The death of 6 service men today brings it home, if it needs bringing home, that joining up can be, quite literately, a matter of life and death. I missed out on conscription and TBH joining up was never an option, well, I did try for the marines band but that was because I played in a band, nothing to do with fighting anyone. Why was it never an option, fear, not wanting to leave home, dislike for exercise, lack of bravery, who knows, just never fancied it. That said and without wanting to sound condescending, if that's the right word, I have nothing but respect and admiration for those who did and do join up. So, just because I'm curious, what made you join up and even more importantly what made you stay passed your time, if you did. Not interested in the rights and wrongs of war, killing or being killed and all that stuff, just why we do what we do.
No easy answer to this one Syd..................... Must admit while at school never thought of it much in the early days.... Then the Falklands brought it home to me....... Left school, was at Wearside college doing a painting course...............and just thought, **** this is boring... Popped off down town, and applied for the Marines... Test, medicals interviews etc...............few months later...there i was 17...about to begin an adventure into the un-known, a mere kid, amongst some of the meanest people iv'e met...........Little did i know they were also the best people in the world you could meet... Then 9 months later, joined my first unit....and there met with many who i had witnessed on the tv, yomping across the Falklands..... But now i was one of them..... ........................................................................... So still no logical reason, as to why.......guess some are just meant to do it... Death, sadly is part and parcel of it...........especially for the front line lads.........don't make it any easier... But would i advise anyone not to join up..........................christ no..................do it, if you have thought about it..
Just one of them things Syd... No reason why some people do it....some it's family, generation after generation...some it's no alternative with the economy and lack of jobs...some just do it spur of the moment.. You've seen how my life is now...... It brings you confidence to do allsorts... Guess that's why iv'e travelled so much, and never settled back down home.
I joined up in 1977 at the age of 16 having left Southmoor School following O levels. A lot of my classmates were looking at apprenticeships in the shipyards or pits - I often wonder how that worked out for them (and hope most of them were ok following the decimation of Wearside's industries). A few went on to college or uni so I'm sure that was a good move. Went made me join up ? Well I had a long line of servicemen on both sides of the family and several cousins who also joined up - I can remember being on leave one Christmas and the guest / signing in book at my Grandads club in Ryhope being full of our family name with HM Forces alongside as we were signed in ! I did 11 years in the Army in the end and mostly enjoyed it, though there were many bad times as well. Lost colleagues / friends in the Falklands and through stupid accidents that are the normal course of life whatever occupation you're in. My time coincided with the Cold War so I spent most of my time in Germany and elsewhere abroad - loving the travel and working abroad. The darker days of the miner's strikes etc pretty much passed me by to be honest, we were generally well sheltered from it all. Ireland was more dangerous, but nothing like Afghanistan or Iraq. Nowadays it's far more dangerous an occupation and I take my hat off to today's generation of serivice men and women for putting up with the uncertainty over defence cuts and their futures while operating in dangerous, hostile environments in extreme weather. The pride I feel in them as an ex-squaddie myself is even greater than the embarrassment of missing out on both Gulf Wars, Iraq and Afghanistan and having been generally a peace time soldier ! I'm not sure I would like to be serving in today's army but am hugely proud of them all and fiercely defensive of the Forces generally. It really is like being part of a big family, and it's difficult to describe to civilians what it's really like !
I was bored working in a bank and decided to join the RAF to learn a trade;I was an aircraft electrician servicing V Bombers at the height of the cold war.No regrets whatsoever and I made some great friendships-still see some of the lads on a regular basis. Although it may sound a bit old fashioned a sense of duty to the country was part of my decision to join up.Have just watched the series on 42 Commando in Afghanistahats off to these guys-they all deserve recognition.
Some of my closest friends are still lads I served in the army with. In fact I go skiing every year with some of them - and we still pull up an odd sandbag or two and mull over old times !
The series showed them on patrol in the most dangerous square mile in the world;it was covered with IED's and the discipline shown by 42 was fantastic(unlike our friends from across the pond).They were patrolling in attempts to draw out the Taliban so that they could make a better life for the local villagers--99% certainty that any individual was Taliban or a Taliban dicker was not enough cause to open fire. The last programme in the series showed those who had been medically evacuated make a point of being at Brize Norton to welcome home their mates who had done a full tour.One of those seriously injured had 4 young kids -the tour saw 7 guys killed----for what;when we withdraw our lads next year the Taliban will take over again and the loss of over 400 British servicemen and women will have been in vain. What I would like to say is next time you see someone doing something for"Help For Heroes" please give your support-our service personnel make the world a safer place for us all.
I never, ever had the minerals to even contemplate serving, I count many close friends who are servicemen, and I am proud of them every single day (delighted to see them all pop up on Facey today, as is always the case when you hear of tragedy). I extend this pride to every one of you lads on here, as a man who had 2 serving grandfathers (one RAF, one Army), I may not have had the bollocks myself, but I do understand what it means to serve. You're all ****ing heroes, simply.
I joined because i was on the dole (the pits were on strike) and three of my best mates were in the services, (one RAF, one Navy and one Army). They all left and i had a flourishing career and have never looked backed - it made me! Met and married my wife and now live down south. I still work for the army as a civil servant and to be honest thank **** i am not in now. Its tour after tour after tour, very little down time and thats down to the massive cuts led by this ****ing LibCon government. I still have a lot of admiration for the anyone who serves their country, they are courageous individuals and hearing of the loss of one of more of our guys really brings it home to me. What we must not forget though is that dying in the line of duty is an occupational hazard, we all knew that. Luckily I am still here. May they all rest in peace.
Well I managed to serve a whole 8 months in the army! Before being medically discharged due to a ****ed up knee. Wish I could say my injury was received doing something heroic but the parade ground wasn't particularly dangerous. Anyway my dad was in the TA so I grew up visiting drill halls and quickly decided the forces was the only career for me and joined up after my A levels. Well that was 17 years ago but still regret how it turned out. Watching tv programmes and documentaries about military life always makes me envious. The danger of serving in the forces is all too apparent these days but I'd still jump at a second chance.
I wanted to join the army from the age of 4 after seeing the Guards at Buckingham Palace. I was a Cub, then Scout, then Cadet and finally a soldier in 1977. I never waivered in my career choice all the way through school and watched my school friends go off to the factories around Peterlee or down the pit when we all left Acre Rigg Secondary Modern 35 years later and I am still working for the army as a civil servant. It's in my blood
I did a YTS in construction but always wanted to be a lecky for some reason, at the age of 21 was too old to get an appretiship. My sister was in the army and i always thought about joining up. She advised me that the RAF looked after you better so went for that. Served 10 years as a aircraft tech. Served in afganastan with IV squadron just before i left in 2006, for family reasons. More and more time spent away from them (and it was getting worse). Still keep in contact with a few of the lads still serving and its getting worse and worse. LOved every minute of it and wouldnt change a thing!!! Would i do it again now if had the chance and single DEFO!!!
I'll tell you why I joined up. Austin and Pickersgill closed and the dole didn't appeal. 22 years service on and I'm stuck on the dole anyway. Hey ho. At least I have my pension I suppose. Don't ever try to tell a bloke in the forces he's a hero mind...They'll laugh in your face.
Joined up in 83 after 3 years of ****e govvy schemes and dole, no patriotic fervor or need to defend my country it was a job plain and simple. The fact I stayed in past the 6 years I signed up for however meant that I did enjoy every minute of it. Managed to do some really good stuff, abseiling out of helicopters into the jungle being one of the many highlights. The sneaky beaky stuff in NI was the top bollocks though there is a kind of sick buzz about not knowing whether you will make it back that day or not. Luckily my team was very good at their jobs, apart from the shooting contact and the car bomb which I couldn't really blame them for although they did try to blame me for picking the red route instead of the green route the gits. As Carsey above says I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Similar story here, there was nowt else available around that time. NI left me with a lot of demons & I/we did some ****ish things. I'll live with them however.
