Like Tom, anything involving the Russians and social required a lot of drinking. In 1979 while I was with HMS Antrim in Hamburg, Germany, 25 of us from the ship were invited to West Berlin to visit the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rangers which was Antrim’s sister British Army unit. We rode the British Military train across West Germany where it then crossed into East Germany. At the border, it would stop while they changed engines from West German to East German Engines and the British Army leadership got out with all the identification of each person on the train to show to the Russian guards(Not East German) and when the Russians finished with our identification, the Russians expected the British Army folks to drink vodka with them which they did and this meant they returned to the train after a fair amount of Vodka all apart of they way they are then and now……This specific social interaction was part of the job…When we crossed from East Germany into West Berlin it was a repeat while they changed engines and the Russians would look at the IDs again and then everybody would drink vodka…..mgb
CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com
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From: Tom <tom4rd@earthlink.net>
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2026 7:40 PM
To: Harold Brattland <habrattland@arvig.net>
Cc: helobubbas@helobubbas.com
Subject: [Helobubbas] Re: Army Liaison to Ukraine
Drinking too much at an official event in Ukraine. That’s normal. Been there done that 🙌. As US Advisor to UA Navy in Sevastopol 2005-8.
Leaving secret documents on a train. That’s bullshit😡
A 2-star commanding 300 people. That’s BS too!
Just my 2-cents
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 16, 2026, at 17:48, Harold Brattland <habrattland@arvig.net> wrote:
So where was the Generals Aide?? Someone has to lay off the booze while in an official visit!
On 3/16/2026 13:19, mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com wrote:
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