Rob Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 BBC3 and BBC4 have been showing a lot of very good military programmes over the last month, focussing on Afghanistan. One that springs to mind is Young Soldiers, a 4 -parter which followed a few lads from the point of arriving at Catterick to deploying in Aghanistan. By the end of the 2nd episode, two lads had dropped out right at that point where you fully "sign up" to 4 years service. They were unable to commit or face going into battle. Now, the programme presented that moment as a key watershed, you're either in or out, but what happens if you think you are OK, maybe bouyed along by all your mates but when you get out there, you can't handle it? I don't mean in a breaking down, hiding under the bed, eating the carpet, PTSD way, but if you just can't face going out on foot, with all that sh*te buried in any random place, what reasonable options does the soldier have? Is the only option to refuse to patrol and then get court martialed, imprisoned and discharged with some sort of record, blighting your future life? Also when Katherine Jenkins visits Bastion, do you all get a go on her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Attero Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Is the only option to refuse to patrol and then get court martialed, imprisoned and discharged with some sort of record, blighting your future life? I've always believed that this was the only option for drop-outs after signing for service. It's supposed to be an extremely serious matter, and if one does it, potentially a whole load more soldiers may think it is a good idea to leave aswell. Which would obviously have a massive effect on our army. I've only watched one (on repeat aswell) of those soldier programmes. That was the one where Christopher Gray died, and it really saddens me everytime I've watched it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobD Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Ive been watching young soldiers also, I've always wanted to go in the army and watching programmes like that just puts the urge up higher. I've got a fiancée and a 4 year old so likeliness of it happening is small, but the way my works has been recently I'm seriously contemplating signing up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 It certainly should be a serious matter, as they are given all the info about what it means to be a soldier and given the final chance to back out. Just for the record, there is no hidden agenda to this question, I'm not going to be critical of our army, they do an amazingly brave task and just watching the programes put the fear of god (non existant variety) into me. Obviously the army has come a long way from the time where a soldier would be shot after a very insufficient "court case" accusing him of cowardice or LMF, but a soldier who's "bricking it" in a more than expected way would surely be a liability and a danger to his mates. Is it not better to acknowledge he's made a grave mistake rather than forcing him to try and fight if he cannot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Massey Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 As a recruit under 18 they can leave anytime with a letter from their parents After 18 they belong to the army and when it comes to deploying i have never noticed a refusal to soldier because of afghan or iraq but if such an occasion happened then yes arrested court martialed and jail we go through a very intense training package for operational tours and everyone is fully aware of what is expected and the majority of us soldiers are happy to go on tour and fight yes we brick it at times as it is daunting but we all know its our job and no one else will do it Out there at the time its another day in the office its when things go wrong or when we come back that PTSD or reality kicks in and sometimes we cant handle it And the katherine Jenkins thing, i wish we got a go lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevie.84 Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 As a recruit under 18 they can leave anytime with a letter from their parents After 18 they belong to the army and when it comes to deploying i have never noticed a refusal to soldier because of afghan or iraq but if such an occasion happened then yes arrested court martialed and jail we go through a very intense training package for operational tours and everyone is fully aware of what is expected and the majority of us soldiers are happy to go on tour and fight yes we brick it at times as it is daunting but we all know its our job and no one else will do it Out there at the time its another day in the office its when things go wrong or when we come back that PTSD or reality kicks in and sometimes we cant handle it And the katherine Jenkins thing, i wish we got a go lol +1 agree totally with all I've never come across anyone refusing to soldier, if anything it makes you lads grow up a lot quicker - it did me! I was 19 and quite childish and got sent to Iraq in 2004 a month after training, so it certainly opened my eyes, as I was trained I wouldn't of dared refusing to soldier as of the repercussions and also impact out there 1 less lad can mean alot extra work, manpower is everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevie.84 Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Makes young lads* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SupraAyf Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 but what happens if you think you are OK, maybe bouyed along by all your mates but when you get out there, you can't handle it? It's a bit like jumping in to a fast flowing river; i.e once you make the jump then you're in it and just get on with your lot. The camaraderie is normally the thing that gets you through the day, and on to the next and so on. This is one of the reasons why some soldiers don't make it in civvi street on completion of their military careers since they have always been tied in to a lifestyle where there is someone to help and support them through the difficult times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Thanks for your answers guys. So in summary it never, and possibly extremely rarely happens that a soldier will refuse to fight, or patrol. I suppose unless you get isolated and held out in the field for a long period, you're all rotated on and off duty to prevent battle fatigue. Again, unlike WW1 where soldiers were pushed to the point of being gibbering wrecks because no one understood what was happening to them. Watching those programmes really brings home to me what a difficult job it is out there, where the enemy is just so elusive and deadly. The two parter called Bomb Squad was terrifying. When my Civvie idea of landmines is all from films,so I expect to see metal plates and shiny tripwires that you can stick a toothpick in and cut, the truth of the situation would see me shipped home in disgrace. So hats off to you guys for going to it and dealing with the taliban. That was the other thing, the taliban, if they're not planting IEDs, they're growing opium or shutting down schools. Is there anything they do that isn't evil villainy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SupraAyf Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Again, unlike WW1 where soldiers were pushed to the point of being gibbering wrecks because no one understood what was happening to them. You will soon see a noticeable increase in mental disorder cases coming to the fore within our soldier population (serving and retired) since Afghanistan is creating its fair share of severe problems for our guys to deal with. IMO, the soldering of today is a far greater challenge than at any other other period in British Military history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Well yes, if you were stuck in a muck filled trench, or advancing through France, at least you knew where the enemy were and what they looked like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 IMO, the soldering of today is a far greater challenge than at any other other period in British Military history. be interested to know why you think that? just the nature of technological advances and the mobility of the military must make life slightly easier than in the past, no? (I realise we are still talking about highly stressful situations and minor degrees of better/worse here) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Supra_boy Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Have soo much respect for the soldiers fighting abroad, still dont think they've got enough support from our government! Another programme I was watching was Bomb squad on BBC1 and you see that there disarming IED's. One of the fellas who stepped on an IED lives near me and had his arrm and legs blown off and the council put him in a high storey flat!! Makes you sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TubbyTwo Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 I have been thinking alot about this as well lately. Im facinated by the documentaries, always have been, constantly have things on recording. For someone like me thats looking for a complete change of career and a fresh start work wise its very appealing. Downsides would be the extended periods away from my partner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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