Geoffrey Van Orden MBE MEP

[Christel]

http://www.geoffreyvanorden.com/

This chap is one of the good guys.

Supports hunting and wants the Brits to govern their own country. Does not want an European army.

Re EU's Firearms Directive he is concerned that the firearms industry has not been properly consulted. He does not think the EU should amend UK gun laws, the UK laws are strict enough.

Got anything to say?

geoffrey.vanorden(at)europarl.europe.eu

[Chuck]

Sounds OK - hope he has friends who think the same.

Meanwhile the EU wants us to send 500 troops to help protect borders....

[Rab]

The thought of a European Army makes me shudder. Not sure how it would work out between the military commanders but I can just see the empire building and the BS from the politicians. In a crisis, by the time those idiots agreed and made a decision it would be too late to do anything.

There is a rather good book by a guy called Chris Nuttall called the Fall of Night, available for download on Amazon for Kindle and PC. It's about an attack on Europe that has a European Army, man what a clusterf**k it is.

[nickb834]

The thought of a European Army makes me shudder. Not sure how it would work out between the military commanders.....

In practice it works out quite well, having served in Germany we excercised a lot with the Germans, Danes, Dutch, Polish etc (not so much the yanks though - weird)

Commanders at the top such as in AFCENT, AFNORTH etc - that's where the integration really happens. Lower down you'll have say British Divisions / Brigades with for eg Danish brigades / regiments attached - works quite well.

That and the fact that "they all speak English (tm) (c)"......seriously, the Danes - perfect english and grammar - better than a lot of the morons I served with! (case in point, an MT Sgt thought the opposite of internal was "outternal")

So purely from a military point of view - we're all golden, how one would expect each home nations force to react to orders contrary to their own nations interest - well that's likely the sticking point. But then if what they're currently after is 500 peeps to become some task force - that's very doable - happens all the time on UN operations.

[Chuck]

Maybe the worry is who controls it and is it an alternative / superior to our OWN armed forces...God forbid Merkel was ever in charge.

[Rab]

Nick, I reckon the military would get along fine, like you I have worked with a few of the NATO Armies when I was serving. No it's politicians I think would be the problem.

[Airbrush]

Nick, I reckon the military would get along fine, like you I have worked with a few of the NATO Armies when I was serving. No it's politicians I think would be the problem.

Nothing new there then.