Tony Blair assumes role as head of the British Military Forces

E LaMont Gregory

Not too long ago former Prime Minister Tony Blair, was called upon to take the helm of British Military forces in the early days of his leadership.

During the first few days of the 2000 fuel protest in the United Kingdom Blair's absence from the growing crisis was glaring.  The Prime Minister Blair was occupied with other matters; Sierra Leone.  In fact, not only had Blair been prosecuting a military police action there, but he had just authorized the military to use lethal force. 

The military wanted to undertake a search and rescue mission to extract several British soldiers who had been captured by the Westside Boys militia.  The Westside Boys militia had for all intents and purposes taken control of the capital city and this compelled the British to send in troops to restore the rule of law.

The extraction was successful, the captured British soldiers were freed, but one of the soldiers involved in the rescue operation was killed in the line of duty.  The fallen soldier had a family of long standing, but was not legally married to his partner, the mother of his child.  This fact alone stood in the way of the armed services administration paying benefits to his ‘widow’.

One day shortly after the story broke in the press, Blair was speaking out loud at Number 10 Downing Street, “I sent that soldier to his death and there ought to be something that I can do about the circumstances of his family. ”By training, the military attaché in his presence, drew to attention to orders, and said, “Your orders will be carried out, Prime Minister.

”Blair’s shoulders are said to have become a little broader, his hair a little greyer, and he stood a little taller as he instructed the Armed Services Administration to give full benefits to the family of the fallen soldier.

 

Eric LaMont Gregory is a 1988 graduate of the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine, Green College, Oxford University, Oxford, England, and the author of an upcoming book entitled ‘An End to War’ from which this article is taken.  He is a native Ohioan and has recently announced his candidacy for the US Senate.