[GZG] Gurkhas get to stay in the UK + bonus Pirates!

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t an interesting news piece I happened across:

http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Gurkhas-win-battle-to-stay.4544386.jp

I roomed with an older lady when I was in my final year of high school
(parents had moved) and her husband (deceased) had been a British officer who
had led Gurkhas (and the assigned bodygaurd of King Farouk of Egypt too). She
always said he thought they were fantastic troops but that they had to be
handled with discretion because officers who made them annoyed tended to not
last (in the very literal sense) very long.

I also remember one of my best buddies from university saying his Navy team
shot against a team of Gurkhas at CF SAC (Canadian Forces Small Arms
Competition). They timed the other teams as a matter of course. One of the
Gurkhas did a 100m rundown for a shoot, in webgear in combat boots with rifle,
in just under 12 seconds. During the ensuing 2 km squad run at the
end with full gear, most teams staggered through around the 16-18 minute
mark pretty tired. The Gurkha team crossed in 14 minutes... laughing. At the
part afterwards, one of them was doing standing backflips. Now, these were
probably the best of a fairly select lot, but definitely not your average
troopers...

Oh, and as a bonus for scenario fodder:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=aLdKkAspo_EA&refer=a
frica
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/699351d8-8ec5-11dd-946c-0000779fd18c.html

Kind of reminds me of stories of the Barbary Pirates before they got their
hash settled for them by annoying the wrong people. There has to be some FT
and SG/FMAS scenarios in this kind of stuff.

TomB

> Tom B wrote:
<snip>

They are very, very good and have served with distinction and honour for

decades. All I can say is our governments behaviour has been despicable

and pathetic, as usual. At least the courts may finally make them see sense.

I first learned of the Gurkhas at a young age when the SPI game for Cassino
came out. The game had special night fighting rules that Gurkhas

excelled at. I remember overusing those units when playing against my father
because I thought the night attack was just too cool.

Shocking to hear that for so long they've been labeled as not having "strong
ties". But then native U.S. allies in Vietnam such as the Montainyards didn't
fare too well at the end of that conflict either.

Along with the pirate news I also caught a piece on French troops capturing 6
pirates after a dramatic chase involving Puma and Gazelle helicopters. Snipers
from the Puma took out the engines of the vehicles and then troops landed in
the Gazelles to seize the 6 stunned pirates.

-Mark Kinsey

> Tom B wrote:

> (parents had moved) and her husband (deceased) had been a British

> of Egypt too). She always said he thought they were fantastic troops

> team shot against a team of Gurkhas at CF SAC (Canadian Forces Small

> around the 16-18 minute mark pretty tired. The Gurkha team crossed in
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=aLdKkAspo_EA&refer=a
frica
> [quoted text omitted]
<http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=aLdKkAspo_EA&refer=
africa>
> http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/699351d8-8ec5-11dd-946c-0000779fd18c.html

> be some FT and SG/FMAS scenarios in this kind of stuff.