20th December 2012
Washington DC, USA
Yesterday, the UK Prime Minister announced to Parliament plans for a reduction in UK military forces in Afghanistan in 2013. The decision to “draw-down” our forces from 9,000 to around 5,200 reflects the significant progress in transitioning security responsibility to the Afghan government. This is a positive outcome and testament to the effort put in […]
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7th December 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Yesterday I went to hear the Chief of Army, Lieut. Gen. David Morrison, launch a book by one of his officers, our friend Malcolm McGregor. The book “An Indian Summer of Cricket” is about a love for cricket and for the army. It also tells the story of his brave gender reassignment over the last […]
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23rd July 2012
Washington DC, USA
British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond was in the US last week. Nothing unusual there you might expect. British Defence Secretaries do indeed see their American counterparts pretty regularly. What struck me about this visit though was the focus on the future. For ten years we have been the closest partners in the military operations of […]
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23rd May 2012
Harare, Zimbabwe
So Chicago has come and gone and the outcome has ensured the international community’s commitment post 2014. The funding pledges for Afghan security forces have been made; the international community has signalled it is with Afghanistan for the long-term but reminded their public of why we are here; “ to stop it becoming a haven […]
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10th May 2012
Washington DC, USA
At this month’s NATO summit in Chicago, the UK, US and our allies will have a hard look at how we are equipped to confront threats in the twenty-first century. Recent NATO missions have shown the benefit of modern capabilities and Smart Defence. Unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles and smart munitions were crucial to the […]
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25th April 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Up at 4.30am. And it’s my birthday. But I would not want to miss the privilege of attending ANZAC Day, Australia’s national day of commemoration for those who have sacrificed their lives serving Australia, in many conflicts over the years since the Gallipoli landings began 97 year ago today. The Australian War Memorial is one […]
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13th April 2012
Washington DC, USA
Today the US/UK Defence Trade Cooperation Treaty comes into effect. In a ceremony presided by Rose Gottemoeller, the acting US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, our two countries finalised an agreement originally signed five years ago to strengthen our mutual security and build our shared prosperity. British and American manufacturers […]
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4th April 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Guest blog by Major Kirsty Baxter, Assistant Military Attaché Kyiv There is an explosion; then we hear the screams for help. Quickly we turn and jog back down the path. Our group of military attachés and Ukrainian officers find a badly injured sergeant, his foot blown off by a mine booby-trap. As he begs for […]
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29th February 2012
Washington DC, USA
General George S. Patton once told his troops, “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” At the Marine Corps Trials at Camp Pendleton last weekend, some extraordinary Royal Marines—who have already faced their full share of challenges—competed and felt the exhilaration of victory. The Trials are an eight-sport competition for all wounded, […]
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11th October 2011
Bucharest, Romania
Guest blogger: Colonel Giles Orpen-Smellie, the British Defence Attaché, on his contribution to the visit by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to Bucharest It was a pleasure to be able to address the British Parliamentary delegation, led by Sir Menzies Campbell MP, a former leader of the British Liberal-Democrat Party, who visited Bucharest over the weekend […]
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