To be worried in case our troops end up at war?

[CarriedAWayy]

We are a military family. I met DH when I was 19, some nearly 20 years ago now. DH has done some operational tours in that time but we now have two children and I am more fearful of war now than ever. I know this is part and parcel of being married to a soldier, but it doesn’t change the worry and fear.

As it happens, my husband is currently deployed and contact is minimal, so I can’t talk to him about my fears. I can’t really ask anyone in my circle, because I don’t want to push my worries onto my friends who are in the same position.

What do people think the likelihood is of our soldiers ending up at war again?

YABU - it’s unlikely to happen
YANBU - it’s likely to happen

I agree there is lots of pressure from the right. But majority of Labour MPs want to keep their jobs and know how unpopular it'll be to cave into the right. They will win more votes resisting as they can't out-Reform Farage. The latest C4 docu on Blair lists all his achievements ...and then illustrates that his reputation was completely ruined by going into Iraq with Bush. Its sad that it has to come down to politics rather than how we value people's lives, but there is some comfort in this general political consensus within the Labour party.

Or Saudi/ Kuwait when operation granby took black in 1991. My daughter's father was fighting in that one and I was heavily pregnant when he went

Of course you worry but really have to just get on with stuff

That’s what people who choose to join the military sign up for. Everyone knows that UK forces have been deployed in 3 separate wars in the Middle East in the last 35 years, so nobody can argue that they didn’t understand what they were getting into.

Ultimately, the best way to ensure that some dickhead politician doesn’t send you to war is to not choose to join the military.

This is my pet hate as a military spouse. When things get hard and being told “you knew what you signed up for when you became a military wife”. No empathy for the fact it’s fucking difficult. Just “you knew what you signed up for”.

We are allowed to worry about our loved ones and find it difficult.

In answer to your OP, I honestly don’t know. I’m just taking it as it comes at the moment and finding it very overwhelming and stressful. Sending solidarity 💕

personally i worry every time i ride my bike because car drivers are too busy using their phones or speeding etc,

its human nature no matter the role and we are all human etc without the military etc we would be pickled etc and its thanks to their roles that help keep the country safe.

to answer the op, i think its more likely they will use all the various special forces type groups eg task force 141, sas etc groups like those, yes they may use conventional troops too but im presuming its low tier conflicts rather than defcon 1

Just as well not everyone thinks like you do.

And just so you know, I didn’t sign up for anything. I met a very young man and fell in love. He happened to be a soldier. I have supported this, as he loves his job, and his fellow soldiers, and he is proud to serve the country.

I nearly lost him at one point, and we have lost friends.

Maybe educate yourself on how the phrase “you knew what you signed up for” just minimises the sacrifices made by service personnel, their spouses and their children - who by the way, also didn’t sign up for it!!!!

And also, you’re welcome!!!!

Some people are arses, yet if aliens (from outa space invaded) guess who people like that would soon turn too, oh military please save us from these beings.

personally people should have more respect

Being a military girlfriend with a soldiers child is even worse as you don't get the recognition ( my exes parents wouldn't been told before me if anything happened) and back the ( believe it's changed now,) we couldn't live together in military accomodation

It must be impossible not to worry, but unless he’s RAF or stationed on a base in the Middle East he’s unlikely to see action (in my opinion based on the news and nothing more!). There’s very little chance of a ground invasion by the US and it would be super unpopular if they did. I think there would only be a small chance of British troops on the ground even in the very unlikely situation that the Americans did.

@NotThisAgain1987”Nahhh”

Is this post an attempt at sarcasm?

I just want to say, thank you to our military personnel, for keeping us all safe, when it really matters, and politics aside, when the call comes, whether we agree or not, they are putting their lives on the line. For this we should absolutely support them and their families.

I think that the posters spouting ‘you knew what you signed up for’ are being very very unreasonable.

I can't imagine what it must feel like for you, especially as it's an illegal war that never should have been started in the first place.

It fortunate the USA didn’t take that stance with Ukraine when it kicked off in 2022.

While it’s great that you support our military personnel @juggleit . This is an illegal war. Our troops should not be involved. ( from a navy mum).

What?

@CarriedAWayy as a military family there is no crystal ball!

DP has done several tours in Afghanistan and feels that troops on the ground are very, very unlikely at this point because we simply don’t have the resources.

He’s a gentle and thoughtful man who has spent 20 years in the army, has never fired a shot in action and spent most of his deployments evacuating afghan translators and their families, but let’s not let that get in the way of the ‘all military personnel are violent meatheads who deserve what they signed up for’ narrative 🙄

Thoughts are with all serving in the ME or with loved ones out there 💐

Op doesn’t have to be strong all the time, she’s allowed to express her concerns and worries and not be told ‘she knew what she was getting into, and that’s what they signed up for.’ She’s allowed to be worried and look support outside her real life.

Hi OP. Can't believe you are getting a hard time over your worry. If you are the same age-ish as me, you will have seen your DH serve in Iraq and/or Afghanistan.

I signed up to this life but my children did not. I can take him serving in hostile environments because I have many years of experience. This will all be new to the DC and I am very concerned about the impact on them. So no, YANBU. And shame on anyone who says you are. Concern for lived ones is basic human decency.

but also as a navy mum you understand the various branchs of the intelligence services and yes i may be daft but what if trump or the cia etc had intelligence and we did not have the time to wait and drink tea waiting for congress ?

i never claimed to be bright, but when our spooks get intell by the time we need to say to congress this is taking place, then we could be at risk of missing the window of opportunity ?

just got this :

The Intelligence and "Window of Opportunity" Debate
The point raised about the "window of opportunity" and the need for speed over congressional "tea drinking" is at the heart of the current legal friction.

• Administration Rationale: The Trump administration initially justified the strikes as a response to an "imminent threat". Secretary of State Marco Rubio later suggested the U.S. acted "pre-emptively" because they learned Israel was going to strike anyway, and acting first would reduce U.S. casualties.
• Intelligence Discrepancy: While the administration claimed the strikes were to stop a pre-emptive attack from Iran, Pentagon officials reportedly told Congress in a closed-door briefing that there was no intelligence suggesting Iran was planning an immediate attack on U.S. forces.
• Actionable Intel: The CIA reportedly provided the crucial intelligence that allowed the strike on the Iranian leadership meeting on Saturday morning. The U.S. and Israel had been waiting for months for such a "moment of opportunity" when senior figures would be gathered in one place.

so it seems i was correct and yes im daft

I agree. And, OP, it might not (currently) be my son or daughter but it might be yours. And I don't want it to be anyones. 'WAR, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing'.