Thanks Yanks.

[Gene Hunt]

I have attached a link here to a very humbling article .. http://www.michaelyon-online.com/do-americans-care-about-british-soldiers.htm

It describes the efforts required to save the life of a seriously wounded British soldier by numerous Americans, a man they did not know and who is alive today despite having his complete blood supply replaced TEN times due to his injuries. The list of the assets and personnel involved is staggering. In the cynical times we live in, and whatever your views on the actions out there, I think this is humanity at its very best and a story worth bringing to peoples attention.

Michael Yon does some great reporting. He is supported only by voluntary contributions. If you want to read some accurate first hand reporting without all the newspaper rhetoric then check out his despatches. I am very proud to support him in his efforts to tell it like it actually is.

[tonkatojo]

I have attached a link here to a very humbling article .. http://www.michaelyon-online.com/do-americans-care-about-british-soldiers.htm

It describes the efforts required to save the life of a seriously wounded British soldier by numerous Americans, a man they did not know and who is alive today despite having his complete blood supply replaced TEN times due to his injuries. The list of the assets and personnel involved is staggering. In the cynical times we live in, and whatever your views on the actions out there, I think this is humanity at its very best and a story worth bringing to peoples attention.

Michael Yon does some great reporting. He is supported only by voluntary contributions. If you want to read some accurate first hand reporting without all the newspaper rhetoric then check out his despatches. I am very proud to support him in his efforts to tell it like it actually is.

Brilliant article. The lad got no better assistance than should be afforded to all comrades injured, nationality should not come into it.
Your right about the tripe and crap that comes from the press. And I don't mean the bloke who wrote it, nor do I think the Yanks favour their own first in such situations.

[Phill]

Gripping article. Thanks for sharing that one.

This is a stunning example of a coalition and just how it should operate. The sad indictment is that the UK does not have the resources available to mount such an operation. The government would rather line the pockets of the bankers, but that is another thread that has been done to death on many forums.

This is a fine example of the one thing the Yanks put the UK to shame with. If any of their own (and in this case not) is subject to hostilities, kidnap, attack, serious injury due to aggression or in a theatre of war in far slung parts of the world, their reaction is swift, decisive and dynamic in order to achieve rescue, extraction, medical evacuation - whatever.
The UK may send a diplomat to have a cup of tea with someone instead.

This is not an criticism on the people serving in the forces in Afghanistan or anywhere else, they most certainly have the resolve, aptitude and determination to carry out such tasks....if ever they get the resources to do it.

I'm going to stop ranting now as it'll turn into a thread drift. But more journalism like this is needed to get to the masses, not the pathetic headline grabbing, bog paper selling trash that is normally churned out.

[/rant]

[oldmarine]

I have attached a link here to a very humbling article .. http://www.michaelyon-online.com/do-americans-care-about-british-soldiers.htm

It describes the efforts required to save the life of a seriously wounded British soldier by numerous Americans, a man they did not know and who is alive today despite having his complete blood supply replaced TEN times due to his injuries. The list of the assets and personnel involved is staggering. In the cynical times we live in, and whatever your views on the actions out there, I think this is humanity at its very best and a story worth bringing to peoples attention.

Michael Yon does some great reporting. He is supported only by voluntary contributions. If you want to read some accurate first hand reporting without all the newspaper rhetoric then check out his despatches. I am very proud to support him in his efforts to tell it like it actually is.

Gene, thanks for your comments. When I served during WW2 I found the Brits to be great allies. They helped many of us get out of tight places when we thought we were not going to make it out.

[ciderally]

nice one thanks for that xx

[Whitewater]

Thank you for sharing that Gene, its great to hear about all the unseen and unheralded help given to our soldiers by our allies. Sadly in the media we really don't see of hear about any of this, our allies have only seemed to make the headlines in our media when there has been an unfortunate "friendly fire" incident.

[Gene Hunt]

Thank you for sharing that Gene, its great to hear about all the unseen and unheralded help given to our soldiers by our allies. Sadly in the media we really don't see of hear about any of this, our allies have only seemed to make the headlines in our media when there has been an unfortunate "friendly fire" incident.

Have to agree, the Americans go above what is required in many ways. I got sick of the "our brave boys" rhetoric from the red tops. There are loads of great stories that will be never be told because these hacks act like the troops are there for their benefit. When I came back from Iraq I was really angry at the reality of the place I saw and the perception that the headline writers wanted us to have. When you see the way that young lads aged just 18 or so perform day after day it is impressive and very humbling.

Michael Yon spends a lot of time with British Troops and paints a very accurate picture of what our lads go through, this is a very good report from when we were in Basra .. http://www.michaelyon-online.com/men-of-valor-part-v.htm

[rich]

The reporter might have mentioned the Canadian armed forces. The way his piece is written you'd never know Canadians were there! Just one mention - perhaps in the second or even leading paragraph would have been diplomatic!

if you look back at Vietnam the great accomplishments of the United States Force were all in the medical evacuation area. The medical teams were outstanding and pioneered what is now (alas!) a burgeoning medical specialty.

We can be sure the Talaban does not get any treatment like this, yet still they go into battle. It's a contrast that leaves me feeling a little morally uneasy. These are brave people, think what you like of their political insanity.

And what of our Afghans allies for whom we are fighting? They seem to be left out of the fraternal back-slapping altogether. Finally I am not happy with the idea of the general population raising money to send journalists to Afghanistan or any war zone.

[Gene Hunt]

The reporter might have mentioned the Canadian armed forces. The way his piece is written you'd never know Canadians were there! Just one mention - perhaps in the second or even leading paragraph would have been diplomatic!

if you look back at Vietnam the great accomplishments of the United States Force were all in the medical evacuation area. The medical teams were outstanding and pioneered what is now (alas!) a burgeoning medical specialty.

We can be sure the Talaban does not get any treatment like this, yet still they go into battle. It's a contrast that leaves me feeling a little morally uneasy. These are brave people, think what you like of their political insanity.

And what of our Afghans allies for whom we are fighting? They seem to be left out of the fraternal back-slapping altogether. Finally I am not happy with the idea of the general population raising money to send journalists to Afghanistan or any war zone.

Rich,

Everyone out there is aware of the Candians and their efforts, and the fact they have taken the highest casualty rate. You have missed the point entirely of what Michael Yon does. He reports purely what HE sees, if he was embedded with Canadian troops then that would be the basis of his next dispatch. He isnt out there to blanket report on the place he is there to give an honest one man account of what he sees. He also takes his own photographs for instance. But if you want a report on Canadian troops why not contact him and suggest it !!, it would all depend on whether they were happy to have him with them at the end of the day though.

You might not be happy with people like myself sending money out to fund an accurate report of what actually goes on. Tough, quite frankly. I will support who I like. I do it because having been there at the same time as him I know his reports are accurate. He tells it like it is instead of the rhetoric loaded drivel that the vast majorty of hacks pump out to suit an Editor thousands of miles away.

And the Taliban arent brave. Only a fool faces down an Apache sending flechette rockets at him, and only a coward plants a roadside bomb in the dark and then crawls away to throw acid in the face of a girl daring to go to school.

[rich]

Before you work youself into any more of a rage about the alleged distortions of the mainstream media in Afghanistan could you provide some examples?

[Gene Hunt]

Before you work youself into any more of a rage about the alleged distortions of the mainstream media in Afghanistan could you provide some examples?

Stop fishing Rich. It aint happening.

I am not in a "rage" about the mainstream media. I have just seen them witness incidents, then report it one way and then change it after a phone call to their Editor. I was a TA Signaller in Iraq for nearly five months and had a lot of contact with them. Hence I dont trust them one iota and like them even less. I have no idea who you are so OPSEC and PERSEC means I cant and wont discuss details. You could very well be a Journo on an internet fishing trip.

One that is in the public domain though were the Daily Mirrior "pictures" showing alleged abuse of Iraqi's that were swallowed by all the Media. If an enterprising journo had asked any soldier they would have been told that the SA80 in the pictures was a Mark One and was no longer issued for instance.

But they were too focused on just piling in on us to be interested in the truth.

[rich]

An SA 80 is an assault weapon, in case anyone was wondering.
Gene, your readiness to attack the media perplexes me but attitudes like yours are commonplace and disturbing.
I asked you for information about the alleged incompetence of the media and so far you are not deigning to provide me with any.
Not for a moment do I believe that the correspondents in the field in Afghanistan are saints. I am sure there is a bar in Khabul someplace where the reporters are sitting around drinking beer and swapping rumors. I know that is is a truism to say that in war the first casualty is the truth.
But surely one would not include Robert Fisk in this or Patrick Cockburn or Rorie Stuart.. I enclose a web site below which reflects a variety of journalistic opinions. It looks to me as if the standard of reporting and analysis is first rate and far superior to anything in the Daily Mail!

http://afghancentral.blogspot.com/2009/05/patrick-coburn-on-bala-baluk-massacre.html

[Gene Hunt]

An SA 80 is an assault weapon, in case anyone was wondering.
Gene, your readiness to attack the media perplexes me but attitudes like yours are commonplace and disturbing.
I asked you for information about the alleged incompetence of the media and so far you are not deigning to provide me with any.
Not for a moment do I believe that the correspondents in the field in Afghanistan are saints. I am sure there is a bar in Khabul someplace where the reporters are sitting around drinking beer and swapping rumors. I know that is is a truism to say that in war the first casualty is the truth.
But surely one would not include Robert Fisk in this or Patrick Cockburn or Rorie Stuart.. I enclose a web site below which reflects a variety of journalistic opinions. It looks to me as if the standard of reporting and analysis is first rate and far superior to anything in the Daily Mail!

http://afghancentral.blogspot.com/2009/05/patrick-coburn-on-bala-baluk-massacre.html

Go back and read my previous post again Rich. Particularly the bit where I said I dont who you are and I cant and wont go into details regarding OPSEC and PERSEC. And I wasnt aware that I have to explain my opinions to you anyway. I wouldnt know about Correspondents in Afghanistan and Kabul to be honest as I was in Iraq.

Rich, my opinons on the media reporting of Iraq/Afghanistan are based on what I saw with my own eyes, its my personal opinion. I am aware of Robert Fisk though and I wouldnt wipe my backside with the stuff of his that I now regret reading. I like Michael Yon because having been there I relate and can tell its true to life and accurate. If you disagree with my view fine but I dont have to justify it to you.

[rich]

Gene, your language re Robert Fisk is a little intemperate but I'm sure he's used to being abused after all these years. Rory Stewart (sorry re spelling) is standing as a Conservative candidate in the next election. I beg you you to read him.His book "The Places in Between" is widely available. Go look him up on wikopedia. You could be in for a pleasant surprise.
And so back to military medicine.
Click below to find out about hard times at Walter Reed hospital. Are things any better in Britain or Canada. One would hope so....

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/bal-te.militarymed29mar29,0,6680487.story

[rich]

And here's another story about military medicine. Answer me this, Gene, should journalists not cover this type of story? Is it not true that one of the values we are seeking in being in Afghanistan in the first place is to give them the chance to develop a free press?
Perhaps you need to think things through....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/17/AR2007021701172.html

[Gene Hunt]

Well Done Rich.

You have butchered a really good thread. Are you incapable of grasping the concept that my views are my own and based on more than one journo and more than one incident. I like Michael Yon because his reporting is accurate based on my experiences. He doesnt worry about selling copies and therfore doesnt slant his stories left and right.

I dont want to get involved in a debate on what the Press do and dont report as I dont care anymore. You will read what you want and I will do the same.

Discussion Over.

EDIT .. If I appear grumpy its because I have a major ear infection.