to wonder what's so heroic about being in the British army?

[poppylongstocking]

Both my brother in laws are in the army and spend 6 months at a time away from their wife & kids in a country we are under no direct threat from fighting a war which was started on dubious grounds. They are risking their lives, yes, but I don't see it as heroic, I see it as a bit stupid to be honest. I could understand the label 'hero' if we were under direct threat and having our homes bombed as in WW2, but it's very different nowadays, aibu?

Haven't read the whole thread but when I asked DH why he joined up he said 'dulce et decorum est pro patria mori'.

Someone has to step up and it takes a big man/woman to do it for fairly negligable reward.

Anyway I'm off this thread, it just proves the point that you aren't allowed to speak your mind anymore about the war, or our troops.

WHich is why I suspect the OP has kept her mouth shut in public.

Yes, LeQueen... Killing civillians is a bad thing we've all been saying that...

off now.

So what have we actually achieved in over 9 years of conflict?

I don't think people realise, it is illegal for our soldiers to fire their weapons in Afghanistan unless they are defending themselves. One of their daily jobs (in some areas) is to protect the local people who are being intimidated by the Taliban.

The Taliban kill Afghani people. They are also cowards who kill others by setting IED's.

When my DH went to Buckingham Palace to be awarded his MC, there was a young man there who was recieving his medal for saving an Afghani child who was in the firing line when they were being shot at by the Taliban. He risked his own life in order to do so. He is not the only one by a long way to have done things like this.

Some of our soldiers are doing things like providing resources for villagers, helping them build wells etc. The Taliban try and prevent this as they do not want the people to be able to fend for themselves.

Gemmummy you said I suppose what I'm saying is the armed forces deserve your respect at all times and that didn't come across (to me) as respect us 'equally' but 'respect us more'.

Thank you for answering my question about why you signed up :) I have a few other questions - but if you don't want to answer them - don't OK! (and if anyone else who is in the forces want to answer as well that would be great).

Do you think you were old enough to sign up?

If you had known then, what you know now - would you still have signed up?

What did you think the chances of you seeing 'active service' were?

midori, I'm absolutely sure that is true, but what is going to happen when our troops withdraw?

We really haven't managed to achieve any permanent stability in Afghanistan. I wish it were different but I think once we leave, the people of Afghanistan won't feel any positive effect from our presence for the last 9 years.

Bearing in mind the lives lost and the money spent, I think that is incredibly sad.

The Taliban place IEDs indiscriminately - they don't care if they blow up a British serviceman or an Afghani child.

A few of my friends are Forces medics in Afghanistan - they spend a lot of time and effort providing medical care to the local population that can't or won't be provided by the local infrastructure.

Wubbly, I'll answer if you don't mind, Gem is much younger than me, I believe, so might be interesting to get some 'generation' views.

I joined up at 18. Yes I was old enough. I had been living away from home for 2 yrs, had 2 different jobs and was looking for something better, more meaningful.

I would do it all again, yes. If my DD expresses and interest I will support her, but may try to steer her towards the RAF as I believe they would be a better choice (for career opps)

PIRA was the big threat when I joined, and I volunteered straight out of basic for a tour in NI. I got my wish, and spent the next 2 years in Armagh. my mother was horrified but admitted, quite soon, that it was when she saw me grow up.

Ahh sorry, that was for chippingin. Distracted by Jethro Gibbs!

wubblybubbly, who knows what will happen when they withdraw, I agree it's sad. Incredibly sad, so many people have lost their lives.

However, I resent the fact that people assume our forces are out there, guns a-blazing and just killing people willy nilly. I also get annoyed when people say the Afghani people don't want us there, when every experience our soldiers have when out there suggests the majority of them do. They despise the Taliban as much as we do. I get most annoyed because most of them are talking about something they know little about. Clearly.

To translate why SnailWhaleTail's hubby signed up:
it is sweet and right to die for your country

But I'm sure that exact sentiment is shared by 99.9% of the suicide bombers on the other side. Is that really a good reason for both sides to go around dying?

And don't forget, this was written before both world wars and before we had the ability to kill in such quantity. Due to the absolute desolation caused by the development of killing machines in the 20th century, WWII was known as "the war to end all wars" because no one could afford or contemplate anything as awful again.

I wonder if we would be in such a financial mess if we had invested in mediation and improving the life of the world's poorest instead of weapons of mass destruction.

Can anyone explain why we don't just buy the dammit poppies?

This thread makes me quite sad actually.

no YANBU. Nothing 'heroic' about being in the British Army IMO. The Afghan war IS particularly stupid, though that is a separate issue.

LtEve - thank you.

I have just jumped from another site after being told about this thread.

I am the wife of a serving member of the armed forces, my husband has served his country for 23 years, often going on tours to some godforsaken sh*tholes including Afghanistan and Iraq, he has endured some of the worst things imaginable and it sickens me that you are able to post some complete drivel about how stupid service men and women are, they are incredibly brave to fight for our freedom, so that you can live your cushy little life without such inconveniences as terrorist attacks.

Your kind of attitude makes me sick to think That my husband is putting his life on the line for someone who quite obviously does not deserve it.

But for the attitude you seem to have there are thousands of people who disagree and let our men and women know they ARE heroes, they DO deserve to be honoured and recognized for the huge sacrifices they risk for our country.

All the services on land on sea and in the air are staffed by real HEROES.

nice. Calling places your dh is busy 'liberating' shit holes. I am sure they would appreciate that.

Ever heard of terrorism love

Actually we are under direct threat by lots of taliban conscripts who live here and train over in Afghanistan/Iraq then come back to try to blow the underground and airports up!

You are an idiot!

PS Perhaps if you actually had someone out there you might think differently Unfortunately most people don't have a clue.
Oh and in Afghanistan it is very much like 'WW2' with lots of hand to hand/ weapon firing. I'm ex RAF, have a husband who is in the Army and lots of friends serving - I find your comment offensive in case you hadn't gathered.

PS yes the front line is too good for our families - we should send all the benefit scroungers, the ones who have a severe phobia of work, and save ourselves a fortune!

Northerngirl: Wilfred Owen's poem (I assumed all had done it at school and would therefore get the reference) is a famous WW1 poem so there certainly would have been destruction on a grand scale in fact.

Beside the point I know!