Re: Odd FT Idea

>      Again, if these never happened...they should have.

I've got a couple more for you. 

CFSAC (Canadian Forces Small Arms Competition) - Ghurka team with 
SA80s and support weapons and full kit. Completed the 2km full gear 
run in 14 minutes not even panting.  Our team came through in about 
17.5 minutes lugging hard. 

On a 300-200 meter rundown during a shoot, reserve team takes off and 
is HALF way when the Ghurkas hit ground and open up. 100m timed by 
stopwatch in combat boots with webgear and a rifle in less than 11 
seconds, prone to prone. Standing backflips at the Saturday evening 
party. Not guys I'd mess with.

Landlady I stayed with for a while, her husband had been the 
bodygaurd for King Farouk of Egypt (he was a british officer) and 
he'd commanded Ghurkas. She told some stories - he said they were the 
toughest troops he'd ever seen but that they didn't put up with jerks 
as officers (a fair number of accidents and not so accidents happened 
to bad officers). 

My Grandad told me when he was at the Somme in WWI with the Scottish 
16th Highland Light Infantry, they were put in the lines near a 
Ghurka unit. He said they'd go out into no-man's land at night with 
nothing but the Kukri (no rifle) and come back toting German ears 
which they'd string around their neck on a leather thong. 
He said units nearby were told how to lace their boots 
since the Ghurkas would tell whether you were friend or 
enemy by your lacing pattern - if you weren't, and they 
snuck up on you or got into your barracks or trench line, 
you were history. Eventually they kind of grossed out everyone (the 
ears were starting to stink) so I think command rotated them to 
somewhere else for morale reasons (everyone elses!). 

A fearsome force with some incredibly tough guys - but then if you 
had to walk down a mountain out of Nepal just to have a *chance* to 
enlist - and then faced what they face - you'd have to be pretty 
tough of body and mind. 

Guys I'd definitely want on my side...... even in 2300. Maybe there 
is a small planet with a thin but breathable atmosphere with high 
mountains, rugged terrain, and lush vegetation in deep valleys. The 
thin air in the high altitudes will make the inhabitants excel in 
thicker atmospheres - like distance runners who train in isobaric 
chambers. And there should be some dangerous indigenous life. But it 
should support some low-tech colonization and produce some excellent 
small soldiers - who still keep Nepalese traditional ways of life 
alive. Any suggestions for the name of such a place?

Tom.  
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