this brought tears to my eyes

gabriel959

bigchazrocks wrote:

Ok, so Chip 'oyler and gabriel959

I am a soldier, and I have been on tour in Iraq over Christmas / new year.

I was incredibly difficult, as I love my GF, and missed her alot. And the rest of my family. I missed them all.

We (all the Armed forces) do a critically important job. Whether or not you agree on the 'War on Terror' or whatever, in Iraq and Afghanistan (and alot of other places too, that you don't hear of), it's ESSENTIAL for our morale that we have support from the public, 100%. I don't care whether or not you agree with the politics, as I dont. I'm not sure why we are there fighting, but we are. So I'll support anyone who go's away, totally.

No offence, but it's people like you, that boil my blood. You might not have meant it to come across like this, but it's simply ungreatful. We make a huge sacrifice, sometimes the greatest sacrifice, for our family, friends, and country.

We do it, so people who can't, or don't want to, don't have to. All we ask is some respect for our job, and support. That's it. Not much to ask is it?

When we sign up, we all realise that we will, at some point, have to do some shitty jobs, in shitty, far-away countries, but how does this comfort us when we do go away? In short, it doesn't.

So please, just support us,the Armed Forces as a whole, regardless whether you agree on our reasons for being away.

I understand you missing your family, like probably everyone will do in your situation – I have also spent a Xmas working once and never again – my family is above my job, country, way of life or anything else. I don’t believe in the term country and or nationalism. If I was ever called to hold a weapon to “defend” my country I will do my utmost not to do so.

It is not the politics I disagree with (that is a more complex and different subject altogether) is the fact that you are just doing your job, and it is what YOU decide to do. I appreciate and respect that, but it doesn’t bring a tear to my eye the fact that some of you are over there and your family misses you, if it’s so unbearable or sad do something else. You are there because you want to.

You talk about sacrifices, but you don’t believe in the politics… you are prepared to die for nothing?

Essex Man

My problem is with the media.

Showing us a grieving mum/sister etc for a killed UK soldier, but then putting a car bomb that has killed over 100 in Iraq as a minor news item. That's screwy. I don't remember the iraqi civilians signing up for the war, and they have mums/dads/sisters etc too. They are still PEOPLE.

GavH

Essex Man wrote:

My problem is with the media.

Showing us a grieving mum/sister etc for a killed UK soldier, but then putting a car bomb that has killed over 100 in Iraq as a minor news item. That's screwy. I don't remember the iraqi civilians signing up for the war, and they have mums/dads/sisters etc too. They are still PEOPLE.

And I suppose it's the other way around in Iraq - Dead British soldiers as the minor news item? Or do you think it's not even a news item? In which case what's your point?

SBezza: Army, 12+ yrs and still counting, even got the Op HERRICK 10 badge this year and the dead friends to go along with it, so your misguided comment about me not having served and thus my being 'silly' are massively out of place. Insulting even, whether intentional or not. Hence the reason I asked you to clarify as that was a big (and incorrect) assumption to make on your part.


On the wider issue of 'knowing the risks from the outset' and whether or not it is insulting to state as much. A very good friend of mine is an A&E nurse. He (Yep I laughed as well until he told me stories. I wouldn't do his job for all the tea in China) knew that nursing staff were prone to verbal abuse and even physical attacks on a regular basis from the very people they were trying to help when he began. He went to nursing college at the same time I joined the army. When he tells me about the 5 yr old kid they couldn't resucitate after an RTA or the f*ckwit who tried to punch him as he was trying to stitch him up, I can assure you, I wouldn't dare tell him that he knew the risks when he joined the profession. Because that would be hugely insulting. Just as him telling me to MTFU because I'm bleating on about the threat or how I thought it was curtains the other day/night or I'm missing the family. We both know. It's permanently implied between two friends. Stating it is unnecessary and frankly, when coming from strangers who have never experienced the same problem, insulting.

markwalker

gabriel959 wrote:

bigchazrocks wrote:

Ok, so Chip 'oyler and gabriel959

I am a soldier, and I have been on tour in Iraq over Christmas / new year.

I was incredibly difficult, as I love my GF, and missed her alot. And the rest of my family. I missed them all.

We (all the Armed forces) do a critically important job. Whether or not you agree on the 'War on Terror' or whatever, in Iraq and Afghanistan (and alot of other places too, that you don't hear of), it's ESSENTIAL for our morale that we have support from the public, 100%. I don't care whether or not you agree with the politics, as I dont. I'm not sure why we are there fighting, but we are. So I'll support anyone who go's away, totally.

No offence, but it's people like you, that boil my blood. You might not have meant it to come across like this, but it's simply ungreatful. We make a huge sacrifice, sometimes the greatest sacrifice, for our family, friends, and country.

We do it, so people who can't, or don't want to, don't have to. All we ask is some respect for our job, and support. That's it. Not much to ask is it?

When we sign up, we all realise that we will, at some point, have to do some shitty jobs, in shitty, far-away countries, but how does this comfort us when we do go away? In short, it doesn't.

So please, just support us,the Armed Forces as a whole, regardless whether you agree on our reasons for being away.

I understand you missing your family, like probably everyone will do in your situation – I have also spent a Xmas working once and never again – my family is above my job, country, way of life or anything else. I don’t believe in the term country and or nationalism. If I was ever called to hold a weapon to “defend” my country I will do my utmost not to do so.

It is not the politics I disagree with (that is a more complex and different subject altogether) is the fact that you are just doing your job, and it is what YOU decide to do. I appreciate and respect that, but it doesn’t bring a tear to my eye the fact that some of you are over there and your family misses you, if it’s so unbearable or sad do something else. You are there because you want to.

You talk about sacrifices, but you don’t believe in the politics… you are prepared to die for nothing?

Gabriel you are baseless coward with regard only for yourself. Even a little shit e like you should be able to grasp the point (though i accept you would refuse if it might be uncomfortable or not in your politics or if you could make another pointless immature political point) that the point of this is irrespective of known risks, it is difficult being away from people you love especially at Christmas. And this article highlights how some families are dealing with it.

Thats the interest point, its about family and emotion and its current and relevant something you clearly are not.

markwalker

bigchazrocks wrote:

Ok, so Chip 'oyler and gabriel959

I am a soldier, and I have been on tour in Iraq over Christmas / new year.

I was incredibly difficult, as I love my GF, and missed her alot. And the rest of my family. I missed them all.

We (all the Armed forces) do a critically important job. Whether or not you agree on the 'War on Terror' or whatever, in Iraq and Afghanistan (and alot of other places too, that you don't hear of), it's ESSENTIAL for our morale that we have support from the public, 100%. I don't care whether or not you agree with the politics, as I dont. I'm not sure why we are there fighting, but we are. So I'll support anyone who go's away, totally.

No offence, but it's people like you, that boil my blood. You might not have meant it to come across like this, but it's simply ungreatful. We make a huge sacrifice, sometimes the greatest sacrifice, for our family, friends, and country.

We do it, so people who can't, or don't want to, don't have to. All we ask is some respect for our job, and support. That's it. Not much to ask is it?

When we sign up, we all realise that we will, at some point, have to do some shitty jobs, in shitty, far-away countries, but how does this comfort us when we do go away? In short, it doesn't.

So please, just support us,the Armed Forces as a whole, regardless whether you agree on our reasons for being away.

Thank you.

markwalker

shane515 wrote:

Having completed 22 years in the Army (left in 2007) I served in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq and many other places but thats not what the original post was about.

It has nothing to do with 'they signed up so let them suffer' it was about a very young daughter missing her Dad at Christmas, her Dad happens to be in the Army.....it was not about an Oil Rig worker, Fireman, Policeman or any other job. It was about a soldier in a war zone, so please dont jump on the 'they signed on the dotted line' band wagon as many people in this country do.

I didnt ask to serve on Operations or to be away on Christmas Days, some in the UK and some on Tour, I was just doing my job.......but my two very young daughters still missed their Dad at Christmas!

I bet all this soldier in this article would ask for is your support not your sympathy, he knows all to well that he joined up to do this job, a job he will give 100% commitement to. But dont make light of the pain he will suffer at missing his children and family at Christmas.

Shane

My feelings exactly thank you for writing that so well.

Essex Man

GavH wrote:

Essex Man wrote:

My problem is with the media.

Showing us a grieving mum/sister etc for a killed UK soldier, but then putting a car bomb that has killed over 100 in Iraq as a minor news item. That's screwy. I don't remember the iraqi civilians signing up for the war, and they have mums/dads/sisters etc too. They are still PEOPLE.

And I suppose it's the other way around in Iraq - Dead British soldiers as the minor news item? Or do you think it's not even a news item? In which case what's your point?

Not sure why you're getting so worked up about what I said. I was saying how wrong it is that the media place different values on peoples lives depending upon who they are or where they are from.