Page 13 - issue22.03.2019

Royal Air Force News Friday, March 22, 2019 P13

News

MoD church chiefs

back Forces Pagans

Witches and druids win battle for recognition
CLEAN UP: Specialist RAF teams tackle
Novichok threat in Salisbury following Russian
nerve agent attack
Drones target

chem threat

DEFENCE CHIEFS are to invest
£11 million to develop drones and
robots to reduce the risk facing
military teams combating chemical
attacks in the UK.
A range of measures being
considered include using unmanned
vehicles to enter contaminated areas
to prevent human contact with deadly
nerve agents.
The programme will also speed
up clean up operations and chemical
analysis techniques to identify the
origins of substances used in attacks.
The announcement comes 12
months after the novichok nerve
agent attack on a former Russian
intelligence officer and his daughter
in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
RAF Regiment teams from SPELLBOUND: Pagan worshippers mark the
the Defence Chemical Biological, summer solstace at Stonehenge, right, Defence
Radiological and Nuclear Wing was Pagan Network holds its inaugral metting at a MoD
called in following the attempted site in Andover, inset below, Network chairman,
submariner Dan Coultas. PHOTOS: PA/MOD
assassination believed to have been
carried out by Russian agents.
Clean-up operations on the PAGANISM HAS been accepted as time this year, a family. reverence for nature.
property where former Russian an official faith in the British military spokesman said. The Defence RAF photographer Josh Dines is
military agent Sergei Skripal and alongside mainstream religions like Network founder Pagan Network one of a number of Air Force members
his daughter Julia lived were finally Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. and practising chairman is Royal of the network and also a heathen.
completed this month. The ruling means Forces personnel heathen, Neil Coultas Navy sub navigator He said: “I grew up in a family
The latest programme follows and MoD staff who practice as said: “We established the Dan Coultas who, like that was basically Christian but was
the pledge to build a £48 million druids, witches and heathens are network to make it clear to the his father Neil, is a practising interested in ancient history as a
chemical weapons defence centre at free to perform their occult rituals chain of command that Paganism is as heathen. child and that sparked my interest in
Porton Down. and ceremonies at defence sites and valid as the mainstream religions. Dan, who is stationed on HMS Britain’s ancient beliefs.
Gunner nets military bases. “Heathenry fits Service life. It is all Ambush added: “I am open about it “I am a follower of the ancient
The newly created Defence about respect for nature, honouring and have always found other people to Anglo Saxon deities rather than the
German gong Pagan Network boasts more than your word and your oath and doing be quite accepting about my beliefs. Norse gods. Bragi, the god of bards
100 members and has won backing the right thing.
“Many of our gods have warlike appeals to me because it encompasses
from the Services Chaplaincy which “I follow the Norse Gods, Odin, aspects to them. We believe in self- the idea of recording history which is
oversees the military’s spiritual welfare. Thor and Frigg, Odin’s wife, who is a sufficiency and looking after the something I do in my job as a RAF
A spokesman for the RAF strong mother figure and head of the community and the tribe. photographer.
Chaplaincy said: “We are here to family. “When we sing the national anthem “It suits military life so well. When
support personnel of all faiths and “It definitely suits the I generally say ‘Gods save the Queen’.” we attest in the military that is an oath
none; their families and the whole military ethos. It focuses on Paganism is Britain’s largest that we must keep as a pagan.
force whether they are in uniform, courage, discipline, being true non-mainstream religion with an “In Paganism the promises you
civilians or contractors.” to your family and your tribe estimated 80,000 followers in England make are things you must honour. That
Members of the Network will and standing up for yourself and Wales. is also a very big thing in the military.
be marking key dates in the and your people.” Like Hinduism it has no central “A lot of people think we have
pagan calendar, like Beltane Mr Coultas took credo and encompasses many something to do with Satanism –
and the summer solstice up the faith on a Civil different groups including druids, which is totally false, although I am
with ceremonies on British Service posting to heathens, Wicca followers, shaman aware that there is a practising Satanist
military bases for the first Germany with his and other spiritual traditions based on in the Royal Navy.”
AFRICAN HONOUR: German Defence
Secretary Ursula Von Der Layen presents Flt Lt
Gumbrell with his medal at Brize Norton
A RAF Regiment officer who helped
protect German airmen deployed Defence job reforms stall
to Mali on a UN peacekeeping
mission has been honoured with an
operational medal.
Flt Lt Michael Gumbrell was THE MINISTRY of Defence is over 40,000 by 2020 has stalled due did and was unable to determine its
operations officer with the Germans’ 4 failing to axe civilian jobs fast to confusion over what many of the future workforce requirement.’
Sqn guarding Gao airfield and Camp enough to meet a pledge to cut civil servants on the MoD payroll A National Audit Office
Castor during a six-month tour. costs by £310 million, according actually do. spokesman added “Working
A German defence spokesman to the National Audit Office. The report stated: ‘Defence has practices remain inefficient. Despite
said: “He demonstrated a calm A NAO probe says the cost made little progress in reducing promising noises it is not clear to us
effective style of leadership during cutting drive to reduce the its civilian headcount as it lacked that anything fundamental has yet
several contact situations.” headcount by 30 per cent to just information about what civilian staff changed.”