in Cancun, Mexico following an exercise in Belize.
Professor Sheila Bird, who conducted the research, said:
Military personnel take calculated risks as part of their professional lives. Their calculation about the risk of testing positive in CDT, and ministerial as well as public health scientists’ interpretation of the ongoing hike in soldiers’ cocaine positive rate is severely handicapped by the government’s refusal (on grounds of cost) to disclose key information such as whether the tests are targeted and if the pattern of weekday and weekend testing has altered, in particular since 2003.
If there have been changes to the testing regime with relation to the day the sample is taken, this can have a substantial effect on the rate of positive tests. Such a change could itself discover three times more cocaine positives without there having been any alteration in underlying use of cocaine by service personnel, if their use of cocaine is infrequent, sporadic, but primarily on home leave or at weekends.
If, however, there has been no recent change in test practice, then the cocaine positive findings are genuinely concerning. Why so? Because the 4.0 to 5.7/1000 urinary cocaine test positive rates in 2006 and 2007 could mask a two to three times higher sporadic cocaine user rate, if infrequent use is primarily at weekends and testing is not specifically targeted on Mondays.
Christianne Tipping, Defence Management analystat RUSI, who has written alongside Professor Bird in the Journal on the MoD’s drugs policy, said:
The issue of an increasing number of drug-related discharges at a time when recruitment and retention are problematic needs to be examined by the MoD.
The hardline policy on drugs has served the MoD well to date. CDT exists to deter rather than to try to catch every single person who might engage in occasional drug use. It also helps to maintain operational effectiveness and reduce possible security risks, such as blackmail. However, there could be a need to look at a more pragmatic management strategy so that recruitment difficulties in certain trades are not compounded by high discharge rates resulting from drug offences. The MoD needs to be sure its near zero tolerance approach still constitutes the best way of managing the problem of drug abuse in the Armed Forces.
Drug abuse in the Armed Forces is a live issue at present, especially after the recent case involving the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, but it is important to stress that drug misuse in the Armed Forces as a whole involves relatively low numbers.
<><><>
The Journal is the leading publication of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Published six times a year, it is an internationally recognised authority on defence and security issues.
MOD To Sell Helicopter Maintenance Businesses
The Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) businesses at Fleetlands in Hampshire and Almondbank in Perthshire are to be sold to Vector Aerospace, securing a long term future for the business, it was announced on February 5, 2008.
These two Rotary Wing and Components businesses undertake vital helicopter maintenance and repairs for MOD rotary aviation units.
Defence Minister for Equipment and Support, Baroness Ann Taylor, said:
"In selling DARA we are confident that we are securing a long term future for the business. This is the best result for Defence, for our Armed Forces, and for the employees.
"My priority is ensuring our forces out on operations have the equipment they need to do their job and it is essential that we continue to maintain our aircraft to the highest standard.
"I pay tribute to the dedicated and highly skilled employees at Fleetlands and Almondbank, doing a fantastic job to support our troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and at home, by ensuring our helicopters are fit to fly.
"If we do not sell, there is no doubt that the businesses at Fleetlands and Almondbank could decline rapidly and probably close within a few years, leading to serious job losses.
"We want to retain such a highly skilled and valuable workforce in Fleetlands and Almondbank. But with decreasing workload due to a number of our aircraft starting to go out of service, diversification into the commercial sector is the best solution.
"We have made this decision very carefully, following widespread consultation including with the Trades Unions. And we have worked hard to agree transfer of employment terms such as pensions. It has not been easy, but it could provide a good future for all those involved in our military rotary aviation maintenance."
Vector Aerospace are a Canadian-based company who specialise in the military and civilian aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul business globally. They were selected by the MOD last July as the preferred bidder for the DARA businesses following an extensive selection process.
Vector Aerospace Chairman and CEO, Don Jackson, said:
"There is a significant amount of synergy between the DARA businesses and Vector's current global operations. We are looking forward to growing the level of support that we are providing to the UK MOD and to working with the employees at Almondbank and Fleetlands to create a Centre of Excellence in European helicopter maintenance. We have expansion plans, and hope to increase our staff numbers as appropriate."
One can but wonder whether this is the slow road to the privatization of the military, just like, as it would seem, more and more military jobs are taken over in the American sectors in Iraq, etc. by units of private security contractors, once upon a time called mercenaries, such as Blackwater Security, and others.
One can only but wonder how much more of the once national government operated services this so-called Labor government is prepared to sell out to private industry.
The most worrying factor, as far as our service men and -women are concerned, is (1) safety and (2) the possibility that shareholder concerns come above any others and such companies suddenly are taken over by foreign interest. The gods forbid those foreign interest be covert and enemy. The chances of this happening are not at all remote, however, and this, as a citizen and even more so were I a serving member of the security forces, worries me.
Michael Smith (Veshengro), February 2008
These two Rotary Wing and Components businesses undertake vital helicopter maintenance and repairs for MOD rotary aviation units.
Defence Minister for Equipment and Support, Baroness Ann Taylor, said:
"In selling DARA we are confident that we are securing a long term future for the business. This is the best result for Defence, for our Armed Forces, and for the employees.
"My priority is ensuring our forces out on operations have the equipment they need to do their job and it is essential that we continue to maintain our aircraft to the highest standard.
"I pay tribute to the dedicated and highly skilled employees at Fleetlands and Almondbank, doing a fantastic job to support our troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and at home, by ensuring our helicopters are fit to fly.
"If we do not sell, there is no doubt that the businesses at Fleetlands and Almondbank could decline rapidly and probably close within a few years, leading to serious job losses.
"We want to retain such a highly skilled and valuable workforce in Fleetlands and Almondbank. But with decreasing workload due to a number of our aircraft starting to go out of service, diversification into the commercial sector is the best solution.
"We have made this decision very carefully, following widespread consultation including with the Trades Unions. And we have worked hard to agree transfer of employment terms such as pensions. It has not been easy, but it could provide a good future for all those involved in our military rotary aviation maintenance."
Vector Aerospace are a Canadian-based company who specialise in the military and civilian aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul business globally. They were selected by the MOD last July as the preferred bidder for the DARA businesses following an extensive selection process.
Vector Aerospace Chairman and CEO, Don Jackson, said:
"There is a significant amount of synergy between the DARA businesses and Vector's current global operations. We are looking forward to growing the level of support that we are providing to the UK MOD and to working with the employees at Almondbank and Fleetlands to create a Centre of Excellence in European helicopter maintenance. We have expansion plans, and hope to increase our staff numbers as appropriate."
One can but wonder whether this is the slow road to the privatization of the military, just like, as it would seem, more and more military jobs are taken over in the American sectors in Iraq, etc. by units of private security contractors, once upon a time called mercenaries, such as Blackwater Security, and others.
One can only but wonder how much more of the once national government operated services this so-called Labor government is prepared to sell out to private industry.
The most worrying factor, as far as our service men and -women are concerned, is (1) safety and (2) the possibility that shareholder concerns come above any others and such companies suddenly are taken over by foreign interest. The gods forbid those foreign interest be covert and enemy. The chances of this happening are not at all remote, however, and this, as a citizen and even more so were I a serving member of the security forces, worries me.
Michael Smith (Veshengro), February 2008
New Field Hospital at Bastion
A new solid build field hospital at Camp Bastion which will increase the capabilities of the British military medical team in Helmand has been opened by Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth.
The Medical Treatment Facility (MTF), which is housed in one of the few solid buildings at Bastion replaces the tented field hospital that has been used since 2003. The temperature-controlled building allows the medics to better avoid the heat, cold or dust that come with the Helmand territory.
With a fully equipped operatTwo mobile digital DRAGON X-Ray machines, worth £150,000 each have also been installed in the MTF which allow imaging within five seconds and, being portable, remove the need to move a patient from the ward, speeding the diagnostic process.ing theatre supporting two operating tables, the MTF also supports up to six beds for the most critically injured in an Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU). Two general wards handle patients with recovery needs and there are an additional two separate, private rooms, supplying a total capacity of 37 beds, with room for expansion.
Mr Ainsworth, who opened the new hospital while on a tour of Helmand, said: "I have always had the highest regard for the medical treatment received by our servicemen and women, but this new hospital is simply outstanding. I have seen for myself the quality of the building and equipment and I have met the staff, who are consummate professionals dedicated to treating everyone who comes through the doors to the highest standard.
"Our Armed Forces are engaged in a dangerous mission here and we owe it to them to provide them with the confidence that if they are injured, they will receive the very best of care from the moment they are picked up in the field, through their immediate treatment and any subsequent rehabilitation. This new facility and the staff who perform under such difficult conditions are helping to save lives and they should be extremely proud of the work they do and the contribution they are making to help bring stability to this country."
Two mobile digital DRAGON X-Ray machines, worth £150,000 each have also been installed in the MTF which allow imaging within five seconds and, being portable, remove the need to move a patient from the ward, speeding the diagnostic process. The digital scans can be enhanced as well as being instantly shareable with medical staff back in the UK.
The pathology lab can conduct blood and sample testing as well as having the capacity to supply blood products for transfusion. Equipment normally only found in the National Blood Service, used to gather the blood platelets much needed in trauma recovery, is currently on trial.
Mr Ainsworth was also shown the primary healthcare facilities which provide a general practice surgery, two dental surgeries, a welfare department, a mental healthcare team and a dedicated Hospital Chaplain. There are plans to develop the site further to include physiotherapy treatment and recovery rooms.
Staffed by around 100 personnel, the temperature-controlled building is capable of dealing with the most serious trauma injuries. Patients injured in mine-strikes, with blast, fragmentation or gunshot wounds, benefit from a team of on-site clinicians and consultants who can perform the immediate surgery which will save limbs and lives, before swift repatriation to continue care back in the UK.
The Officer Commanding of the Hospital Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Wallbridge, said: "The hospital treats personnel from across the ISAF coalition nations and we have also helped many from the Afghan National Army, Police and also local nationals for a whole range of complaints, from children suffering malnutrition or burns to those suffering traumatic amputations due to anti-personnel mines."
The hospital is currently staffed by 243 Field Hospital (Volunteers), from the south west of England, mainly Territorial Army personnel who have been given leave by their employers to deploy to Afghanistan. TA medics have a diverse range of medical and clerical posts back in the UK and in addition to trauma and intensive care experience they bring together a wealth of skills that might not otherwise be seen in a military setting. This has been particularly true with those trained as paediatricians, who have proved extremely valuable when dealing with local children.
Lt Col Wallbridge said on meeting Mr Ainsworth: "This new facility is simply fantastic, capable of bringing together the skills of experts in trauma surgery and recovery, intensive care and nursing with state of the art equipment. While we were always able to provide high standards of care in the tented hospital, we were always fighting a bit of a battle with the environment, the heat, cold or dust. Here, our outstanding staff and equipment also enjoy excellent working conditions."
The Medical Treatment Facility (MTF), which is housed in one of the few solid buildings at Bastion replaces the tented field hospital that has been used since 2003. The temperature-controlled building allows the medics to better avoid the heat, cold or dust that come with the Helmand territory.
With a fully equipped operatTwo mobile digital DRAGON X-Ray machines, worth £150,000 each have also been installed in the MTF which allow imaging within five seconds and, being portable, remove the need to move a patient from the ward, speeding the diagnostic process.ing theatre supporting two operating tables, the MTF also supports up to six beds for the most critically injured in an Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU). Two general wards handle patients with recovery needs and there are an additional two separate, private rooms, supplying a total capacity of 37 beds, with room for expansion.
Mr Ainsworth, who opened the new hospital while on a tour of Helmand, said: "I have always had the highest regard for the medical treatment received by our servicemen and women, but this new hospital is simply outstanding. I have seen for myself the quality of the building and equipment and I have met the staff, who are consummate professionals dedicated to treating everyone who comes through the doors to the highest standard.
"Our Armed Forces are engaged in a dangerous mission here and we owe it to them to provide them with the confidence that if they are injured, they will receive the very best of care from the moment they are picked up in the field, through their immediate treatment and any subsequent rehabilitation. This new facility and the staff who perform under such difficult conditions are helping to save lives and they should be extremely proud of the work they do and the contribution they are making to help bring stability to this country."
Two mobile digital DRAGON X-Ray machines, worth £150,000 each have also been installed in the MTF which allow imaging within five seconds and, being portable, remove the need to move a patient from the ward, speeding the diagnostic process. The digital scans can be enhanced as well as being instantly shareable with medical staff back in the UK.
The pathology lab can conduct blood and sample testing as well as having the capacity to supply blood products for transfusion. Equipment normally only found in the National Blood Service, used to gather the blood platelets much needed in trauma recovery, is currently on trial.
Mr Ainsworth was also shown the primary healthcare facilities which provide a general practice surgery, two dental surgeries, a welfare department, a mental healthcare team and a dedicated Hospital Chaplain. There are plans to develop the site further to include physiotherapy treatment and recovery rooms.
Staffed by around 100 personnel, the temperature-controlled building is capable of dealing with the most serious trauma injuries. Patients injured in mine-strikes, with blast, fragmentation or gunshot wounds, benefit from a team of on-site clinicians and consultants who can perform the immediate surgery which will save limbs and lives, before swift repatriation to continue care back in the UK.
The Officer Commanding of the Hospital Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Wallbridge, said: "The hospital treats personnel from across the ISAF coalition nations and we have also helped many from the Afghan National Army, Police and also local nationals for a whole range of complaints, from children suffering malnutrition or burns to those suffering traumatic amputations due to anti-personnel mines."
The hospital is currently staffed by 243 Field Hospital (Volunteers), from the south west of England, mainly Territorial Army personnel who have been given leave by their employers to deploy to Afghanistan. TA medics have a diverse range of medical and clerical posts back in the UK and in addition to trauma and intensive care experience they bring together a wealth of skills that might not otherwise be seen in a military setting. This has been particularly true with those trained as paediatricians, who have proved extremely valuable when dealing with local children.
Lt Col Wallbridge said on meeting Mr Ainsworth: "This new facility is simply fantastic, capable of bringing together the skills of experts in trauma surgery and recovery, intensive care and nursing with state of the art equipment. While we were always able to provide high standards of care in the tented hospital, we were always fighting a bit of a battle with the environment, the heat, cold or dust. Here, our outstanding staff and equipment also enjoy excellent working conditions."
Under Body Armour Combat Shirt & other kit for The Front Line
The innovative Under Body Armour Combat Shirt (UBACS) is just one of the items that MOD clothing specialists have developed in response to the demanding conditions that British front line men and women are encountering on contemporary operations in the various theatres of operation around the globe but especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.The UBACS standard issue in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is designed to be worn under protective body armour. I assume that is if body armour is available for the lack of it has, so far, cause the death of a number of British Service personnel on operations. The body of the long-sleeved shirt is made of a special fabric that absorbs sweat – ideal when soldiers are fighting in often formidably hot and uncomfortable conditions.
While, I am sure, this shirt is very welcome, personal individual body armour for each and every trooper would be more welcome still.
"Considerable time, effort and money goes in to ensuring that our troops are provided with excellent kit that allows them to perform to the best of their capability, said Head of the Defence Clothing team, Colonel Silas Suchanek, “and we know the UBACS has been a hit since the demand for it has been incredible. This is all about investment in our front line and it drives everything we do."
Ensuring that our troops are provided with excellent kit that allows them to perform to the best of their capability, to quote the good Colonel would, in my opinion, mean especially that each and every service man or woman is issued with his or her individual set of body armour that he or she does not have to share with other troopers. Like PPE in industry such kit is PERSONAL and should not be handed about.
Maybe one of those days the British government is actually prepared to put its money where its mouth is an give decent kit to our troops. I do not even want to start on the radios that do not work under certain conditions, which means they don't work most of the time properly. This is a disgrace.
"When I joined the Army”, Col. Suchanek stated, “serge and wool were the order of the day, irrespective of the climate we were serving in. I am proud and delighted to be part of an organisation that works so hard to deliver excellence to our people."
Most of the kit that is issued nowadays, and that, for instance, includes the shemah or kaffiah, that the SAS likes to wear, initially was bought by the troops themselves because it was good stuff. Now, as is the case with the Shemah, it is issued, even in camouflage colors. The Norwegian shirt that is now standard was, originally, not so many years ago, unavailable as issue and only because troops bought it from NATO surplus themselves slowly the MoD adopted it. This goes even as far as boots and other kit. Many troops buy their own simple because the MoD cannot be bothered to actually procure decent stuff regardless of what Col. Suchanek may be saying. Then again, under the current government and not just this one alone, the military and especially procurement has been all about saving money. It is therefore surprising that we are not losing more personnel in the areas the British Forces operate in.
© Michael Smith, February 2008
Pocket Survival Kits
What do you expect from such a kit?
I personally do expect a great deal from one of those in quality, not so much as in quantity, as is often the case opposed to quality. Most of those that I have been able to have a brief look at, however, do not meet my criteria at all.
How often do you see the supposedly professional survival tins with the silly wire saw and the single-edged razor blade for a knife? Far too many times, I am sure. I cringe every time that I see them and try hard not to laugh. If I would be caught out – though hopefully not caught – in enemy territory or just simple lost in the woods or on the moors I would like to have some more substantial items and number one on my list is a decent pocketknife.
Every time that a pocketknife is included in such a kit – and I have seen one or two of such kits – then, invariably, it is a Pakistani-made lock back folder of dubious quality and here especially to the strength of the lock and such like. I have yet to be trusted by the manufacturers of survival kits, including BCB International, with a sample of their products in order to be able to test the quality of the items that are included in the kits.
As far as I am concerned there is only one small folding knife that small enough to fit into most pocket kits that would cut it here – pardon the pun – and that is the Opinel No.6 made by La Coutellerie Opinel in the Savoy region of France, and they are indeed still made in France and not somewhere in China. There simply is not another one equally well suited and especially not as regards to price and weight. I must say that the Opinel #6 would be the only small pocketknife that I would want to trust in an emergency. I know the lock will withstand most abuse, because of its simplicity, and the handle is beech wood that will be kind enough to my hand even with prolonged use.
I certainly would want to have nothing to do with that silly wire saw either. What precisely for? Firstly, do I really want to waste my energy n sawing through logs or even small trees in and emergency situation such as one where I would be needing a pocket survival kit? I do not think so!
I once had someone say to me as regards to the silly wire saw, “but, oh, you can use it as a garrotte!” One can? If I am in enemy territory and am trying to survive and the enemy hopefully does not know that I am there the very last thing I would want to do it to draw attention to my presence by one of theirs going missing or being found strangled. Not a good idea. No, Sir!
I could go on and on and on about the useless things in such kits and I am always amazed that, apparently, the military procurement people actually buy such kits off manufacturers.
A condom as a carrier for drinking water in lieu of a bottle? Methinks not. Yuck! Condoms have various chemicals and such applied to them, such as, for instance, a spermicide. If need be then rather use a balloon.
Way too many kits of this sort seem to try to give the fighting man or -woman or hiker, mountaineer, backpacker, and so on, something of a miniaturized version, it would seem, of what they would generally carry, including some shelter of sorts often, all the while nearly trying to stuff it into an Altoids tin. Let's face it, this is getting silly.
The proper basic survival kit for the warrior (and others) needs but a few items; not a logistics company in miniature.
Here are some suggestions for what, in my opinion and experience, should make us a proper basic kit:
A reliable folder, ideally single blade with a comfortable handle and safe lock. There is, in my opinion, and no, I do not work for them, only one that fits that category and that is the previously mentioned Opinel #6.
A P-38 (as it was once known) folding-bit can opener; the old NATO issue kind and ideally of the very same quality. The military one can be bought and has a NATO issue number on it.
For the next item, the compass, a small button compass may suffice but the better bet is the small Silva base plate one, e.g. the Carabiner 28, as this also has a hole for a lanyard and therefore can be worn around the neck when in the survival situation in the backwoods, for instance, or better still, if you can
accommodate it, the Ranger 27 from Silva, which is a miniature sighting compass.
For fire starting gear the answer would be either matches (waterproof) and a strike or – probably better still – a BIC disposable lighter or one of the refillable Clipper variety. In the latter case a spare flint might also useful.
A small light source is handy to have and here either a small LED light of the Photon kind – costing little. Alternatively, if there is the space and the budget for it, then a LED Lenser (Photon pump) V8 Turbo light. For what they can do they are not expensive.
A means of signalling for help (this is more the case for the hiker and walker, forester, and such like) an emergency whistle would be required and here this can either be a plastic one as used on life jackets or a thunderer one, like used by sports referees. In addition to that maybe, if if can be had, a small signal mirror.
...and finally maybe something like ten safety pins of different sizes and even some cordage, some finger plasters and such and – voila – there is your basic kit.
It fits into a very small space though it probably needs a bigger tin than an Altoids one.
In fact I do not recommend the use of a tin at all. Either use a plastic container, such as, for instance, those as used for the L2A2 cleaning kit of the British Army (that rifle is now no longer in use), or, alternatively, put the contents into one – or separate – Zip lock bag(s) – and stuff into a small belt pouch, like those that are used for personal first aid kits for forestry workers, or such.
Advantages are, one, you can wear the kit on a belt and it will look like a cell phone or PDA pouch but you can also put it into your pocket – in the pouch – and carry it without much discomfort, if any discomfort at all, and secondly, it will not rattle or make any other kind noise that might give you away in exactly the wrong moment.
This is the kind of kit that I used to assemble in fact for personnel doing a variety of jobs and it does not come cheap. On the other hand, however, it is much more reliable than all those other things that are touted as “survival kits”, and some even endorsed with “SAS Survival Tin”, as designed by “Lofty” Wiseman, or such.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), January 2008
I personally do expect a great deal from one of those in quality, not so much as in quantity, as is often the case opposed to quality. Most of those that I have been able to have a brief look at, however, do not meet my criteria at all.
How often do you see the supposedly professional survival tins with the silly wire saw and the single-edged razor blade for a knife? Far too many times, I am sure. I cringe every time that I see them and try hard not to laugh. If I would be caught out – though hopefully not caught – in enemy territory or just simple lost in the woods or on the moors I would like to have some more substantial items and number one on my list is a decent pocketknife.
Every time that a pocketknife is included in such a kit – and I have seen one or two of such kits – then, invariably, it is a Pakistani-made lock back folder of dubious quality and here especially to the strength of the lock and such like. I have yet to be trusted by the manufacturers of survival kits, including BCB International, with a sample of their products in order to be able to test the quality of the items that are included in the kits.
As far as I am concerned there is only one small folding knife that small enough to fit into most pocket kits that would cut it here – pardon the pun – and that is the Opinel No.6 made by La Coutellerie Opinel in the Savoy region of France, and they are indeed still made in France and not somewhere in China. There simply is not another one equally well suited and especially not as regards to price and weight. I must say that the Opinel #6 would be the only small pocketknife that I would want to trust in an emergency. I know the lock will withstand most abuse, because of its simplicity, and the handle is beech wood that will be kind enough to my hand even with prolonged use.
I certainly would want to have nothing to do with that silly wire saw either. What precisely for? Firstly, do I really want to waste my energy n sawing through logs or even small trees in and emergency situation such as one where I would be needing a pocket survival kit? I do not think so!
I once had someone say to me as regards to the silly wire saw, “but, oh, you can use it as a garrotte!” One can? If I am in enemy territory and am trying to survive and the enemy hopefully does not know that I am there the very last thing I would want to do it to draw attention to my presence by one of theirs going missing or being found strangled. Not a good idea. No, Sir!
I could go on and on and on about the useless things in such kits and I am always amazed that, apparently, the military procurement people actually buy such kits off manufacturers.
A condom as a carrier for drinking water in lieu of a bottle? Methinks not. Yuck! Condoms have various chemicals and such applied to them, such as, for instance, a spermicide. If need be then rather use a balloon.
Way too many kits of this sort seem to try to give the fighting man or -woman or hiker, mountaineer, backpacker, and so on, something of a miniaturized version, it would seem, of what they would generally carry, including some shelter of sorts often, all the while nearly trying to stuff it into an Altoids tin. Let's face it, this is getting silly.
The proper basic survival kit for the warrior (and others) needs but a few items; not a logistics company in miniature.
Here are some suggestions for what, in my opinion and experience, should make us a proper basic kit:
A reliable folder, ideally single blade with a comfortable handle and safe lock. There is, in my opinion, and no, I do not work for them, only one that fits that category and that is the previously mentioned Opinel #6.
A P-38 (as it was once known) folding-bit can opener; the old NATO issue kind and ideally of the very same quality. The military one can be bought and has a NATO issue number on it.
For the next item, the compass, a small button compass may suffice but the better bet is the small Silva base plate one, e.g. the Carabiner 28, as this also has a hole for a lanyard and therefore can be worn around the neck when in the survival situation in the backwoods, for instance, or better still, if you can
accommodate it, the Ranger 27 from Silva, which is a miniature sighting compass.For fire starting gear the answer would be either matches (waterproof) and a strike or – probably better still – a BIC disposable lighter or one of the refillable Clipper variety. In the latter case a spare flint might also useful.
A small light source is handy to have and here either a small LED light of the Photon kind – costing little. Alternatively, if there is the space and the budget for it, then a LED Lenser (Photon pump) V8 Turbo light. For what they can do they are not expensive.
A means of signalling for help (this is more the case for the hiker and walker, forester, and such like) an emergency whistle would be required and here this can either be a plastic one as used on life jackets or a thunderer one, like used by sports referees. In addition to that maybe, if if can be had, a small signal mirror.
...and finally maybe something like ten safety pins of different sizes and even some cordage, some finger plasters and such and – voila – there is your basic kit.
It fits into a very small space though it probably needs a bigger tin than an Altoids one.
In fact I do not recommend the use of a tin at all. Either use a plastic container, such as, for instance, those as used for the L2A2 cleaning kit of the British Army (that rifle is now no longer in use), or, alternatively, put the contents into one – or separate – Zip lock bag(s) – and stuff into a small belt pouch, like those that are used for personal first aid kits for forestry workers, or such.
Advantages are, one, you can wear the kit on a belt and it will look like a cell phone or PDA pouch but you can also put it into your pocket – in the pouch – and carry it without much discomfort, if any discomfort at all, and secondly, it will not rattle or make any other kind noise that might give you away in exactly the wrong moment.
This is the kind of kit that I used to assemble in fact for personnel doing a variety of jobs and it does not come cheap. On the other hand, however, it is much more reliable than all those other things that are touted as “survival kits”, and some even endorsed with “SAS Survival Tin”, as designed by “Lofty” Wiseman, or such.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), January 2008
LED Lenser V2 Triplex - PRODUCT REVIEW
LED Lenser V2 Triplex - Product Review
With new light chip technology
Cloverleaf reflector system
3 high quality LED’s, in fact a high intensity LED light chip
Solid metal casing
Durable nylon pouch and lanyard included
Burn Time: Up to 10 hours from 1 AA alkaline battery.
Dimensions: 141mm x 37mm
Weight: 160gms
Power Supply: 1 x AA alkaline battery (Two sets of batteries included: 2 x AA)
The patented pure metal housing is ergonomic and extraordinarily smooth to the touch. The patented photon tube reflectors cause the high power diodes to shine with undreamed of brightness. Due to its low power consumption, 1 x AA alkaline battery will provide up to 10 hours of light.
Price: approx. GBP 24.99
Agents in the UK: Ledco Ltd. www.ledco.co.uk
Manufacturers: Zweibrüder Optoelectronics GmbH www.zweibrueder.com
Well, so much for the information from the manufacturer and UK distributor. However, I must say that I am most impressed, as as I have mentioned before on occasions, I do not impress easily, with the design and especially the light output from this little light. It is about the size of the so-called “Mini Maglite”, the one that uses 2xAA batteries as power source, but that is about where the comparison ends. The power source in this one that I have tested and am using is one single AA alkaline cell and considering that, the light output is awesome and then some more.
The light source is a three LED light chip in a cloverleaf pattern (see picture) and the diodes produce an extremely bright and intense white light.
As far as I understand this version of the flashlight is also available in Mossy OakTM camouflage.
The only drawback that could be mentioned is that the beam cannot be focused but, then again, there are others of the same manufacturer where this is indeed possible and I do hope to be able to review – should the manufacturer/agents be prepared to furnish me with the samples for review – some of their tactical flashlights, including the new one that is aimed at the law enforcement market. I have seen it and handled it already but have not been able to put it thru its paces properly, not having a review sample to hand.
All I can say is that this surely is a lot of light in a small package and don't let the price deter you. This is a solid little flashlight made of solid stuff and I am sure it will give many, many years of reliable service.
Reviewed by Michael Smith (Veshengro) ©
With new light chip technology
Cloverleaf reflector system
3 high quality LED’s, in fact a high intensity LED light chip
Solid metal casing
Durable nylon pouch and lanyard included
Burn Time: Up to 10 hours from 1 AA alkaline battery.
Dimensions: 141mm x 37mm
Weight: 160gms
Power Supply: 1 x AA alkaline battery (Two sets of batteries included: 2 x AA)
The patented pure metal housing is ergonomic and extraordinarily smooth to the touch. The patented photon tube reflectors cause the high power diodes to shine with undreamed of brightness. Due to its low power consumption, 1 x AA alkaline battery will provide up to 10 hours of light.
Price: approx. GBP 24.99
Agents in the UK: Ledco Ltd. www.ledco.co.uk
Manufacturers: Zweibrüder Optoelectronics GmbH www.zweibrueder.com
Well, so much for the information from the manufacturer and UK distributor. However, I must say that I am most impressed, as as I have mentioned before on occasions, I do not impress easily, with the design and especially the light output from this little light. It is about the size of the so-called “Mini Maglite”, the one that uses 2xAA batteries as power source, but that is about where the comparison ends. The power source in this one that I have tested and am using is one single AA alkaline cell and considering that, the light output is awesome and then some more.
The light source is a three LED light chip in a cloverleaf pattern (see picture) and the diodes produce an extremely bright and intense white light.
As far as I understand this version of the flashlight is also available in Mossy OakTM camouflage.
The only drawback that could be mentioned is that the beam cannot be focused but, then again, there are others of the same manufacturer where this is indeed possible and I do hope to be able to review – should the manufacturer/agents be prepared to furnish me with the samples for review – some of their tactical flashlights, including the new one that is aimed at the law enforcement market. I have seen it and handled it already but have not been able to put it thru its paces properly, not having a review sample to hand.
All I can say is that this surely is a lot of light in a small package and don't let the price deter you. This is a solid little flashlight made of solid stuff and I am sure it will give many, many years of reliable service.
Reviewed by Michael Smith (Veshengro) ©
Police probe theft of MoD laptop
West Midlands police are investigating the theft of a laptop from a Royal Navy officer which held the personal details of 600,000 people.
Police said the laptop was taken from a vehicle parked overnight in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham.
The laptop contains data including passport numbers, National Insurance numbers and bank details.
They relate to people who had expressed an interest in, or joined, the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the RAF.
Last November, it emerged that 25m child benefit records had been lost after HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) sent two unregistered and unencrypted discs to the National Audit Office.
The MoD said it was treating this latest theft with the "utmost seriousness".
The police said they received a report that the laptop had been stolen from a car parked in Edgbaston on 10 January.
Read on...
Police said the laptop was taken from a vehicle parked overnight in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham.
The laptop contains data including passport numbers, National Insurance numbers and bank details.
They relate to people who had expressed an interest in, or joined, the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the RAF.
Last November, it emerged that 25m child benefit records had been lost after HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) sent two unregistered and unencrypted discs to the National Audit Office.
The MoD said it was treating this latest theft with the "utmost seriousness".
The police said they received a report that the laptop had been stolen from a car parked in Edgbaston on 10 January.
Read on...
Blood risk for UK soldiers and civilians
Friday, January 11, 2008
Telegraph
Contaminated blood provided by the American military might have infected more than 24 British military and civilian personnel, it has been revealed.
Potentially fatal illnesses such as HIV/Aids and a cancer causing virus might have been transmitted into very seriously injured British troops, the Ministry of Defence confirmed.
The infections could have occurred any time between 2001 and last year to soldiers or civilian security guards who needed emergency blood transfusion while being treated in American field hospitals in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Poor record keeping and a less rigorous testing system led the US authorities to inform the British that they could not be certain that the blood was clean.
Source
Telegraph
Contaminated blood provided by the American military might have infected more than 24 British military and civilian personnel, it has been revealed.
Potentially fatal illnesses such as HIV/Aids and a cancer causing virus might have been transmitted into very seriously injured British troops, the Ministry of Defence confirmed.
The infections could have occurred any time between 2001 and last year to soldiers or civilian security guards who needed emergency blood transfusion while being treated in American field hospitals in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Poor record keeping and a less rigorous testing system led the US authorities to inform the British that they could not be certain that the blood was clean.
Source
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