Month: September 2006

In the bad old days when I was carrying an M16 with murderous intent in my heart, there always existed one distinct disadvantage and that was to fire the thing effectively I had to expose, at the very least, the right hand side of my face.

This sort of thing clearly comes under the heading of a poor life style activity and had I done a Risk Assessment like I did last week for guys climbing a ladder to remove an antenna, I would have approached the Lieutenant and told him it was just so against all Work Place Health and Safety issues that I couldn’t in all honesty condone the activity. Of course the Lieutenant wasn’t known for his sense of humour and I had a job to do……that was the name of the game.

Roll on forty years and the name of the game has changed courtesy of the Israeli weapons R&D guys.

I presume the soldier can also press ‘Record’ to get a lasting image of the look of astonishment on the face of the target and his last words…Holy Mohammed, where did that come fr………

Heads up from old Army mate Joe.

DEFENCE chief Angus Houston has ordered a full investigation into video images posted on the internet showing skylarking Australian soldiers in Baghdad brandishing weapons.

I was alerted to this yesterday with receipt of a Defence Media release that the Australian used as a basis for their front page ‘serious news’ type headlines. OK, slightly off-key, a bit tacky, maybe not very professional but all indications are that it is really a minor misdemeanor and should be handled at company/Major level and certainly shouldn’t be remanded past the Commanding Officer.

Brig Jim Wallace, ex SASR officer and now a devoted christian sees it this way as well while predicably, a ‘never heard of him before’ academic, has been assailed in his ivory tower by the ABC to put the episode and Defence in a poor light.

He meets the requirement by stating;

… the offensive videos at the centre of the latest army scandal show soldiers see themselves as separate from the rest of the community. The soldiers found responsible for the video, in which one holds a gun to the head of a man in Arab dress and another is shown quickdrawing his handgun, could be thrown out of the army.

Identified as Social researcher at Flinders University and former infantry soldier Dr Ben Wadham he reiterates his point;

“Trophy shots are like an artefact of military culture – they show us that the military sees itself as separate from the broader community,” he said.

I wonder what regiment Ben served in….I’ve got a quid it was the local University Regiment as he gives the impression of considering himself a far more worthy person than us common infantrymen.

A bit tacky, as Ive said but it really doesn’t warrant headlines unless balanced with articles on the pressures that these guys operate under.

A beat-up.

UPDATE: CB has supplied the good doctor’s resume in comments Nothing there to change my original thoughts.

UPDATE I: The good doctor has commented and I withdraw the put-down “I’ve got a quid it was the local University” as has seen real service in 2/4RAR.  (read comments)

A small article in the Courier Mail highlights combat pay rates for Aussies overseas (no link)

The federal Government will review the pay and conditions of Commandos serving in Afghanistan who are paid $28,000 less a year than their SAS comrades. Their skill levels are about 90% of those of an SAS soldier but they are paid a Special Operation Allowance of only #12,880 a year or $247 a week. SAS troops receive a Special Actions Forces Allowance of $40,979 a year of $788 a week.

Travel overseas for free, get given uniforms and a huge range of Ultimate Boy’s Toys to play with and then meet lots of interesting people and get to shoot at some of them. Tons of fun plus receive an allowance of near $800 a week over and above your salary all with serious tax concessions.

Great job…can’t understand why recruiting is down.

As an historical point, I seem to recall everyone in Vietnam got the same combat pay although base pay rates varied and that combat pay would buy 4 packets of cigarettes a week in todays shops.

And for those readers who never understand when I’m being flippant, they all deserve every penny they get….I’m just jealous.

I wonder what our allies are getting? Does any reader know?