Dutch soldiers are shouting 'bang, bang' because they've run out of bullets

[El]

Dutch soldiers have apparently been shouting “bang, bang” when they shoot their weapons because of an ammunition shortage.

Soldiers have been imitating gunfire during training drills after being told that they would no longer be able to use live bullets because too much ammunition has been used on international missions.

An email leaked from the country’s Defence Ministry to RTL Nieuws revealed the extent of the shortage, unveiling that the deficiency of ammunition has become so acute that it is creating major problems, including the cancellation of a number of compulsory shooting drills.

“I cannot make it better, but there's really no ammunition,” a section of the email. reportedly reads.

The lack of bullets is also having an impact on the troops’ moral according to military union VBM.

Jean Debie, chairman of VBM told De Standaard: 'Even if you have no bullets, you have to train with your weapon. That means you have to call out bang-bang-bang.”

“That is of course disastrous for the morale of the military. You do not want to do this to a professional.”
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Major-General Harm de Jonge said that the lack of ammunition has meant that soldiers are not able to practise shooting and firing techniques regularly, hampering the soldiers' confidence levels, according to RTL Nieuws.

In response to the shortage the Dutch defence ministry told broadcasting company NOS that the problem was due to “high consumption” and “long delivery times”, adding that the soldiers would still be able to practise “as much as necessary”.

Despite the dearth of ammunition, a report commissioned from the European Leadership Network shows that the Dutch government has raised its defence budget to €8 billon for this fiscal year, up from €7.6 billion last year.

The report said: “In fact, it is the first time for over a decade that Europe’s fifth-largest economy will spend more rather than less on defence.”

Dear god, the old Polish joke has come to life in Holland.

['andersom']

Dutch soldiers have apparently been shouting “bang, bang” when they shoot their weapons because of an ammunition shortage.

Soldiers have been imitating gunfire during training drills after being told that they would no longer be able to use live bullets because too much ammunition has been used on international missions.

An email leaked from the country’s Defence Ministry to RTL Nieuws revealed the extent of the shortage, unveiling that the deficiency of ammunition has become so acute that it is creating major problems, including the cancellation of a number of compulsory shooting drills.

“I cannot make it better, but there's really no ammunition,” a section of the email. reportedly reads.

The lack of bullets is also having an impact on the troops’ moral according to military union VBM.

Jean Debie, chairman of VBM told De Standaard: 'Even if you have no bullets, you have to train with your weapon. That means you have to call out bang-bang-bang.”

“That is of course disastrous for the morale of the military. You do not want to do this to a professional.”
Read more: The British Army isn't large enough to halt refugees, let alone take on Vladimir Putin
Assad admits Syrian army has a manpower shortage and has 'given up' defending some areas
40,000 soldiers 'to be cut from US Army' as it shrinks to smallest size since WWII

Major-General Harm de Jonge said that the lack of ammunition has meant that soldiers are not able to practise shooting and firing techniques regularly, hampering the soldiers' confidence levels, according to RTL Nieuws.

In response to the shortage the Dutch defence ministry told broadcasting company NOS that the problem was due to “high consumption” and “long delivery times”, adding that the soldiers would still be able to practise “as much as necessary”.

Despite the dearth of ammunition, a report commissioned from the European Leadership Network shows that the Dutch government has raised its defence budget to €8 billon for this fiscal year, up from €7.6 billion last year.

The report said: “In fact, it is the first time for over a decade that Europe’s fifth-largest economy will spend more rather than less on defence.”

Dear god, the old Polish joke has come to life in Holland.

And apparently this is not the first time this happened. Know a guy who told it was the same when he was drafted, over twenty years ago.

Economising is an art here in the low countries. 

[Parts]

Why don't they just have them play Call of Duty then

[odeon]

Why don't they just have them play Call of Duty then

Because you die more often there.

[ZEGH8578]

Breivik claimed he trained with Call of Duty

I can only imagine how challenging his task of peeka-booing inside tents, shooting crying people in the face, would have been without that essential training!

[Gopher Gary]

Dear god, the old Polish joke has come to life in Holland.

Which joke is that? 

[El]

Dear god, the old Polish joke has come to life in Holland.

Which joke is that? 

I heard it as a Polish joke, but the internet is simply turning up the joke as nationality-free:

It was near the end of basic training and all the soldiers were getting ready for the war. A private came charging into his Lieutenant's office and said " Lieutenant, we don't have enough rifles. What am I going to use for the war?"

"I don't have time to deal with this right now" the lieutenant thought.

He grabbed a broom, sawed off the bottom, and handed it to the solder. "Here use this instead."

"How is this going to work?"

"When you see the bad guys coming at you, just point it at them and say 'Bangity Bang Bang, Bang Bang'".

So the private ran out with his new "rifle". But soon he came running back to the Lieutenant saying "Lieutenant, we don't have enough bayonets!"

The Lieutenant grabbed a piece of string off of his desk and gave it the private. "When you see the bad guys coming just throw this at them and say 'Stabity Stab Stab, Stab Stab.'"

So the private was all ready for his war. He was sitting in a fox hole, hating being out there, when he saw an enemy creeping along the top of a nearby hill.

He grabbed his broom, pointed it at the bad guy and said "Bangity Bang Bang, Bang Bang Bangity Bang Bang, Bang Bang" and he fell down dead.

"Wow this really works" thought the private. He started going through the underbrush when another enemy jumped out and try to gut him - he threw his string at him and said, 'Stabbity Stab Stab, Stab Stab!'. The enemy fell down, dead.

Pretty soon, he saw another guy rampaging through the woods. He pointed his broomstick at him and yelled, 'Bangity Bang Bang, Bang Bang!' Nothing, so he did it again, 'Bangity Bang Bang, Bang Bang!' The guy was running at him now. He threw the string, Stabbit Stab Stab StabStab!' The enemy kept running at him and plowed him over, mortally wounding him.

Then he heard the big guy mumbling as he went past him "Tankity Tank Tank Tank Tank Tankity Tank Tank Tank Tank."

['andersom']

 

[Gopher Gary]

    

[odeon]

[Arya Quinn]

 

[renaeden]

That is a hilarious joke. I would love to tell it to people but I know I would stuff it up.