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Our Armed Forces

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Do you think that the Armed Forces get enough respect in this country or not?

I saw this posted on Facebook and it made me think
Charlie Sheen is all over the news because he's a drug addict. Justin Bieber was all over the news for 2 days because he cut his hair. While Andrew Wilfahrt 31, Brian Tabada 21, Rudolph Hizon 22, Chauncy Mays 25, Christopher Stark 22, Kristopher Gould 25, David Fahey 23, Liam Tasker, 26 (and Theo, his dog) are all soldiers who gave their lives this week with no media mention. Honour THEM by re-posting this.

My little brother is in the Royal Navy, this week he has been in New York on the way home from his tour of duty (if anyone saw the C5 thing about HMS Manchester he's been doing that but on a different ship). He was saying that they were all in uniform walking round, people were stopping them to have a few words, women wanted their photos taken with them, and when they went to the Empire State Building they were ushered to the front of a 2 hour queue like VIPs.

I was gobsmacked, bear in mind that they're not serving in the US Navy and are visitors the amount of respect they were shown was amazing.
He said they don't get treated anywhere near like that at home.
 
That's brilliant, in this country they face abuse and being accused of being baby killers. My partner is a reserve and served in afghan not so long ago, I too have seen that on facebook and it would be so nice for them to get that level of respect here. A lot of people don't realise that they are just doing their job, I don't always agree with my boss' decisions but I still have a house and bills that need to be paid so it's not my place to challenge it
 
I would have to say a HUGE 'no' - they get practically no respect in this country for potentially dying for us.

On the other hand, some soldiers give the armed forces a bad name and don't deserve any respect! This is a small minority - I hope!
 
Love no unfortunately it's the same here in OZ............ i think there is a level of respect and concern but not enough that these guys and women so dam well deserve! Like helloooooooooooooo they're protecting us all !

anyways i'm happy they got treated so lovely and i hope it continues cause what they have to face...........well i'd not want to.......in extreme conditions with little or blah food (unpalatable....plastic garbage) and then to face someone who's so feral cause they're being fed b-tish and wants to maim or kill .......oh gosh they're brave x)



p.s. i had that same email sent to me :{ NO COMMENT !
 
About a year ago, a group of soldiers who had just come back from AFG came to their hometown here, Croydon.

They were welcomed with a parade and people in the streets etc, all very nice and lovely.

They then were a bit thirsty, what with fighting a war for 18 months or so, so went into a local bar for a pint.

They were refused entry as they were in uniform and they would 'cause trouble'. It didn't tally with the bar's dress code.

Way to honour our troops guys...needless to say many people boycott this bar afterwards, and I have not set foot in it to this day.
 
What I have found - having friends in the states - is that as soon as you are a soldier, you get the label "hero". Whether you have actually done anything heroic at all or not.
Soldiers are people, and as in any other aspect of life you will always find some complete tw*ts and genuine good people.
This is why I disagree so much with this hero-worshipping culture that has developed in the USA.

My brother is in the Army (Germany) and he is thinking of signing up for service abroad, solely because he will get paid lots more money than he is at home. So even if he is abroad, to me he will not automatically be "a hero".

So why should someone, based solely on the fact that they are wearing a uniform, get admired or get preferential treatment? To me, that is wrong.
To get respect, you ought to have to earn it. People letting you at the front of the queue because you serve is wrong. They dont know them. For all they know, whoever they are "admiring" right now is a really awful person who beats their girlfriend when they are at home, and is a coward on the battlefield.

Do you see where I am coming from?

Not saying that the utter disregard which is happening in the UK is good either. But I strongly disagree with putting soldiers on a pedestal either.
 
Well IMO if you're brave enough to go and stand and be shot at, you deserve a bit of admiration tbh. It's not about a uniform it's about what they do.

I wonder if you would think differently of your brother if, God forbid, he got his legs blown off by a mine like someone I know did?

The sheer number of our boys getting blown to bits in a war we never should have played a part in is what upsets the public here. The death and injury rate is massive from AFG and Iraq and is made all the worse by the fact it was never our war in the first place, and all the promises to bring the troops home are empty ones.
 
Anyone willing to potentially put their life on the line for a country (I would say their own but there are non-British nationals serving in our forces) deserve the utmost respect in my opinion.

My brother is fortunate as at the moment he hasn't had to face any conflict, but he knows God forbid that if it came to it then he would have to serve for Queen & Country and that may mean putting his life on the line.

Does anyone remember the story of Joe Townsend, where Noel Edmonds had to help with getting a special bungalow built for him?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roqAUMCaSjQ[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4slJXAfecs[/ame]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ially-adapted-bungalow-grandparents-land.html

Stuff like this makes me angry :<>
 
I wonder if you would think differently of your brother if, God forbid, he got his legs blown off by a mine like someone I know did?

I don't think that heroism or bravery are best measured in terms of seriousness of injury. All soldiers are in danger of being killed or injured in a war zone, but whether they are or not could easily be a matter of luck (or lack of it).

Sure, soldiers are brave - they do an incredibly dangerous job and it's not unusual for them to be screwed over by the government when they return from active service, injured or not. They certainly deserve a lot of respect for putting themselves in serious danger in the service of their country (whether you agree with the conflicts they are sent to or not). However, to be called a hero requires the performance of a heroic act. I don't doubt that many soldiers would qualify, seeing as you often hear about those who are injured protecting their comrades under heavy fire, and many similar stories.

As Abnoba said earlier, soldiers are people, like everyone else. Expecting them to be paragons of heroism and virtue is a bit of a stretch. You don't have to look very far in military history to find examples of both incredible bravery and heroism, and of incredible cruelty and disregard for human life. It's not even impossible for them to be carried out by the same person!

I think that the way that the word "hero" is bandied about by certain sections of society (I'm looking at you tabloid newspapers!) sometimes risks devaluing the whole concept. Especially as I have often seen it used in stories about poor medical care/support at home for the armed forces. If you come back from active service and you need treatment for a physical or psychological injury, it should be made available, hero or not!
 
I think there seems to be some confusion on this thread with the difference between being a hero and having respect. All that was said was:

Do you think that the Armed Forces get enough respect in this country or not?

The term hero was not referred to until Abnoba's thread. Basically I think everyone deserves respect unless you know something about them differently but what I have seen is people being given the upmost disrespect because they are a member of the armed forces. I'm not saying these people are definitely heroes and I can't vouch for their character but to judge a book by the cover is wrong. That includes disrespecting someone because of their career or even judging them as heroes just because of their career
 
I think there seems to be some confusion on this thread with the difference between being a hero and having respect. All that was said was:



The term hero was not referred to until Abnoba's thread. Basically I think everyone deserves respect unless you know something about them differently but what I have seen is people being given the upmost disrespect because they are a member of the armed forces. I'm not saying these people are definitely heroes and I can't vouch for their character but to judge a book by the cover is wrong. That includes disrespecting someone because of their career or even judging them as heroes just because of their career

Apologies for my contribution to the confusion. Perhaps I didn't really make it clear that I was specifically addressing the post right after Abnoba's, which I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) was a direct response to her comments about soldiers in the US being automatically treated like heroes. I'm afraid that the "perhaps you'd change your mind if your brother's legs got blown off by a mine" comment made me rather cross.

Having said that, Lady Kelly, I totally agree with you :)
 
We had a welcome home parade a few months ago where I live and there were loads that turned out for them (could have been more) obviously you get the morons who want to cause a scene about something or other politically correct :x.
I have friends who's partners serve in war zones and I have a few males friends who've done their tours of duty and I have the upmost respect for these people.
If it wasn't for these guys willing to do service then national service would be brought back!
We had a young soldier from Chesterfield killed in service in 2007 (he lived 2 streets away from my family).
I was returning back to my parents house and had to stop for his funeral procession, I've never ever been so emotional to see a coffin carrying the body of a young man who had his whole life ahead of him and yes I sat in my car and cried whilst waiting for them to pass.
His sister has now joined the army too (2 weeks after his death) their poor parents must have been awashed with all kinds of emotion ....especially pride.
So yes the armed forces deserve respect (in my opinion) for the fact that they serve our country.
 
NO they don't! i could really have a rant about this (esp with what happened in Luton a while ago) but i'm going to keep my gob shut as i don't want to offend anyone :(|) my friends partner is currently in afghanistan hes a tank engineer and some of the things hes seen is just horrible :(
 
Apologies for my contribution to the confusion. Perhaps I didn't really make it clear that I was specifically addressing the post right after Abnoba's, which I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) was a direct response to her comments about soldiers in the US being automatically treated like heroes. I'm afraid that the "perhaps you'd change your mind if your brother's legs got blown off by a mine" comment made me rather cross.

Having said that, Lady Kelly, I totally agree with you :)

Sorry but when she said "My brother is in the Army (Germany) and he is thinking of signing up for service abroad, solely because he will get paid lots more money than he is at home. So even if he is abroad, to me he will not automatically be "a hero" " annoyed me that she didn't even think of her brother in this way. If my sister went to fight for our country I would have so much admiration and respect for her, I will hold my hands up and say I could never be that brave, I just found it odd someone wouldn't hold their own family in high regard for having the balls to fight. It made me wonder how far things have to go before she would have that level of admiration for her brother, as mine injuries are a more than everyday occurrence out there, and to me to be prepared to face that you are a bit of a hero. That's all.

Anyways, at the end of the day I wear my Help For Heroes wristband with pride and can't wait for the day the boys all come home.
 
I do not automatically see him as a hero because to me it is all about the intentions you have as you do a job.

If he went out there because he wanted to make a difference etc, if he felt very strongly about what he did, it might be different - but just doing it for the money is no "heroic motive".

I currently work in a care home whilst at Uni, and I genuinely love the job I do and want to stay in this field after I graduate. However there are some people I work with where you can tell they are just there for the cash, they have no passion for what they do, no empathy for the people, they might as well work in a supermarket for all they care. Different setting, same example - if you get what I mean? Just because they work as a carer does not mean they are a caring person. Just because you wear a uniform does not make you a heroic person with high moral standards.

And I realise this thread was just talking about whether or not the forces are respected, and did not mention heroes as such; but considering that every time a soldier is in the headlines they get called a hero, considering that every fundraiser for soldiers uses the word "hero" (help for heroes even says on its website that this is for every wounded soldier - how does getting a wound make you heroic? It could just be bad luck!), I felt the two were very closely related.

I think this is the last I will say on this topic as certain individuals have already decided - by the sounds of it - that I am such an unfeeling person and must not love my brother at all or whatever nonsense.
 
Ok one more just to illustrate my point -

do you all remember the bloke who saved his comrades by throwing himself (and his backpack) on top of a mine? He survived and got some sort of medal, was it the victoria cross? yep, he is a hero, I would not argue.

Remember the stories of those US soldiers who took degrading pictures of prisoners? Hit the news big time. Real nasty pieces of work, taking pleasure in humiliating fellow human beings. Heros? You must be joking.

Soldiers? Both of them.
 
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