Four serving soldiers from the 1st Battalion, the Parachute Regiment have been brought to book for using Jeremy’s benign and bewhiskered image for small-arms target practice.
What sanctions do they deserve, if any?
Such a way with words as always!
"Bemused, bothered and bewildered, am I…"
A month in Colchester cleaning loos.
If it is their idea of a joke they are too stupid to be allowed within 2 metres of a weapon, and if it isn’t a joke then they shouldn’t be in the army, you do not do that to the leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition when you are paid by the state.
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Oh for gods sake — really ?? I thought there were more important things to actually report on.
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The joys of social media, in today’s PC world you have to be so careful what you say and do as these soldiers will soon find out.
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Yes - really!!
Don’t forget that that this comes at a time when members of the armed forces are being prosecuted over (amongst others) Bloody Sunday and HMG have announced the possibility of armed troops on the streets of the United Kingdom in the event of a no-deal brexshit (now less likely following last night’s vote in the HoC) but the same principle applies. Squaddies brandishing live weapons - beggars belief that you should think there are more important things to report on.
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I view it slightly differently. Squaddies are humans and despite their training do get pissed off and frustrated like the rest of us. Personally I prefer that they express their frustrations away from the public on a paper target with some paint balls. It was stupid, and even more stupid to film it and post it on facebook, but they are young.
When I was a young apprentice we had a shooting range at work and used to adapt the targets - whatever was annoying at the time like our bosses (and it was 1976 so weather forecasters featured from time to time). The bosses knew and didn’t seem to care. It was a public sector job so I was paid by the state… I wouldn’t do it now, but things that seem perfectly reasonable at 16 are just not interesting in later life.
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Oh please forgive me Graham for responding to the sensationalism, in people calling for their heads !
Troops on the streets ?, i missed that. The again so fed up with the narrative in progress from not only the government but general public, that i have started to ignore most of it.
Don’t you think the troops on the streets speaks more of the state of what the public thinks they can get away with, and the regard for which they hold their fellow countrymen, that is starting to show the true state of the “backbone” of a deteriorating country.
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I think my concern is, I know that this sort of thing happens, it always has and always will , but discretely as a laugh between friends. It is a) the stupidity of putting it on social media b ) modern societies passion for playing out its life on social media that worries me
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My thoughts - is it genuine ? There’s so much ‘fake’ now, and some so clever - that those who might wish to discredit our lads in the Army wouldn’t miss the chance. But honestly - why put it out anyway. It’s like all the z-list celebs suddenly finding their silly self-regarding ‘sexy stuff’ pix they’ve been sending an ‘whatever’ becoming widely seen on-line. No sympathy for the stupids who do this - and that, if these pix are genuine, includes these daft army lads.
Mind you as far as I’m concerned they should have lined up pictures of the whole of Parliament for 650 quick rounds…
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Weren’t there 4 of them? That would be 2600 rounds (assuming one ‘pop’ each) and would severely dent the military’s budget in the event of an evasion by the Russian Federation… 
Oh, sorry, forgot - austerity has ended so wasting ammo no longer an issue.
Bet you are enjoying this Graham [ I would shoot the lot] Lees.
This comment pulled me up, Glenn, and made me think about the feverish nature of current debate, although the cross-the-aisle accord is a hopeful straw in the wind.
You are right about the troops, and they deserve our full cooperation and respect if they do have to be deployed. I believe they will have been properly prepared for any stabilising and enabling role they perform in the national interest. But I hope their services will not be required to keep the rest of us from going off the rails.
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In the military world, I am quite sure that JC is not a universal figure of love and affection, particularly as regards his support for the Republican movement at a time when many of their colleagues and predecessors were deployed to be shot at in Northern Ireland.
Rule no. 1. Don’t get caught.
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These soldiers were on a detachment performing close protection for VIP’s that could one day include JC! As a member of HM military you have a certain standard to uphold, using a photo of the leader of the opposition, then posting it on social media is conduct unbecoming. Personally, I worry that the dehumanization of real people as target practice sets a bad example. Has the country learnt nothing from the murder of Jo Cox? So yes, really… I say this as an ex serving member of HM armed forces, so understand the frustrations with those in power, but you take the Queen’s shilling, as it were.
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This is nuts! The troops were not harming anything or anyone. It is only a variation of the nasty boss/dart board game, played by thousands over many years.
To imagine that these guys would actually go out & shoot the man is just plain ridiculous. What about the punch bag with a picture of someone you do not like on it?
Sure, these guys have guns & know how & when to use them & none of them would dream of using them to harm a non combattant whatever they might think of them.
I would be more concerned about the fools who want to cut prison sentences of under a year. let car thieves & knife wielders off with warnings rather than criticise those who are prepared to die to protect these anti soldier loonies.
Let them release their frustration in this non harming manner (it was a picture for god’s sake) rather than make them stew on it.
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I did not realise that Jo Cox was shot by a soldier? Did he practice on a photo of her first or is this just a way to try & justify the criticism of a harmless act?
Also an ex soldier.
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