Last week both my wife and I were delighted to be among the audience, at a constituency dining club, where General Sir Mike Jackson was the after-dinner speaker. Our nation’s role in helping Afghanistan defeat the Taliban was the main subject of his talk. The views he expressed are the same as those of the current Army chief, General Sir David Richards, who recently warned on the ‘terrifying prospect’ of failure.  

Listening to a soldier, who has led men in battle, is an uplifting experience. The difference that I observed between a top soldier and the rest of us can be summed up in one word – purpose. The Army does not do anything without a clear purpose was my take. The General Jackson talked about how he, as a General, explained the purpose of a combat operation to troops under his command, and how they then interpreted and disseminated it. Elsewhere in society and business, the purpose of any course of action is rarely, if ever, described with the clarity, and certainty as that of a top soldier. I’m no longer a waverer on Afghanistan, I now understand the purpose and agree with it. I’ll post more on this topic later, as I think there’s a job to do to ’sell’ our role in Afghanistan to the British people, yet another failure by Gordon Brown.

I was told that I was cheeky in asking to have my picture taken with the General. Not to my mind, I asked politely, said Sir, and was honoured to shake his hand. The whole evening was a memorable and enjoyable experience.