Posted on 02/19/2015 8:44:54 AM PST by C19fan
The German army has faced a shortage of equipment for years, but the situation has recently become so precarious that some soldiers took matters into their own hands.
On Tuesday, German broadcaster ARD revealed that German soldiers tried to hide the lack of arms by replacing heavy machine guns with broomsticks during a NATO exercise last year. After painting the wooden sticks black, the German soldiers swiftly attached them to the top of armored vehicles, according to a confidential army report which was leaked to ARD.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Never saw anything like that 35 years ago...guess that’s what happens when you think the Russian bear would no longer like to eat you.
They aren’t ready to defend their country, but at least they can play Quidditch.
“History”doesn’t”Repeat Itself”;We”Repeat History”because we REFUSE to LEARN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
‘Quidditch’
LOL! My very first thought, too!
Somehow I still think they would be able to overrun Belgium and northern France in record time.
“the Pre-WWII army using a wood carving of a machine gun during “
I think the American Pickers found one of those last season.
You guys don’t get it. There are Muslims to be fed and housed.
more.....
A defense ministry spokesperson said the use of broomsticks was not a common practice, and that the decision of the involved soldiers was ”hard to comprehend.” According to the ministry, the armored vehicles were furthermore not supposed to be armed. It remains unclear how many broomsticks were substituted for machine guns.
The awkward revelation on Tuesday came at the worst possible moment for Germany’s defense ministry. The same day, Ukraine’s army was about to suffer a defeat in the town of Debaltseve, putting a renewed focus on the question whether Europe’s NATO allies would be able to manage the crisis militarily without an American intervention, if necessary.
To make matters worse, the broom-equipped German soldiers belong to a crucial, joint NATO task force and would be the first to be deployed in case of an attack...
Bandleader, please see below for proper use of punctuation.
Weird Al Yankovic: Word Crimes
http://youtu.be/8Gv0H-vPoDc
If this news gets around, some 8 year old kid is going to draw a picture of a broom and get expelled for creating a hostile school environment.
To all: Please name the politicians who voted to lower the Defense Budget before the Korean War to such a low level that the American Task Force at the start of the Korean War had anti-tank weapons that just bounced off the front of the North Korean tanks?
Anybody? Nope. That’s why. We don’t hold the politicians responsible for their behavior. They should have rounded-up every politician who voted to cut the Defense Budget so low before the Korean War, and sent them all to the front lines.
It’s always “Joe” who pays the price with his blood and limbs and life for the politicians neglect.
Looks like this:
Modern German men? Maybe the rednecks out in the countryside. The educated, city class? They’d be using the brooms to clean and whining about the war cutting into their six weeks vacation.
My late Dad’s National Guard armory had a pair of those on display that they prized more than the real thing. When I was very young I got to polish them. ;-)
Nothing has changed, the US IS NATO.
The New Jersey State Police could overrun Belgium.
Lots of stories over the last year of just how unprepared, for anything, Euro militaries are.
The term “Paper Tiger” comes to mind.
Isn’t this what everyone wanted after WWII?
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