66 articles
(Read part 7 HERE) We were now beginning to feel like soldiers. The trees are a tough environment and people were falling by the wayside at an alarming rate. I always remember one DS (Directing Staff) saying “If you imagine trying to get through a bush covered in thorns whilst its pissing down with rain in […]
I get asked all the time “what should I do if I’m caught up in a terror attack?” There are many ways to increase your chances of survival, and one thing we can all do is incorporate appropriate kit in our everyday carry. I now have a complete set of items which will help me […]
London’s problems continued this week as an unknown man drove a car through worshippers outside a Mosque in Finsbury Park. Ramadan is in full swing and far from being a peaceful time it has descended into chaos as people who have no understanding of anything religious conduct tit for tat style attacks. From one community, […]
Politics has never done it for me. I have always gone with what the majority have decided. As a soldier if I voted for a party which never won, I would have trouble fighting for them. If I stand up for what the majority of people want, then I have purpose. That theory is fine until […]
Too little too late, shutting the gate after the horse has bolted and told you so, are all things I’ve heard being said about the latest terror attacks in London not two weeks since ISIS TARGETED AND KILLED CHILDREN in Manchester. In the same breath I hear we shouldn’t have a shoot kill policy, policemen […]
Getting out of the forces is a daunting time for any soldier. Life in Civvy Street if far more complex than the military regimen guys are used to. In many cases soldiers have joined in they’re late teens and are knocking on 30 or 40 years plus when they leave. This has given them no […]
There are few things which surprise or shock me anymore. Although terrorism sickens me, it is a part of the world we live in and over the years I have learned to live with it. As I have said before, there is nothing new in people committing gross acts of violence in one name or another […]
The first phase of the trees is a learning phase, and although you remain tactical in the Harbor area, you still have to attend lessons. There is never a minute when you can afford to switch off. If the drill sergeants think you fucked up, they’ll send you directly to the ERV—the emergency rendezvous. If the area were […]
I have a passion for history and a belief that as a soldier we need to understand the past to forge the future. Damien Lewis is an incredible author and below is an introduction to his latest work. In 2008 the world’s foremost arms-dealer to rebel and terrorist groups was sentenced in a US court […]
Locked up for shooting a Taliban insurgent while conducting operations in 2011, Royal Marine Sergeant Al Blackman must have wondered what the fuck was going on. He’d become the first British soldier to be convicted of a battlefield murder while serving abroad since WWII. Video of him in the act was discovered by police during the investigation of an unrelated […]
Read Part 4 HERE The harbor area was buzzing with guys preparing their little camp areas. In addition to your own space, there was also a patrol space to prepare, as well as other areas as directed by the drill sergeants. To further complicate things, there was a permanent sentry position being manned on each aspect, along […]
Note: You can read part one of the author’s “I will never be a civilian” series here. I was not doing too well at school, and although I was intelligent, I had trouble concentrating. I was always in trouble, mainly for being too boisterous. I was assessed as having a high IQ and was offered the chance for […]