Robert supports Soldiers Off The Streets in its efforts to re-home veterans living on the streets all over the United Kingdom and is proud to call himself a personal friend of the founder Bill Murray.

Well done Bill - and all the other guys and girls who don't get their names in lights - for all the hard work you put in to help people who are forgotten by the very people they once served.
And Robert is honoured to be a patron of Soldiers Off The Streets.

A PTSD survivor himself, Robert studied NLP for many years as self-help and more recently EFT. Whenever possible, he makes himself available to help our veterans and serving soldiers with similar issues at SOTT events and elsewhere.

Background

Robert Stirling joined the British Army at the age of 16 as a junior leader paratrooper and was posted to Shorncliffe Infantry Junior Leader Battalion in Kent.

Entering adult service and passing P Company, the Parachute Regiment selection at Aldershot, led to 4 tours in Northern Ireland and some covert warfare experience. He was probably the second youngest ever to pass selection for the SAS at 19 after the legendary Lofty Wiseman.

Robert left the British Army and joined the Rhodesian Army towards the end of the Bush War. There he commanded his own unit of up to 200 men, which included the author Yves Debay and a number of ex-French Foreign legionnaires. He was in action continuously and wounded twice. After the fall of Rhodesia Robert joined the South African Special Forces, the Reconnaissance Commandos, as an instructor and then went on to be involved in other more exotic operations.

Besides extensive combat experience in numerous conflicts, Robert has also been contracted to recover stolen diamonds, work undercover against mercenary operations, teach unarmed combat to riot police, provide close protection to VIPs and some other duties which it would be inappropriate to specify here. Robert has recently been training the Austrian Officer Corps & German Special Forces in unarmed combat.

Author

When soldiers of the British Army became involved in Iraq and Afghanistan Robert decided to write a series of books to share some of the tricks he has picked up over the years in an effort to reduce casualties on the battlefield:

Special Forces: The Ultimate Guide To Survival Published by Blake 2009
Special Forces Combat Skills To be published by Osprey Spring 2012
Special Forces Sniper Skills To be published by Osprey Autumn 2012

The Legasee Project

The Legasee Project is producing video interviews of servicemen and women sharing their experiences in all conflicts as far back as the second world war. This record is being made available to libraries, schools, museums and other organizations worldwide to preserve their stories for posterity.

To support this effort Robert has recorded an interview where he speaks candidly and amusingly about his career. You can see this interview by following this link: Legasee (Click on "Films" then click on "Army".)

I am really looking forward to be part of the group and to be helping our branch in Scotland my home town.

I have heard some of the terrible stories about our brave men and woman living on the streets, it's heartbroken. Soldiers Off The Street has always stuck in my mind, to know there are people sleeping rough on the streets is wrong

I pledge to do all I can to help; I am just a phone call away. it's a privilege to be part of such a caring group of people, I know I can never get my boy back so have pledged to put everything I have into helping our brave men and women.

Dee Edwards MBE Dee Edwards MBE Was made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for her 16 years supporting families bereaved through murder across the UK and was a co-founder of Mothers against Murder and Aggression set up after the horrific killing of Liverpool toddler James Bulger in 1993.

Mrs Edwards MBE was given a Local Heroes Award by the Home Office in recognition of her work against gun and knife crime and also received a Children's Champion Award from Kidscape, the national anti-bullying organisation.

I'm 29 years old and live in East Lancs. You may already know me for political media appearances or from my BBC contracted aunt, Mina Anwar who has been with the BBC since her first TV debut on the police comedy 'The thin blue line' where she played the funny constable Habib.

Many of my family and friends are/have served in the forces mainly the RAF. I myself was a Young fire fighter cadet and used to be jealous of my cousins in the Air Cadet corp. I failed on my entrance for the Signals because of having an inhaler prescribed within the previous 4yrs.

I want to be a major part of this brilliant organisation which Bill has put so much effort and personal savings into, as it just cannot be real that this is happening to our troops. Our troops being treat the way they are was one of the reasons for forcing my way into politics. Now that I'm here, I intend to right the wrongs done by the greedy & unjust government that sent them there.

Working alongside Bill and his dedicated team, I hope to bring some real impact to the potential of what's actually done here. I personally would like to use whatever connections I have to maximize the capabilities like finding a way where our fantastic & sincere volunteers can earn a living whilst still creating a funding stream indirectly to Soldiers off the Street. So as well as our mission directive, we can get a few people into paid work. That can't be bad eh? Another top priority for the organisation and I is the securing of a minibus of sorts that is practical and functional for it's expected duties. I want this done by winter as this will be a crucial time in regards to the winter cold snaps.

I'm so mad this is the way our lads and lasses are discarded. Well not on my watch. Forget politics for the moment, remember the forgotten. If anyone can afford to make a donation of any size that would be great and we can try to achieve our goal of having a dedicated minibus/van before winter. Please contact us for volunteering/fundraising/old minibus donation! Anything. Unity here is humanity everywhere and it's all of us that must work together to do really great things. Thanks again.

Alan Logan, a former Royal Marine Sergeant (Weapons Instructor).