To not understand the point of 'Armed Forces Day'?

[Runny]

I see Jeremy Corbyn is getting attacked by the right wing press yet again for going to Glastonbury (and getting a bigger crowd than Radiohead did last night) instead of attending Armed Forces Day in Liverpool.

Now pardon my ignorance but what is the actual point of 'Armed forces Day'? It sounds like the sort of thing that The Sun newspaper would campaign for, actually I wouldn't be surprised if they did. It's all a bit pointless, and we already have Rememberance Sunday to honour those killed in combat.

I don't know where this over sentimentally for the armed forces has come from over the last 15 years or so? Not saying they don't do a good job, but why are they coming in for special treatment? Why not an emergency services day, or an NHS workers day or a teachers day?

I'm prepared to get flamed for this btw, but I genuinely don't see why we even have it?

They're already hero worshipped for doing their jobs.

Don't make me laugh. Haven't you read the thread? Armed forces personnel in uniform are regularly abused in the street. They're not 'worshipped' fgs.

I don't see the point of Armed Forces Day, I also refuse to give to Help the Heroes and other such charity unless they are supporting ex-soldiers who were conscripted.

Going into the forces these days is a job you chose to do. You receive a salary and other benefits. I appreciate that it can be a difficult job and I am thankful that some people chose to defend our country, but for me it's no different than working in the emergency services, social work, education etc.

They're already hero worshipped for doing their jobs

Are they fuck. DP and BIL are both Iraq veterans, BIL has PTSD which has blighted his life ever since he went to Iraq. DP doesn't have it but still has nightmares and struggles with the loss of his friends. Hero worshipped? They're more likely to be called a baby killer or have fucking idiots trying to start fights because they want to humiliate ex squaddies.

AtHomeDadGlos. Just a simple Google will show that you're slightly out of touch with your view of what the British Armed Forces get up to.

www.army.mod.uk/operations-deployments/operations-deployments.aspx

Servicemen and women don't want to be worshipped and by and large they aren't.

And that 'random island' is full of people who are British and want to remain British. You think we should just leave them to fight their own battles?!

At home, I'm sure neither the Falkland islanders (who are British citizens) nor the families of those lost were thinking it was just protecting some 'random island'.
The work currently being done as part of Op Kipion is, as we drink a mug of tea, protecting us. The escorts and tracking of Russian vessels is most definitely a defence of the realm.
It is for those serving, far, far more than a job. It is up to nine months away from home - in the case of Astute class submarines, that means 12 weeks at a time without seeing daylight sometimes longer. For warfare officers it can mean a 20 hour day for weeks at a stretch.
For SFs it can mean living in appalling conditions unable to contact your family and friends.
It can mean being sent at short notice into conflict zones or areas with Ebola - genuinely putting your life on the line to protect others.
It really isn't the same as social work or teaching.

Let's face it your post isn't about Armed forces day it's because your best pal Jeremy (I never left the 6th form common room) corbyn is being rightly criticised for not honouring the armed forces (again). People Who are currently or recently been in the armed forces get the one day to honour the sacrifices they make (esp over the last 20 years). Yes it is a career of choice but thank god some people make that choice. Rememberence day is about honouring the sacrifices people have made too but is a much more Reflective occasion. Corbyn and Radiohead were both shit and more interested in serving their own needs. A lot of the crowd were probably securing their places for foo fighter who were great and actually worth listening to. Don't try and put down the armed forces because it is inconvenient for jerry. Who should go to USA we're they honour their vets at every opportunity.

Let's face it your post isn't about Armed forces day it's because your best pal Jeremy (I never left the 6th form common room) corbyn is being rightly criticised for not honouring the armed forces (again)
This sums it up.

And as for people comparing taking the risks of being blown up by IED with facing 30 5 year olds between 9 and 3 for 38 weeks a year -fuck me! Get a grip!!!!!

If a job in HMF is no different to the work of teachers then I look forward to the day when the MN collective put servicemen and women on the same wobbly pedestal.

Helen and Set They were Sea Cadets not Scouts. They do loads of stuff of reservoirs, literally something on the water every weekend.

My daughter took part in that display and was literally bursting with pride, they all were.

AtHomeDadGlos
At present HMAF in the shape of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the civilian manned ships of the RFA are actively patrolling the seas protecting shipping against piracy intercepting drug runners and people smugglers from putting the desperate into unseaworthy vessels. This helps keep that region of the world safe civilian mariners safe and overall keeps this islands trade routes open. I for one am proud that a family member does this and look forward to when they get home in a few months time.

You don't need to to turn up to a parade to 'honour' the armed forces. Though I'm still not sure why they deserve to be honoured anymore than the police, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, nurses etc do. They all do an invaluable job, for shit pay.

So much of what the forces do is nowhere near "war" teaching and mentoring anti poaching, teaching counter IED tactics, building a UN hospital, maritime security, enforcing no fly zones for the protection of civilians.

Athomedad you have demonstrated your ignorance very efficiently in that one post. Well done.

So runny, why don't you organise a firefighters day? This isn't a zero sum game.

90% of world goods are moved by the sea. Do you have any idea how much oil comes through he straits of Hormuz? Do you bave any idea what would happen if someone placed sea mines in those straits??? Global economic melt down no doubt followed by war. And who would be first in to clear the mines - my husband's ship. Which incidentally is made out of a special plastic and would probably not Surive even a basic attack. They also can only go about 15 knots so wouldn't be able to out run anything. With the world more and more uncertain at the moment, this deployment has me more worried for him than I was for myself when I went to Afghanistan.

I will concede bat Iraq was a bad idea and even though I am serving , I fundamentally disagree with that campaign. I also had issues with what we did in Libya. That was poorly conceived as well. Afghanistan was different. The US asked the taliban to hand over bin laden. They refused. They knew the consequences. But the campaign didn't get off to the heat start and we underestimated the enemy and we didn't understand the locals wel enough. It was a mess and still is a mess.

To the OP and people who agree , all I can say is thank goodness people like you weren't in the majority when we entered the first and Second World War!

I have gone off topic somewhat here,.

If no one made the choice to enter the armed forces, where would we be???? I personally like the fact that we don't rely on another country to provide our national defence. And that we can contribute to relief efforts and humanitarian crisis around the world

The attitude of some of the posters makes me feel sick so heaven knows how it would make someone feel who has buried the remaining bits of their son after not seeing them for months when they have been away protecting your freedoms. The nativity, selfishness and inability to comprehend any view not officially sanctioned by the cult of corbyn is quite frankly astounding and about as far removed from the love and understanding of the many they profess sets them apart. All the other professions mentioned on this post, whilst worthwhile have no means of comparison to the armed forces.

Runny. So because you think some professions don't have an event then another shouldn't have it either? That's pleasant.

There's already a World Teachers Day and a number of communities have emergency services days. If it needs to be on a more formal footing for you then campaign. Arrange an event. Do something, anything!

I'd rather someone cared about young people, which is why he was at Glastonbury, than another day that honours the Armed Forces

Agree with OP, and just want to point out that the original post was regarding JC.

I think JC is a wonderful man.

To be honest I have never heard of AFD until this thread. I've got nothing against it, but had no idea it was a thing.

Oh and without the armed forces there would have been nowhere near enough armed police to take to the streets after the two most recent terror attacks. Which is why they were deployed. To keep people safe.

oP - it isn't just about the shit pay - and I actually don't think the forces is shit pay. It is about the personal and family sacrifice. It is about spending months and months away from home. Missing children's milestones, missing family life, missing life in general. Never being able to book a holiday in advance. Having the program changed at the last minute and al the emotional ups and downs that go with that. It's about being told you are doing x,y,z and having no option. It's about being posted to the opposite side of the country to your family. It's about missing your brothers wedding, friends weddings, it's about working weekends doing duty for zero extra money. Etc etc.

Makes you feel 'sick' Max, really? I think you need to get a grip. Not one poster has said anything disrespectful about the armed forces. As an earlier poster said the last time our freedoms needed protecting was during the WW2, they should never have been in Iraq or Afghanistan , although obviously going there wasn't their doing.

Really I can't believe that after the events of the last few weeks you'd try to minimise the role our emergency services play. There a hell of a lot more than just 'worthwhile' as I'm sure you'd find out if you were ever the victim of a crime or your house burned down, or you were seriously ill. What an ignorant thing to say.

But above all else , no one wants to acrially have to use our armed forces in war. But i am confident that if the shit hits the fan and word war 3 becomes a reality or any conflict for that matter, that we have a wel trained , reasonably wel equipped armed forces who will protect you while you sleep soundly in your bed at night.

National defence is a complex situation and although you don't appreciate it, Afghanistan was protecting your national freedoms

The nativity, selfishness and inability to comprehend any view not officially sanctioned by the cult of corbyn is quite frankly astounding and about as far removed from the love and understanding of the many they profess sets them apart.

You do realise resistance to the military cult has been around for longer than Corbyn has been in the picture? Surely if you are or were connected to the military, you would know that? Or did Corbyn invite white poppies and everything too?

I agree with RestlessTravellers post.

Can you imagine firefighters and firefighters's wives being this obnoxious about their chosen career?

*invent, not invite