It’s just acceptable is it ?

Talking about shooting at paper targets and shooting at actual people as if they were the same thing is bonkers.

These "targets" have "so called famous people" one side and targets the other, some are friendly some are foe.

They flip round quickly which serve to heighten soldiers/security personnel awareness and quicken their responses.

I know workplaces that have had politicians faces pinned to dartboards..........doesn't mean they intend to go out and target said politician with a dart!!!!

From 2015
www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/criminal-court/six-year-sentence-for-british-soldier-who-raped-woman-in-belfast-1.2117062
And from 2003
MILITARY investigators believe that at least 37 tribeswomen have been raped by British soldiers training in Kenya, The Times has learnt.

The Royal Military Police are believed to be considering charges against two serving soldiers — one for rape and one, a senior officer, for allegedly failing to report rape by his subordinates. A dozen other officers face investigation for covering up reports of sexual assaults by their men.

The investigation began this summer after hundreds of women complained that they had been raped by British soldiers in Kenya in the past 30 years
There are apparently a lot of light skinned children and the women have been ejected from their communities and now live together supporting each other.
Would you like some more Annie?

Our armed forces are human beings with the failings and frailties of human beings.
They, as others, sometimes also have an aggressive streak which can be displayed.
No-one, not even families of serving soldiers across all ranks, truly know their thoughts, how they act or what they get up to on or off duty with their colleagues.
That is why I'm not on FB, Twitter or Instagram. I don't want to know their every move.
It has been said (not by me) that if you can't get in the RAF or the Royal Navy there is only one force left.

If that attitude was taken to all professions there would be teachers still beating children , there would be solicitors forging wills and doctors dealing in drugs. You may not be able to eradicate all bad behaviour but if you don't at least try to then civilization is doomed and we may as well return to the survival of the fittest.

What do accusations of rape have to do with the matter raised on this thread?
Certainly there are a few on GN who love to diss the armed services at any opportunity, so maybe that accounts for it.
Would all posters feel the same if the poster had featured Blair,Thatcher, May etc?
I don’t care who the poster featured, it was just a celebrity face and part of their excercise.They are soldiers practising with firearms, not a vicars teaparty.

Please don't attach your own views and ethics to other posters anniebach. I, and others, have already stated that we would find this sort of behaviour totally unacceptable, whoever it was aimed at.

Whether you would shoot at a photo of a wild boar but would not actually shoot a wild boar is irrelevant baggs. For one thing, these men were not targetting the photo of a wild boar but of a politician. For another, you are not a British soldier.

Thank you trisher as expected , no greater number than men on the streets on London , one is one too many but to brand thousands the same is so wrong

I met Tony Benn several times , i just don’t believe he was a psychopath,

In the present climate using any politicians picture would be unacceptable. There have been a lot of death threats you know. Seeing something like this may convince someone to folow through with the threat

Please do not tell me what to post Eleothan it’s soooo bossy

trisher as per my previous post they use pictures of real people on swivel targets to sharpen/hone their skills and quicken their responses in distinguishing between a would be assassin and a person/persons they are protecting!!!

This is common practice across all armed services / protection officers.

I am, as a Labour supporter, highly critical of JC, but for all those condemning him because they think he is the enemy of the armed forces... then look at his policy on what he calls the "scourge" of homelesness among army vets. He wants them to be given a social contract which will entitle them to adequate mental health care, retraining opportunities, and a home.
At the moment, they rely an awful lot on charity but he - and many others who are not 'Corbynites' - agree that this is just not enough.

I remember being at a big County Fair where the Irish Guards took a prominent part in proceedings...band, climbing wall, recruitment, target practice etc.
I was with a male friend who decided to challenge me on the target range.
The guns were loaded and my friend did a creditable job then it was my turn.
I scored three in the heart and the Irish Guardsmen asked if I wanted to sign up...jokingly.
My companion merely looked disgusted and addressed him as sonny, telling him to mind his mouth etc.
Of course, the poor guardsmen had no idea that my friend was a Colour Sgt in the Grenadiers which has always ranked as superior to the others, even the Coldstream, although I have 'founded' 5 yrs later.
There is a lot of rivalry between regiments.

Correction. although I have founded
although founded.

Good one Gabriella, I am a constant source of embarrassment to Husband and AC as I do not and cannot shoot!!

Baggs I despaircat your logic ( or rather the lack of it)
maryeliza
Baggs does not lack logic in the slightest.
It's just perhaps that you do not understand her particular type of objective logic.

lemongrove Again, you and other posters question whether those who object to this behaviour do so for political considerations. I, and others, have already stated that members of the British forces using a a photograph of anyone's face for target practice is wrong.

Not acceptable at all.

'Laddish' behaviour it may be, but the officers in charge should be questioned. I hope the incident is fully investigated.

vigdis doesn’t make amends for calling British soldiers ‘the unemployed’

Eloethan please read my post of 17.16.21, they use dignitaries faces on swivel targets so that they can recognise them in a split second, which may in fact save said dignitaries life at some point!!!!

Why is this so difficult to comprehend?

Day 6 it is being investigated.

Storm in a teacup. Who's image would you prefer they use as target practice? TM? JRM? DT? No matter who it was, one or more sections of the public would be as outraged as the OP.

Why is this so difficult to comprehend?
At least they all know Corbyn now GrannyGravy!

Which accounts for the number of them who on leaving the forces are unable to cope and end up as addicts and/or living on the streets

We must remember that many (not all) of the young boys without qualifications who join up in their teens have come from homes that do not give them support, nurture, encouragement or any semblance of stable family life. Sad but true. For many, the army is probably the first and only encounter with routine and respect they have ever had.

The fact that they cannot cope without the structure of army life, the discipline instilled in them and the camaraderie of colleagues is a more deep rooted problem than "Army neglect" which some on here use to smear the reputation of an organisation which works to defend citizens of the UK.

Blast poor and irresponsible, and possibly neglectful parenting occasionally, eh? (But that's never on their agenda. Such people are 'victims'.)