“We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives.”
– Plan 9 from Outer Space
Derek
April 29, 2014 10:00 am
Cheap but entirely fair. However, in future they will probably be ordered not to ear uniforms as it may offend certain sections of “society”.
dgos
April 29, 2014 8:04 pm
I did not comment on thread discussing role of reserves , which I found most interesting, as I do not have benefit of military matters beyond cert and Advanced proficiency – a long time ago.
However I spent career in operations with a Utility including planning Regional and National Emergency Exercises.
Surely one traditional use of reserves / volunteer formations was in case of major incidents – is there not a case for in military terms low level reserves that can provide in extremis a uniformed disciplined force with limited arms even as low as pump action shotguns with sniper support.
Excellent for providing basic training / selection for better things and home for the more experienced oldies.
Minimal transport but including amphibious vehicles, RIBS and possibly limited light stol / rotary / blimp air transport .
Basic engineering support .
Secure simple basic point to point coms with mobile base stations independent of civil base stations .
Or am I completely missing game.
x
April 29, 2014 8:21 pm
Beyond being a formed body of men for lugging stuff with their own transport and perhaps medical (limited) and a bit of engineering (aka civil and again limited) their role is purely to show the government is “doing something”. The UK isn’t Camberwick Green, we can’t always rely on Pippin Fort to save the day.
The pre-filled palletised sandbags (PFPS) supplied under the WATER VOLE project is a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme with the sandbags, sand, and transportation systems hired from a “public–private partnership” (PPP).
The pre-filled sandbags can be used for purposes other than shoring up the banks of undredged water systems, however there is a financial penalty and the WATER VOLE operators get first dibs on the business.
Note: They are not equipped to perform Boom Refilling of the sandbags.
Nice one. Is that why I did not see the vigourous pickaxe helve action, that TD will remember so well, during the recent inundations. The contract not providing for the use of G10 helves..
“We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives.”
– Plan 9 from Outer Space
Cheap but entirely fair. However, in future they will probably be ordered not to ear uniforms as it may offend certain sections of “society”.
I did not comment on thread discussing role of reserves , which I found most interesting, as I do not have benefit of military matters beyond cert and Advanced proficiency – a long time ago.
However I spent career in operations with a Utility including planning Regional and National Emergency Exercises.
Surely one traditional use of reserves / volunteer formations was in case of major incidents – is there not a case for in military terms low level reserves that can provide in extremis a uniformed disciplined force with limited arms even as low as pump action shotguns with sniper support.
Excellent for providing basic training / selection for better things and home for the more experienced oldies.
Minimal transport but including amphibious vehicles, RIBS and possibly limited light stol / rotary / blimp air transport .
Basic engineering support .
Secure simple basic point to point coms with mobile base stations independent of civil base stations .
Or am I completely missing game.
Beyond being a formed body of men for lugging stuff with their own transport and perhaps medical (limited) and a bit of engineering (aka civil and again limited) their role is purely to show the government is “doing something”. The UK isn’t Camberwick Green, we can’t always rely on Pippin Fort to save the day.
Yes but its a bit like the Navy’s objtion to being floating rozzers.
Army publicity is stuffed full of ‘3rd battalion Bwiiflesneezeshire rangers helping ‘the civil power’ with flood defence type pictures………
More worrying is the idea we are back to landrover and Bedford 4 tonner level. Of vehicles.
I wasn’t expecting The Amazing Criswell to get quoted on thinkdefence.co.uk :)
The past filling by hand.
The future pre-filled palletised sandbags.
Whats not to like. Unless we are importing the pre-filled sandbags from China.:-)
The pre-filled palletised sandbags (PFPS) supplied under the WATER VOLE project is a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme with the sandbags, sand, and transportation systems hired from a “public–private partnership” (PPP).
The pre-filled sandbags can be used for purposes other than shoring up the banks of undredged water systems, however there is a financial penalty and the WATER VOLE operators get first dibs on the business.
Note: They are not equipped to perform Boom Refilling of the sandbags.
(Disclaimer: I may have made all of this up)
@ Chris Werb
http://julieannwillis.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/keep-calm-and-expect-the-unexpected-20.png
@otherChris
Nice one. Is that why I did not see the vigourous pickaxe helve action, that TD will remember so well, during the recent inundations. The contract not providing for the use of G10 helves..