A mini-platoon of soldiers will be deployed to the Belgian forests to tackle a plague of hairy caterpillars that are causing allergy outbreaks in humans.
Procession caterpillars, so-called for the way they march in lines through forests, are covered in long, toxic hairs which cause dermatitis and respiratory problems and account for up to 80 percent of doctor visits in the affected area.
“A bit less than a platoon, about 24 soldiers and airmen, will be deployed to help the fire brigade and civil protection authority combat the caterpillars,” Belgian military spokeswoman Ingrid Baeck said on Thursday.
She said Belgian armed forces were also deployed in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Congo but that they had a duty to help the local civil population.
Equipped with super-size blowtorches, the soldiers will spend six weeks in the eastern province of Limburg from Monday, waging a tree-by-tree war on the scourge of caterpillars, which cling in groups to trunks and branches.
“In teams of two people, they will go through the forests and burn the little animals off the trees,” said Baeck. “There have not been enough people to do this and I think we can make the difference.”
Previous attempts to rid forests of the caterpillars, which number in the millions thanks to mild weather, have included spraying pesticide using a helicopter and setting traps for the adult moths coated in female hormones.
I think most people are aware that Belgium doesn’t allocate the equivalent of South-East Asia, Africa, and Australia’s combined GDP to military spending.
Note how the OP just pastes an article without any comment whatsoever. Is it supposedly self-explanatory? Or are you just trolling with the hope that some flame will come out of it?
Zap, next time state your point. Also, please refrain from starting threads on such empty topics. Shit, if my newspaper reported this, I’d stop reading it immediately.
[quote]lixy wrote:
Note how the OP just pastes an article without any comment whatsoever. Is it supposedly self-explanatory? Or are you just trolling with the hope that some flame will come out of it?
Zap, next time state your point. Also, please refrain from starting threads on such empty topics. Shit, if my newspaper reported this, I’d stop reading it immediately.
Have some respect for the time of others.
P.S: This belongs in the “Get A Life” section.[/quote]
Now, now, just having a little fun with Wreckless…of whom I’m jealous. Europeans get a 6 week paid vacation!!
Wait a minute…I’m a teacher; we get 3 months paid vacation…which began Friday… ;D
More comical than this is when Reagan sent troops to invade the TINY island of Grenada. Most of you are too young to remember this, but you would have thought that we had just defeated the Soviet Union or some other formidable power.
A lot of chest-beating went on after that. In any case, taking on the caterpillars will be a much difficult task than invading the tiny island-nation of Grenada.
More comical than this is when Reagan sent troops to invade the TINY island of Grenada. Most of you are too young to remember this, but you would have thought that we had just defeated the Soviet Union or some other formidable power.
A lot of chest-beating went on after that. In any case, taking on the caterpillars will be a much difficult task than invading the tiny island-nation of Grenada.
[/quote]
Bad post.
Not relevant nor applicable.
After jimmy “I’ll boycott the Olympics” carter and vietnam, Grenada was one of the first steps back. Restoring pride of corps is one hell of a lot more important than fighting caterpillars.
After jimmy “I’ll boycott the Olympics” carter and vietnam, Grenada was one of the first steps back. Restoring pride of corps is one hell of a lot more important than fighting caterpillars.
[/quote]
Hear hear, more jingoist chest beating all around!!!
[quote]JeffR wrote:
Restoring pride of corps is one hell of a lot more important than fighting caterpillars.
[/quote]
Restoring pride? Invading an island with no more than 1000 military troops?
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
JeffR wrote:
Restoring pride of corps is one hell of a lot more important than fighting caterpillars.
Restoring pride? Invading an island with no more than 1000 military troops?
Gimme a break.[/quote]
liftus,
Another sparkling example of your military knowledge.
Here: [quote]Operation Urgent Fury was a much-needed boost to overall armed forces morale. “The post-Vietnam military had suffered a bad reputation,” Eddy said. “But I saw a highly motivated, elite group. They did a magnificent job.”
Diaz summed it up best when he said: “I had a lot of pride after Grenada. We accomplished our mission.”[/quote]
