Where can we find peace for our inner struggles?
Friends, peace IS possible; even while wars continue to rage, even while fighting in one yourself – battles come in many forms – because, we can obtain peace on the inside…
Buglers were used on the battlefields of old before the advent of other means of communication, like the radio, were brought into use. The British Military has a long tradition of their use….
A LOE (Limit of Exploitation) is an essential component in the field of battle. Humans need boundaries and limits placed upon us as we have a tendency to stray off track easily.
During the Napoleonic Wars, in particular, the Peninsula Wars, whenever storming a breach was necessary, volunteers would be sought to carry out the action as the first wave ‘into the breach’ to take a fortress. This was called the Forlorn Hope – it’s a forlorn Hope, because you weren’t expected to survive.
“One of the luckiest incidents of the tour (Telic 5) was on a dawn patrol along a prominent road, in Iraq, carrying out regular route clearance and checking for possible Improvised Explosive Device (IED) threats…”
By far the worst kind of enemy is the one you don’t see coming. As unpleasant as straight down the line war-fighting is, at least you know what you are up against.
In the 18th/19th centuries, it was by receiving the Kings/Queens shilling that you were signed up to become a soldier. Many discovered the shilling that had been dropped into their beer jugs and thus found themselves ‘volunteering’ for military service…
There’s nothing worse than trying to soldier on with kit that’s in clip. I remember the dread of going to exchange kit at the stores and it was like trying to get blood out of a stone!
When Night Vision Goggles came into use it revolutionised the way we carry out night ops. It can still be precarious though, because you can only see so far ahead of you, so proceeding with caution is still a wise move.
Every frontline branch of the military will have its own Recce sections. For example, the SF will be able to reconstruct buildings, whole villages and rehearse complex plans to ensure the best outcome and mission success based on a good reconnaissance patrol.
Walking With the Word : Paul Curd 