Posted on 01/30/2003 11:30:51 PM PST by MadIvan
 OUR own Captain Kennedy is standing by our dedicated hotline to take calls and queries from loved ones of our boys and girls in the Gulf. |
We are launching a pincer movement to provide vital back-up to the 32,000 servicemen and women preparing to risk their lives in a possible war on Iraq.
Operation SOS — Support Our Squaddies — which will be a major morale-booster over the dangerous weeks and months ahead, will operate on two fronts.
FRONT NUMBER ONE is a special dedicated telephone hotline to be manned by our own Captain Kennedy.
He will be ready to take calls from relatives and loved ones of our boys and girls and try to help them in any way he can.
Captain Kennedy — Steve to his mates — will be on duty to take calls to the hotline on 020 7782 4159.
Reporter Steve, 30, comes from an illustrious Army background. His great-grandfather took part in both World Wars, lying about his age to join up in the first and changing his name to fight for his country a second time.
FRONT NUMBER TWO is a special email address dedicated to our brave boys and girls: forces@the-sun.co.uk
If you are one of the servicemen or women going to the Gulf and you have a problem, send us an email.
Or you might want to send a loving message to Mum, Dad, a girlfriend or a boyfriend.
If you are the relative or friend of one of the troops please send us a tribute. And any one of our vast army of 10 million readers can send a message of support.
You may even represent a company with goodies to send out to cheer our forces up.
Our patriotic website will also be backing our boys to the hilt. From tomorrow, you can log on to www.thesun.co.uk/forces and read the messages of support for the troops.
There are also links to other forces’ sites and support groups and relatives can get questions answered about any aspect of life in the services.
Just email your questions with “FAQ” in the subject header and we’ll find the answer and post it on the website.
There’s a lot of Sun fun too — as we brighten up the day with our Forces Superbabes and Superhunks.
We want troops to tell us their favourite pin-ups and we’ll feature the most requested girls and guys in our gallery.
Send your requests to forces@the-sun.co.uk with “Pin-Ups” as the subject.
British troops going to the Gulf are made up of 26,000 soldiers, 1,100 RAF personnel and 5,000 Royal Marines and Royal Navy servicemen and women.
THE NAVY are supplying 16 ships headed by the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, destroyer HMS Liverpool and frigate HMS Marlborough.
THE AIR FORCE are sending three dozen Tornado, Harrier and Jaguar bombers to the Gulf. Just as in the last Gulf War in 1991, they will play a vital early role in bombing raids.
And AWACS planes will track movements of Iraqi troops and weapons.
THE ARMY is supplying 26,000 men and women — a quarter of its entire fighting strength.
The Desert Rats — the 4,000-strong 7th Armoured Brigade — will spearhead any land offensive in Iraq with their 120 Challenger tanks.
Signals Squadrons supported by Irish Guards from 4 Armoured Brigade and Light Infantry from 20 Armoured Brigade are also going. And the 16th Air Assault Brigade, which includes Paras, will drop in behind enemy lines.
Along with the SAS and the SBS, one of their key roles will be to secure Saddam’s oilfields before they can be destroyed.
And right behind all of our brave boys and girls will be The Sun and our legions of readers.
A Sun spokesman said: “The troops will love this. It will help to rub Saddam’s nose in it.”
By MAJOR GENERAL KEN PERKINS
Military Correspondent
AS the armed forces gear up for war, they need to know the country is behind them.
With The Sun establishing comprehensive back-up facilities they know that, as usual, the forces’ favourite paper is with them all the way.
The Sun understands them and has their welfare at heart.
It is great for morale to know that the most popular pages of the press are behind them with more than just words.
Quite a few of the reservists now putting on their uniform full-time never dreamed the call would come. They not only face the unknown but their normal lives are disrupted.
The Sun understands their predicament, and by its initiative the paper is doing something about it.
Then there are the families left behind – the wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends and children. It will comfort them to know The Sun understands their anxieties and is doing its best to help them.
Britain’s favourite paper is no novice at this sort of thing. Whenever the armed forces are in action, The Sun is there to support them.
There have been newspapers, videos, CDs and even Christmas puddings sent to troops in the past and morale-building stories for the readers at home.
It is vital our forces feel support from home –The Sun is the best at giving them that feeling.
Regards, Ivan
Thanks for the info Ivan
Like this tank! Challenger 2 is the Main Battle Tank of the British Army. The hull and automotive parts of the Challenger 2 are based upon its predecessor, the Challenger 1, but Challenger 2 incorporates over 150 improvements aimed at increasing reliability, maintainability and effectiveness. The turret of Challenger 2 is a totally new design and mounts a 120mm L30 gun, 7.62mm chain gun and 7.62mm GPMG. The armour is an uprated version of Challenger 1's highly successful Chobham armour, which gives very high levels of protection against anti-armour weapons.
• Crew 4
• Length Gun Forward 11.55m;
• Hull Length 8.3m;
• Height to Turret Roof 2.49m;
• Width 3.5m;
• Ground Clearance 0.5m;
• Combat Weight 62,500 kgs;
• Main Armament 1 x 120mm L30 CHARM Gun;
• Ammunition Carried Typically 50 rounds - APFSDS, HESH, Smoke;
• Secondary Armament Co-axial 7.62mm chain gun; 7.62mm GPMG Turret Mounted for Air Defence;
• Ammunition Carried 4000 rounds 7.62mm;
• Engine Rolls-Royce CV12 with engine management system;
• Maximum Road Speed 56kph;
• Average Cross Country Speed 40kph.
They have it along with prayers of gratitude.
The people of the world mustn't suffer another series of childish, petulant, scorched-earth oil fires as Hussein ordered in 1991.
The nations not so blest as thee,
Must in their turn to tyrants fall,
Must in their turn, must in their turn,
To tyrants fall,
While thou shall flourish,
Shall flourish great and free,
The dread and envy of them all.Rule Britannia!
Britannia rule the waves.
Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.
The Sun is trashy fish wrapper and no amout of pseudo-patriotism would induce me to support anything they do.
I am not a Sun reader, but this is apparently the only newspaper that is setting up a conduit through which the British troops can be sent messages of support. Sorry.
Regards, Ivan
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