The Armed Forces

[Mk2Jo]

I had a very heated discussion on Friday night with a very good friend of mine about the wars that our UK soldiers go and fight in.

 

Basically, I said that if my kids said they wanted to join the army and ended up going to Afghanistan or Iraq I would be devastated because every day you see a soldier has been killed - someone's son, brother, husband ...

 

Now my mate has just left the army, I don't know exactly what he did but it was all front-line secret stuff (even his missus didn't know half of what he did or where he was) and he was awarded an MBE for his services out in Bosnia (nominated by his CO) where he helped to rebuild some of the communities out there after the fighting had finished.

 

My argument was that as a non-forces member of the public, I couldn't see why we were sending our soldiers out to Afghanistan to get killed in a war that does not affect us. His argument as a long-serving soldier was that Afghanistan is where all the terrorists go to train and that if we (UK) and other allied forces were not out there then terrorism would be much more widespread and we would all be seeing many more deaths. And the (sad) deaths of a few soldiers is a price worth paying.

 

He said he would go back tomorrow and fight on the front-line if he could but his missus would divorce him if he went back out there

And he said that if either of his kids wanted to join up (any of the services) then he would be a very proud man.

 

I can see his point after talking to him although I am still ashamed to admit that I would not want it to be my boys out there

 

So ... without shooting me down in flames for my honest but perhaps ignorant view on the subject ... which side of the fence do you stand on or are you undecided on the reasons for sending the troops out to countries that seem to have no bearing on the daily goings on of our lives in the UK?

[stevepeanut]

This is a very tricky one, I wouldnt want to go out there and fight. I dont have kids, and never will have any, but if I did, I wouldnt want them to go, or see any of my family out there.

 

I dont like people who go out and spit on soldiers and throw things at them when they do their home coming marches. They'd be the first to complain if we didnt have armed forces and got invaded or attacked by terrorists.

 

My mate joined the navy after school, and was in for 10 years, he said regardless of his personal views, he would go to any conflict and do his job the best he could. He and all the lads on his ship knew that from signing up, he might get sent somewhere and be 100% with the reasons for going, but also he could be sent somewhere he didnt believe they should be. But either way he'd just get on with it, he joined knowing he couldnt pick and choose the missions he agreed with.

[JP.]

Been there, done that, but won't go again.

[SmokeEm]

I personally wouldn't fancy it but if my children wanted to feel the unique pride that only fighting for your country must surely bring, i wouldn't stand in their way. I also wouldn't encourage i either.

[Vista]

It only appears that those conflicts have no bearing on the daily lives of those left at home. If we'd ignored the Bosnian and Kosovo conflicts, how many more refugees would have flooded across Europe? And he's quite right about Afghanistan, extremists should be left no-where on the planet where they can practice their skills in peace.

 

I don't think any parent relishes the idea of their sons and daughters being in the line of fire Jo. But people tend to forget in what they see as relative peace times at home that there are conflicts all over the world that the British armed forces are involved in. Here you go, here's a list (not exhaustive) of the main ones since "world peace" in 1945. There's even a few towards the end of the list I was involved in myself.

 

1945-48 Palestine Disturbances

1945-present West Germany/Unified Germany

1946-47 Egyptian Riots

1946-48 Indian Riots

1948-49 Berlin Airlift

1948-60 Malaya Emergency

1950-53 Korean War

1952-60 Kenya

1955-59 Cyprus

1956 Suez Military Intervention

1963-65 Brunei Emergency

1964-67 Aden and Radfan

1967 Hong Kong "Red Guards" Riots

1969-present Northern Ireland

1969-1976 Dhofar (Oman)

1974 Cyprus Evacuation of Nationals

1974-present Cyprus (United Nations)

1982 The Falkland Islands Conflict

1991-present The Gulf War and "No Fly-Zones"

1992-present Bosnia

1999-present Kosovo

2000-present Sierra Leone

2001 Macedonia

2001 Afghanistan

 

And that's just wars and conflicts, if we count peace keeping and humanitarian missions, the list is much much longer.

 

In those conflicts there have been almost 3000 deaths and that's not including those wounded (over 12,000) or those killed on "non-active" service duties, training or through accidents.

 

What the UK armed forces do is risky but necessary and is (IMHO) wholly undervalued by the government and public alike. Do you know that a youg infantry man under fire gets paid about the same as a Traffic warden?

[Trevmk3]

i dont know the full reasons as to why we sent troops out there but as long as they are there they have got my 100% backing . i would of signed up for the army if i hadnt got into a decent apprenticeship with Rolls Royce. but if i had i would be prepared to go wherever they sent me as that would be what i had signed up for.

i will say though that it must be very hard for the families that have relatives serving out there, i have got 2 good mates currently out there and a friends husband is also out there.

 

but as i said i dont know the full in's and out's of why they are still there

[Mk2Jo]

Sorry but I gotta laugh at the swear filter with S.i.erra Leone towards the bottom of the list

[Trevmk3]

Sorry but I gotta laugh at the swear filter with S.i.erra Leone towards the bottom of the list

 

[garyv6100e]

Our armed forces are under valued and not appreciated , i was in the Air Training Corp as a teenager and my Dad served in the army in egypt and always made a point of rememberance day etc which i now pass onto my children as well , very important to respect our armed forces

[petrolhead]

I understand your point of view and regard myself as a tolerant person. I've put across arguments against 'the all immigration is bad' brigade on this forum a few times BUT...

 

I have an extreme hatred for Religious Fanatics and that is what made my tour of Iraq easier. As you all know there were no WMD but the fact I had the chance to kill them made the tour (if I was brutally honest) an enjoyable one for me and allowed me to forget about the politics. I am not a psycho, I would just get extreme satisfaction from removing people who were responsible for Beslan and 9/11 from the planet.

 

Everytime I watch something about Afghanistan a part of me really wishes I was there killing extremists with bullet, blade or fist but I wouldn't put my family through that again (my wife had a my first child by emergency C while I was in Iraq).

 

To answer your question, yes, I think we should be in afghan and I understand the gravity of what I am saying knowing people that have been shot and blown up. Would I want my children out there? No, but if they did I would be both proud and pleased.

 

PS The hate I have for those fanatics is never something I mention to my family but oddly it is easier to type to you lot.

 

PPS possibly the Para Reg training has sunk in a bit too deep!

[Mk2Jo]

Some interesting views guys, thanks for your thoughts

[filicapri]

Been there,and cant wait to go back

Sounds maybe streange,but I like it there,

I like it also when I'm back home

 

some video's

 

[sampedlar06]

I believe if we should be in iraq and afganistan. But it should be funded better to make a better impact in my eyes, and thats what i think makes people think the war in afganistan is pointless.

 

When i have children i would be extremly proud that my son/daughter is risking ther health for others. I think that i think this was because i want to join the army but at the mo the job oppertunitys are to good to turn down