Cyprus-Forum.com

[connor]

Have every sympathy for the people conscripted into the first and second world wars..Like it or not mate you are in the army or you are in clink..or whatever the punishment was.

Today british soldiers sign in to the service voluntarily..why ? In the majority of cases its cos they can't handle civvy street. In the army they get decent pay..regularly on the dot and if dhekelia garrison is anything to go by a whole host of facilities. ie swimming pools..glider club..cinema..theater..water sports club..duty free cars..the list goes on. The locals refer to it as Butlins in Cyprus.

But when it comes to doing what they are paid for what do we hear.."Mum that foreign person is pointing a gun at me..!"

Don't want to see any british soldier injured or killed in battle..but come on first and foremost you are a soldier and you volunteered..!

Have more sympathy for the local cyprus lads..conscripted for 2 or 3 years into less than ideal working conditions and pathetic rates of pay..so pathetic in fact that their parents have to find money to bolster their pitiful salaries.

( Well..if that don't get a discussion going i don't know what will..)

[purdey]

Have you experienced serving the British armed services Conor. Maybe you have served, maybe you have witnessed action first hand.
Judgeing by your comments, you have not. Pay is less than that of a full time traffic warden and as for complaining about guns been pointed well that's a new one to me.
Cyprus has always been regarded as a cushy posting, but not all those that are in Cyprus are there for a long period, they are either on transit or returning from Iraq or Afghanistan.

[Eliko]

connor, you are right of course, you could have amplified the reasons for the young men of the U.K. signing on with the military by mentioning the fact that the lack of 'Gainful Employment' virtually forces them to do so.

Many of those I come into contact with, particularly from the Northern and Midland regions of the U.K. confirm what I have written.

Once trained, these young men seem to develop a rather unhealthy outlook (in humanitarian terms) of those people of other nations that their leaders unleash their talents upon.

I have engaged with many (at all levels) and must say that I am often struck by the lack of respect they have for those that they perceive to be their enemies.

A fatal flaw in combat since it reduces the feelings of achievement in a successful encounter.

Old Arabic adage;- "Though your foe be an ant, imagine it to be an Elephant"

There is no glory in overcoming a weak opponent and one must be magnanimous in victiory over the strong.

In my humble opinion of course.

In case I have not already done so, welcome to the forum connor and good luck with your postings.

[purdey]

Again the same question for Eliko. Heresay, the voices of a few and again all are tarred with the same brush. As for young joining the Army because of lack of work elsewere, maybe true in some cases, but not in the main.
Recruitment is at an all time low and has been for a number of years.
Having respect for one's foe has always been at the forefront in training especially when been posted on active service.
Let's not forget the British armed services in the main are trained to kill, just like any army in the world.

[miltiades]

Again the same question for Eliko. Heresay, the voices of a few and again all are tarred with the same brush. As for young joining the Army because of lack of work elsewere, maybe true in some cases, but not in the main.
Recruitment is at an all time low and has been for a number of years.
Having respect for one's foe has always been at the forefront in training especially when been posted on active service.
Let's not forget the British armed services in the main are trained to kill, just like any army in the world.

The best trained and behaved army in the world .
As in every walk of life you have rotten apples so some find their way in the British army. My late brother in law served in Burma , a proud man and a brilliant soldier .
I have nothing but respect for the finest army in the world.

[connor]

Eliko...Thankyou for the welcome.

[Eliko]

purdey, my comments were not intended to be detrimental to those young men serving (regardless of their reasons for so doing).

What concerns me, is the mind-set of many I have both served and socialized with.

Sorry to tell you purdey but I do believe the 'Respect' issues are sadly lacking (particularly in the Middle East) and I am convinced of the fact that it is as a result of failure rather than success that lies at it's root.

It is difficult to perform effectively when 'Lies and Deceit' placed these young soldiers in such perilous positions, they have not the same 'Will' as those who consider themselves to have justice on their side, thus lack of respect becomes far more prevalent.

In my considered opinion.

[denizaksulu]

connor, you are right of course, you could have amplified the reasons for the young men of the U.K. signing on with the military by mentioning the fact that the lack of 'Gainful Employment' virtually forces them to do so.

Many of those I come into contact with, particularly from the Northern and Midland regions of the U.K. confirm what I have written.

Once trained, these young men seem to develop a rather unhealthy outlook (in humanitarian terms) of those people of other nations that their leaders unleash their talents upon.

I have engaged with many (at all levels) and must say that I am often struck by the lack of respect they have for those that they perceive to be their enemies.

A fatal flaw in combat since it reduces the feelings of achievement in a successful encounter.

Old Arabic adage;- "Though your foe be an ant, imagine it to be an Elephant"There is no glory in overcoming a weak opponent and one must be magnanimous in victiory over the strong.

In my humble opinion of course.

In case I have not already done so, welcome to the forum connor and good luck with your postings.

Very interesting adage. Is that Arabian adage something you agree with, Eliko?

[purdey]

I have served Eliko, three times on active and seen action. I have also done three tours of Northern Ireland. Believe me a serving soldier does not listen too political rantings. They are trained to fight under orders and in the main have full respect for their foes.
As Milt quiet rightly says there are a few bad apples and from time to time they slip through the net. I still maintain the British forces are the best trained in the world, without exception.

[Eliko]

connor, you are right of course, you could have amplified the reasons for the young men of the U.K. signing on with the military by mentioning the fact that the lack of 'Gainful Employment' virtually forces them to do so.

Many of those I come into contact with, particularly from the Northern and Midland regions of the U.K. confirm what I have written.

Once trained, these young men seem to develop a rather unhealthy outlook (in humanitarian terms) of those people of other nations that their leaders unleash their talents upon.

I have engaged with many (at all levels) and must say that I am often struck by the lack of respect they have for those that they perceive to be their enemies.

A fatal flaw in combat since it reduces the feelings of achievement in a successful encounter.

Old Arabic adage;- "Though your foe be an ant, imagine it to be an Elephant"There is no glory in overcoming a weak opponent and one must be magnanimous in victiory over the strong.

In my humble opinion of course.

In case I have not already done so, welcome to the forum connor and good luck with your postings.

Very interesting adage. Is that Arabian adage something you agree with, Eliko?

Deniz, not only do I agree with it, I 'LIVE' by it.

Interestingly, perhaps many in the troubled regions of the Middle East also do, which would explain the reason for their ferocious resistance to unlawful aggression.