From today's Observer (and it is not a spoof):

Chefs set to lead the way in war on Saddam

Chefs have been drafted in to command soldiers training for a possible assault on Iraq because Britain's elite infantry regiments are so short of experienced soldiers.

Specialised cooking staff from the third battalion of the Parachute regiment, one of the British Army's most prestigious units, are deployed as sergeants and section commanders on battle exercises in south Wales. The unit, part of the 16th Air Assault Brigade, is likely to spearhead any British contribution to an American-led force in the Gulf.

The move has enraged fighting soldiers in the regiment. 'These are guys who haven't been on frontline duties for years. Are they going to take out a bunker with a ladle?', one said. 'We have got chefs supposed to be giving elite soldiers detailed fire control instructions. How can they do that if they have been organising potato peeling since the last Gulf War?'

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