Author Topic: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons  (Read 5838 times)

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Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« on: 11:07:45, 20/07/16 »
Very sad news: a soldier died during a training exercise in the Brecon Beacons yesterday. The cause of death has not been confirmed but it was the hottest day of the year.

Story here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-36844425
and here:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/20/soldier-dies-on-training-exercise-in-brecon-beacons-mod-says

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sussamb

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #1 on: 12:26:49, 20/07/16 »
Sad news indeed although it seems like the soldier died in camp,  and before 0900, and therefore the fact it was a hot day may be completely irrelevant.
« Last Edit: 14:37:27, 20/07/16 by sussamb »
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Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #2 on: 16:35:11, 20/07/16 »
Its the main reason that their the chosen training ground of most of the Uks military personnel.
Apart from the SAS being based in nearby Hereford, and Derring Lines Military camp on the outskirts of Brecon, the Brecon Beacons offer some of the most challenging open countryside anywhere in the Uk.

Mile after mile of featureless moorland, that attracts every kind of weather, their the ideal  training ground for every soldier.

Ive passed Storey Arms carpark many a time, seeing a military truck full of combat clad recruits, and Ive even come across some Gurkha soldiers near Tal Y Bont.

How often do you ever see the military in Snowdonia? almost never.

A death is always saddening to read about, but apart from Dartmoor, there's no finer location to train our soldiers, and we must always pay our respects to people who lay down their lives in the pursuit of safeguarding our nation.

tonyk

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #3 on: 17:57:12, 20/07/16 »
Very sad news.It appears that the soldier was on some kind of fitness test.It didn't say what type of test or the exact location.

 

altirando

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #4 on: 18:17:21, 20/07/16 »
Do not think these lads were 'laying down their lives' for the country, rather being maltreated in some misguided attempt to encourage 'toughness'.  Demonstrating how to cope with very hot conditions and survive, and still be a fighting force, would be more useful and sensible.

sussamb

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #5 on: 18:30:42, 20/07/16 »
@altirando

Again you're jumping to conclusions without any real info, last time it was about teenagers 'lost' who turned out to be nothing of the sort. I'm sure we'd all be grateful if you tried to rein your imaginative mind in occasionally  O0
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gary m

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #6 on: 19:08:02, 20/07/16 »
they pick the beacons for a reason to train. but on a very hot day like yesterday should they be doing it
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tonyk

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #7 on: 19:13:10, 20/07/16 »
 The soldier concerned had just completed an 8 mile basic fitness test carrying 25kg which had to be completed in 2 hours.It wasn't a race and no one was allowed to complete the test in under 1 hour 50 minutes.Sounds reasonable to me,especially as it was held in the early morning before things got too hot.

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #8 on: 19:25:37, 20/07/16 »
Its the only way they can physically prepare our potential recruits for the kind of climatic conditions found in the Middle East.
What is the point of training our troops in normal British weather, when they may be called to fight in conflicts where temperatures regularly exceed 40C.
However unfortunate these casualties are, thankfully they are a rare occurrence.

To be able to fight successfully in very hot climates abroad, we must train our recruits in the kind of weather we have been experiencing recently.

Flying newly trained soldiers from the UK to the Middle East without first preparing them for the kind of weather associated with those regions, is very unwise.

The same goes with the SAS, their amongst the toughest and fittest of the Worlds Special forces.

The very unfortunate deaths two years ago, was the result of a failure of staff to see the symptoms of severe heatstroke and dehydration on potential recruits to the elite force of the British Army.

Insufficient supervision was the blame, and for members of the public offering what water they had, to very distressed soldiers, who unwisely did not carry sufficient water with them.

The majority of us carry more than enough water in sub 30C heat, but none of us are asked to carry a 50Kg ruck sack , an unwieldly rifle, and be told to reach a particular location in the Beacons in a time, most of us would struggle without all that extra kit.

phil1960

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #9 on: 20:01:58, 20/07/16 »
Not much detail but a little more about this tragic event http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/26-year-old-soldier-who-11639561
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

sussamb

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #10 on: 20:36:48, 20/07/16 »
The soldier concerned had just completed an 8 mile basic fitness test carrying 25kg which had to be completed in 2 hours.It wasn't a race and no one was allowed to complete the test in under 1 hour 50 minutes.Sounds reasonable to me,especially as it was held in the early morning before things got too hot.

 O0
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sussamb

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #11 on: 21:09:35, 20/07/16 »
Insufficient supervision was the blame, and for members of the public offering what water they had, to very distressed soldiers, who unwisely did not carry sufficient water with them.

With some knowledge of this incident the real problem was the soldiers started to go down the slippery slope of heat exhaustion towards heat stroke, and failed to recognise what was happening to them.  They passed various water sources but failed to top up their water supply, thinking presumably there was no need, with the consequential unfortunate ending.  I can't recall a time when a similar event occurred.
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Owen

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #12 on: 21:48:43, 20/07/16 »


How often do you ever see the military in Snowdonia? almost never.






Actually they did use the snowdonia national park quite a lot when I was a squiddy a very long time ago. They were however not allowed in uniform for fear of frightening the tourists. The military has a lot of different training areas all around the country, different areas are used for different activities. Some for live firing, other's for artillery or aircraft or whatever. I've spent many days in the Brecon Beacons and I wouldn't say it's particularly more wild or exposed than say Warcop or Otterburn or Cape Wrath. Why this poor man came to grief hasn't been established yet so speculating isn't helpful. 

sussamb

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #13 on: 22:04:11, 20/07/16 »



Actually they did use the snowdonia national park quite a lot when I was a squiddy a very long time ago. They were however not allowed in uniform for fear of frightening the tourists. The military has a lot of different training areas all around the country, different areas are used for different activities. Some for live firing, other's for artillery or aircraft or whatever. I've spent many days in the Brecon Beacons and I wouldn't say it's particularly more wild or exposed than say Warcop or Otterburn or Cape Wrath. Why this poor man came to grief hasn't been established yet so speculating isn't helpful.

Well said.  I did various trips to Snowdonia and there's a military camp near Capel Curig, but as you correctly say we used to wear civvies out in the hills as it's considered more an 'adventure training' area rather than a military training area.
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Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Another military death in the Brecon Beacons
« Reply #14 on: 12:07:06, 21/07/16 »
That's certainly true, as their annually involved in the 1000m Peak Race, but over the many years that Ive driven up and down the Nant Francon and A5, towards Bettws Y Coed, ive never encountered a military vehicle, such as a camouflaged truck or land Rover coming towards me.


They obviously use the road, as there would be little use of having a camp in the vacinity, but the camp is a quiet one, traffic wise.

You occasionally see army personell on the Epynt ranges, especially when their Red flag is flying to indicate life firing in progress, but the carpark opposite the Storey Arms, is regularly used by the troops, and if one regularly uses the A470, as i did when i lived in South Wales, seeing the army vehicles was a regular event.

Now that i live in North Wales, i cannot remember ever seeing a military vehicle of any type passing me on the road.

 

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