All in this together ?

Yet another repatriation passed by with hardly a mention anywhere except maybe a glimpse of the plane bringing three of our lads back home and a few observations on the subsequent cortege that followed.

The insanity surrounding a possible shortage of a few litres of petrol or the price of a cold pasty, for Gods sake, was obviously of far more significance than the three lives that should have been honoured nationally.

Three more lives wasted and others devastated at the behest of others not fit to clean the boots of the departed and no one really cares enough to want to do something about it.

The loss of all three is tragic enough and it comes home more when one of these poor souls was a local lad, L/Cpl Corporal Michael Foley, who was born in Burnley, just 25 years old and married to Sophie. He leaves behind three young lads, Callum, Warren and Jake.

Re: All in this together ?

Hammer, don't get me started on the media, why didn't L/Cpl. Foley get the same coverage as that reporter recently killed in Syria? Our guys in the forces spend long periods in war zones and know much more about the problems and what they are fighting for, a newspaper reporter spends days, or at most weeks, and if, sadly, they get killed all the TV channels carry hours and hours of coverage, detailed career history, family and political tributes, etc. I mourn the death of anyone killed in these war zones but I abhor the way the media are so 'selective' in what they broadcast or print.

Re: All in this together ?

Could not agree more with both of you.

Re: All in this together ?

It's disgraceful that the media are so selective but, don't forget that reporters do volunteer to go to war zones putting their own lives at risk, whereas soldiers join the Army and have to expect to go into a war situation, and many do relish the possibility and that's why they join up.

And - before somebody comes down on me like a ton of bricks, I was married to a soldier for 15 years and spent two of those years with him in Londonderry between 1979 - 1981 when Northern Ireland were at the height of the "troubles."

It was terrifying, and three of our friends were killed in the line of duty. That was just over 30 years ago and the things I dealt with personally have never left me, as it does affect wives and families as well, although they're less likely to be killed, but that did happen as well.

It breaks my heart when I see coffins covered in the Union Flag being brought back home, but that's the way the media works. It's wrong, and I do understand the anger here.

To the media it's just more news coverage, then they move on to lack of fuel, cold pies and what Katie Price is doing these days. Makes me sick, but there's little can be done about it.

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I am sorry I didnt say sleep well lads,I hope I am not getting used to our boys dying,its happening so much but I will pay attention in future. Annie.

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I feel ashamed, I don't watch tv much, and I didn't hear about these lads.
RIP boys and heart felt condolences to their families.

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It is sad when we see these aircraft land to repatriate our boys, very sad indeed.
But I am glad they do bring them home, in the last 2 big wars we have had, thousands were buried on foreign soil, my father one of them, my mother never had the chance to say goodbye and visit his grave.
I have been many times and only Thursday my eldest daughter was at his graveside sowing some seeds.
On remembrance day my youngest daughter was crossing the very waters he lost his life in, and she dropped a cross of poppies there off the back of the ferry.

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It's such a tragic waste of such brave men, many of them at the threshold of their life.

They deserve more.

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I doubt there's a sane person in the land that thinks we are doing any good out there, and that it will be any different when we leave, so we may as well leave now, save the lives of our lads and be done with the God forsaken place...

Oh, and set up a War Crimes Tribunal for the politicians that sent us both there and Iraq for no proper reason....

Re: All in this together ?

My OP was not entirely aimed at the media nor was it to hark back to past conflicts, it was more of a follow up to a contribution I made on this subject in a previous thread by Plantman. 15

As can be seen by those wishing to look it was a criticism of the total apathy shown thus far by the vast majority of the 'great british public' toward the continuing needless slaughter and maiming of our troops in Afghanistan.

We are told the withdrawal will be completed by 2014 but at what further cost? it surely is not rocket science to realise that between then and now the fighting and inevitable casualties will escalate.

Exactly what will the whole debacle have achieved?; the troops will leave behind the same corruption and a resumed heroin cultivation and a vastly increased production. Astonishingly our financial aid will go on ad infinitum whilst we cannot seem to take proper care of those who serve us so well.
Wait a sec though we did extinguish Bin Laden, but then again was he caught in Afghanistan? I don't think so.

When our lads and lasses finally leave Camp Bastion and Helmand Province and all the sham of support by our leaders has abated I would doubt that David Cameron - in much the same way that Gordon Brown looked back on Iraq - will spare above two minutes to count the cost in human terms and wonder if it was worthwhile.

Thankfully we no longer hear the shouts of derision and insults that used to be hurled at our lads and lasses at nearly every march past/parade. It is good to see the folks turning out in support but we need our people home now not in another two years. Sadly, people seem far more interested in some new Simon Cowell con trick than wanting to do something about getting things done.