The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country. George S Patton junior
These, in the day when heaven was falling,
The hour when earth’s foundations fled,
Followed their mercenary calling
And took their wages and are dead.
Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
They stood, and earth’s foundations stay;
What God abandoned, these defended,
And saved the sum of things for pay. A E Housman, Last Poems 1922, Epitaph on Army of Mercenaries
In the 1990s thousands of young people came to Deepcut to learn to be soldiers. Four of them would die here in mysterious circumstances. Today a coroner said one – Cheryl James – had taken her own life. After twenty years recruits are speaking out about a culture of bullying and abuse. Deepcut: The Army’s Shame, BBC 2016
There was a wider culture of brutality at the base. ibid.
Cheryl: she’d died from a single bullet wound to the head. ibid.
‘You still hear those stories today – this sexualised culture remains entrenched and a very difficult problem with the army.’ ibid.
We cannot know the full extent of bulling and sexual assault at the base or other army facilities. ibid.
These images were shot in 2004 in the city centre of Baghdad by a non-professional. A guerrilla ambush as it occurs almost every single day. Waging war inside these bullet-proof SUVs these men aren’t in any way armed forces but private security guards – they are in the front line. They even have their own helicopters. In Iraq there are 20,000 or so civilians who operate on behalf of private security companies. Private Armies aka Inside Blackwater: Iraq’s Most Controversial Private Military Contractor, 2007
Kabul: it’s one of the main operating grounds of these private companies throughout the world. ibid.
The United Kingdom systematically delegates the protection of its embassies located in risky countries to private companies. ibid.
Blackwater: the world’s largest private training centre. ibid.
The army, air and sea cadets – youth organisations where nearly 130,000 children in British seek fun and adventure. Overseen by the ministry of defence, the state is responsible for the welfare of cadets. Children who join the cadets make a promise to serve loyally, but for some that promise was betrayed. People in positions of power abused their trust and committed the most serious crimes, crimes that in many cases were covered up. Panorama: Cadet Abuse Cover-Up, BBC 2017
We’ve found a pattern – of senior member of the cadet forces who knew abuse was going on but didn’t report it to the police. ibid.
They were hunting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Coalition troops raided thousands of homes. Tonight, the SAS death squads that arrived in the night. We reveal secret killings by British special forces. People shot dead after surrendering. Evidence of executions. And cover-ups by the men in charge. Panorama: SAS Death Squads Exposed: A British War Crime? Richard Bilton reporting, BBC 2022
For Australians, it’s a national scandal … The Australians worked closely with UK and American special forces. ibid.
We have eye-witness testimony about executions. ibid.
The British army in 2017 finds itself in unchartered territory. They’ve not been at war for three years. After controversial campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan there’s a political reluctance to put boots on the ground. There’s also widespread opposition to military intervention. The army’s budgets are under increasing pressure. Army: Behind the New Frontlines s1e1: The Battle for Mosul, BBC 2017
But now with the rise of so-called Islamic state, the threat of a new cold war in eastern Europe, and famine and conflict in sub-Saharan Africa the British army have to play a new role in a deeply unstable world. ibid.
The army returns to Iraq where they have a bloody history. ibid.
179 British soldiers were killed in action. ibid.
Can the British army deter Russian expansion into eastern Europe and avoid being drawn into a costly new war? Army: Behind the New Frontlines s1e2: The New Cold War, BBC 2017
Since Putin came to power in 2000 Russia has been building its military might. It has 770,000 soldiers and more tanks than any other country. It spends a third of its national budget on defence. ibid.
‘How many Russians across the border – a hundred thousand odd? Army: Behind the Front Lines s1e3: Keeping the Peace in South Sudan, training briefing
The British army is deployed to one of the most dangerous places in the world, on a UN peace keeping operation to protect thousands fleeing South Sudan’s civil war. ibid.
South Sudan is the world’s newest country. It gained independence in 2011 but quickly descended into civil war. ibid.
The camp is their only safe haven … The camp has now trebled in size making it the second largest city in South Sudan. Just 1,200 UN peacekeepers protect 120,000 civilians here. ibid.
By autumn 1916, two years into the First World War, the British army had lost over a quarter of a million soldiers. As more and more men were drafted into frontline duty, the vital supply-lines they had manned started drying up leaving the allies teetering on the brink of defeat. At this crucial point in the war a distant ally sent a secret army of 140,000 men to the western front – that army was Chinese. Secret History: Britain’s Forgotten Army, Channel 4 2017
China was ready to support the allies in the hope they would receive a sympathetic hearing in their bid for sovereignty. ibid.
Conditions were so poor that over 700 died from sickness and disease on the journey. ibid.
The labourers were recruited as civil contractors and not military personnel. ibid.
‘In that year the contribution of the Chinese was far more important than the American contributions.’ ibid. military expert
‘They painted over the far-East allies.’ ibid. art expert
1645: The New Model Army: this was England’s first truly professional fighting force. Monarchy by David Starkey s2e5: Cromwell the King Killer, Channel 4 2005
These men are here to learn how to kill. Many are still teenagers and have never lived away from home. They are about to begin the Parachute Regiment’s elite 28-week recruitment course: it’s the most brutal test of body and mind in the British army. The Paras: Men of War I, ITV 2018
Catterick Barracks north Yorkshire: the platoon leaves the barracks for the first time to begin the very basics of being a paratrooper. ibid.
‘My body: I just don’t feel it’s ready yet.’ The Paras: Men of War II, recruit
As part of removing their civilian identity they’ve all been given the name Joe. ibid.
‘It’s the hardest training you can do. I want a bit of that.’ ibid. recruit
For the next month the physical training is intensified. This stage is called Beat Up. ibid.
124,036. Just 13 of the original 40 have made it to the end. (Army & Soldier) ibid.
Private Kojo-Braima was given a second chance in a new platoon. He’s now made it to week 20 of a 28 week course. The Paras: Men of War III
Private Kojo-Braima passed the Paras’ training course winning the prize for best endeavour. ibid.
Over the course of time armies have changed beyond recognition as have the conduct and methods of combat. Their weapons have become more sophisticated and powerful. Their fighting skills broader and more adaptable to circumstances and terrains. But what remains unchanged is their innate ability when required to assume power over a country if and when the politicians fail. Secret Wars Uncovered s1e9: Coups D’etat, History 2020
‘Coups usually occur when there is a lot of political uncertainly in the country.’ ibid. Professor Tim Forsyth
In 1969 Colonel Gaddafi tricked his way into power in Libya … Just seventy junior officers were responsible. ibid.
Nasser had overthrown a monarchy and remade his country as a thriving republic. ibid.
The United States also saw a threat growing in the country from a new socialist political powerhouse: he [Allende] was a doctor, he loved fine wine and expensive suits … Under orders from the White House, the CIA and National Security Council drew up a twin track plan … Track Two of the military plan was a military takeover. ibid.
Over the course of time armies have changed beyond recognition as have the conduct and methods of combat. Their weapons have become more sophisticated and powerful. Their fighting skills broader and more adaptable to circumstances and terrains. But what remains unchanged is their innate ability when required to assume power over a country if and when the politicians fail. Secret Wars Uncovered s1e9: Coups D’etat
‘Coups usually occur when there is a lot of political uncertainly in the country.’ ibid. Professor Tim Forsyth
In 1969 Colonel Gaddafi tricked his way into power in Libya … Just seventy junior officers were responsible. ibid.