Actually, when I went and checked the facts I was glad I hadn't confirmed my signing up to the petition in question
The AFPS service "medal" is a bit of a non-issue as far as I'm concerned and I also have no major (geddit?) problem with MP's who join the AFPS holding an nominal rank (of Major of course!). If it encourages them to get out and about and see what our troops have to deal with (and not just in the war zones but at home as well) then it's got to be a good thing (and if buttering up their precious little egos with a uniform and a badge does the trick ...!) To get the "medal" they have to be in the AFPS for 10 years putting in at least 22 days a year with the military and so far only 10 MP's have qualified out of around 200 who have participated in the AFPS scheme. There are far more important issues to get riled up about! The fact that our troops are getting blown to bits with horrifying regularity fighting an almost certainly un-winnable conflict bothers me a hell of a lot more than a few MP's playing at being soldiers! (If the entire might of the Soviet military machine couldn't defeat the Afghans using everything short of tactical nukes, what chance have our lads and lasses got when they've got to operate within strict rules of engagement?) Bru > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of Bruce Napier > Sent: 17 February 2010 15:10 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [canals-list] Fw: MPs receiving Campaign Medals ~ It is so > wrong > > > On 17 Feb 2010, at 12:43, [email protected] wrote: > > > The only thing that I can find is a badge that they can get through > > the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. This is not an official > > medal, and cannot be worn as such. It is no different from the > > assorted mickey mouse medals that anyone can buy. It is certainly > > not a campaign medal. > > > > www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/7006304/MPs- > criticised-for-accepting-Mickey-Mouse-medals.html > > gives most of the detail. > > > OK, so it's not a campaign medal, but frankly it still sounds pretty > tacky. Wearing a uniform, giving each other ranks, getting the "medal" > at a ceremony in Speaker's House attended by senior Defence staff. > > Basically, because so few of our elected reps have genuine service in > the Forces (with a few honourable exceptions, admittedly) we now have > to bribe them with this stuff to find out what it's like. Like Andy > Murrison, they could always join the RNR or the TA and put themselves > in harm's way. Might make them a little more careful about taking us > to war... > > I'm not sorry I signed the petition. > -- > All the best > > Bruce > > Follow the building of Sanity Again at > http://sanityagain.blogspot.com/ > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > >
