Col. tim collins, 43,quits uk army

[MLF 0]

Article

Quote[/b] ]Col. Tim Collins, 43, was widely praised when he told his soldiers to "wipe them out if that is what they choose. But if you are ferocious in battle, remember to be magnanimous in victory."

The defense ministry said Monday Collins handed in his resignation last week. He is expected to officially leave in the next month after the standard consideration of his application by an army board.

The cigar-chomping Collins was recently awarded an Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his 22-year army career.

Prince Charles was so impressed by his speech to his troops on the eve of battle in Kuwait that he wrote to Collins to say how "profoundly moved" he was by the "extraordinarily stirring, civilized and humane" speech.

Collins, who commanded the 1st battalion of the Irish Guards, was investigated for war crimes after a U.S. Army reservist accused him of mistreating Iraqi prisoners, but was cleared of any wrongdoing.

The Mail on Sunday quoted Collins' wife Caroline as saying he was disillusioned with changes in the armed forces.

"Tim is no longer convinced that the army reflects the country with the fourth largest economy in the world," she was quoted as saying. "He fears it is becoming a cottage industry.

"He's worried it is being crippled by political correctness, petty bureaucracy and the refusal of politicians who send British soldiers to war to give them enough money to do their job."

[Acecombat 0]

So what does mr collins want?

[MLF 0]

I dunno, but i do feel that our armed forces seriously need a boost in there funding.

[aj_addons 0]

to be honest the whole cutting back on the armed forces thing which mr hoon is talking about is a lot of pish i cant help the feeling that if we were to ever fight a seriously decent army we would get or asses kicked just for sheer lack of equipment and such like

[MLF 0]

Its just a shame that we are loosing such an officers and from what i have read a brilliant commander in our armed forces, along with the cutbacks that the Army are suffering and with the reduction of our Armoured assets such as the the Challenger 2 tank, even though we have no replacement for it atm (not even off the drawing board), i feel that TB's government is taking away from the British people one of the last things we can be proud of.

[aj_addons 0]

my friends brother supposedly met him and he said its the first officer he met that didnt seem like stuck up git like most of them

[Major Gripe 0]

So what does mr collins want?  

out of the army!!

[Placebo 29]

Real shame, know absolutely nothing about the guy, other than that speech of his, but that alone told me a lot, very moving.