--- title: "Paras and Gurkhas at it Again" description: "At a recent exercise in Kenya, paratroopers and Gurkhas devolved from rule-abiding service members into a no holds-barred brawl." date: "2018-06-01" modified: "2021-11-30" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/paras-and-gurkhas-at-it-again/" categories: - "Military News" --- # Paras and Gurkhas at it Again ![]() The U.S. military has its rivalries, but more often than not, those go away once an operation starts. The rivalries in the armed forces of the UK may not transition so smoothly. [Royal military police are investigating a recent training exercise]() that "descended into chaos" where paratroopers and Gurkhas started ripping into each other with "poles, bats, and heavy machine-gun barrels." --- ![]() *A British paratrooper at Exercise Askari Storm. (Forces News photo)* ## An Incident Long Time Coming The incident stems from a rivalry that started two years ago. That's when the very same group started the same exact fight! Talk about history repeating itself. The paratroopers and [Gurkhas]() went after each other with fire in their hearts and no fear to be found. Exercise Askari Storm features the paras from 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment assaulting a fortified position held by the Royal Gurkha Rifles, who are playing the opposing forces. ![]() The exercise Askari Storm takes place in Kenya annually. (Photo by Forces News) "It was like a scene from a football hooligan film," A witness [told the British tabloid ]()*[The Sun]().* "Soldiers were fighting using rifles and spare general purpose machine gun barrels as clubs." Apparently, the paratroopers had been harassing the Gurkhas for the duration of the eight-week exercise. So when it came for the final showdown, the fighting became more than a training exercise for the men. The paratroopers and Gurkhas let everything loose. Obviously, this was a bad idea. After all, the unit's motto is "Better to die than be a coward." ![]() *No kukri knives were drawn. (photo by Forces News)* The Hollywood-style royal rumble featured more than 100 men. Making things even crazier there were also an unknown number of melee weapons involved in the incident. According to *The Sun*, the winner of the brawl was unclear. "I'm not sure who you'd declare the winners, the Gurkhas used surprise well so they may have clinched it," they quoted one witness as saying. Related: Check out this video of this Gurkhas who reportedly took out A LOT of Taliban - all by himself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2kxdSIq8Es ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()