Would you join the territorial army?

[Norm]

It doesn't matter exactly what it is, a decent war, a decent plane crash.... Seeing it like that is all just a form of voyeurism and one of the reasons why we as a species will always be at war, be morbidly attracted to accidents, death and suffering etc etc.

Well, 'decent' is your word and you have now gone somewhere with the voyeurism angle that I completely disagree with.

My thinking was that signing up at a time when 'war' was not a prospect would have been without purpose, kinda like doing it just to play games, like those who sign up until they are deployed and suddenly realise what it means to be in the 'Armed Forces'.

I hope that doesn't seem disrespectful to those in the TA and all forces personnel, who have nothing but admiration, respect and gratitude from me for the invaluable role they play, the immense courage that they need every day and their willingness to do what they do.

A friend who is an armoured engineer was telling me about some of the stuff he faced, living locked down in his vehicle for 4 days in a hedgerow in Serbia, I was almost in tears listening to him - but that could also have been because I'd been trying to match his drinking abilities for 5 hours by that point.

 

[paddy01]

Whilst there is much I admire about the UK's armed forces, no. Could never see myself as someone suited to taking orders.

Too old now (only just) but I regularly cycle / walk along NCN 2 which goes past the Royal Marine Commando training center. Walked past today with wifey, pushing the boy in his buggy. Lovely day. The new trainees were doing something along the lines of having to do 100 meters in 1 minute, carrying an oppo over their shoulders.

My thinking was pretty much, good on ya lads, but bugger that for a game of soldiers.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Well, 'decent' is your word and you have now gone somewhere with the voyeurism angle that I completely disagree with.

You didn't exactly deny it though.

 

[Drago]

At least they won't arm TAs at home like the reservists in Switzerland.... all those rifles!

And the lowest gun crime on the planet.

That must have been one hell of a divorce if you'd rather have gone to Iraq and risked getting killed 'just for a change'!!

My head was a mess, not much right going on for me at home, turned out to be just the tonic! No time to think, properly busy.

The other advantage of being a mature serviceman deployed to a conflict zone is you're much less likely to suffer psychological issues if you see something nasty. Mind you, saw a few things but once you've scraped enough people off the road in you're day job you're rpetty immune.

 

[mrandmrspoves]

Join the TA?
No .....even the boy scouts was too scary for me!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

My thinking was pretty much, good on ya lads, but bugger that for a game of soldiers.

I think I'm just too suspicious of authority figures these day, so I probably wouldn't last 5 minutes..... But not after telling them that they really didn't need to shout at me!

 

[Archie_tect]

And the lowest gun crime on the planet.

...but one of the highest home suicide rates.

 

[mark st1]

...but one of the highest home suicide rates.

You cant fault them for the Toblerone though an awesome bit of kit that is

 

[Hover Fly]

I was, from cold war times until when I came to live in France, and did a bit of Full Time Reserve Service. I'm not sure I would join now, it seems that after the Reserve Forces Act 1996 they where less of an emergency reserve and more a way of getting soldiers on tap without the overheads of accommodation, pension and full time pay. Some I knew volunteered for the first TA tour in Afghanistan at the end of 2002, came back and were just getting back to normal then were called up compulsorily for the Iraq invasion.

 

[Maz]

Me? Join the TA? Being Muslim, I'd be too scared of staring down the wrong end of a rifle if 'our boys' got paranoid or trigger-happy and turned against me.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Seems wrong that the TA are being expected to take up where reductions in the regulars have occurred. How do employers feel about letting their TA employees disappear for chunks of time?

 

[Norm]

You didn't exactly deny it though.

Really? You use a distasteful phrase like 'decent war' and it becomes my problem for not calling you out on it immediately? I hadn't contemplated the voyeurism angle, chap, because it's too far out there, as you might have seen if you read what was written rather than making up what you want to read.

For the record, lest you are still struggling with it, I consider 'decent war' and voyeurism to be despicable notions and I'd suggest you look inside your own soul for thinking them rather than displacing your self-loathing onto others.

How do employers feel about letting their TA employees disappear for chunks of time?

From my limited experience, proud and extremely happy to welcome them home again.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

For the record, lest you are still struggling with it, I consider 'decent war' and voyeurism to be despicable notions

For the record, the 'decent war' bit was meant to be a bit ironic - have you never seen the first episode of Blackadder where he is riding about lost, looking for the Battle Of Bosworth Field, and on one ride past, he says something along the lines of

'Typical, the first decent battle in years and I go and miss it!'

It could have been applied loosely to your statement about the Falklands, that's all.

As for the Voyeurism bit, well, yes, sorry, I didn't mean offence, but it was just the way I interpreted some of what was said. Sorry.

 

[Berties]

I did 12 years with a cvhq unit,I left as wanted more time with the kids, my comitment was only 19 daysa year,I never had to do week nights at a local unit,went all over the place winter in Norway summer in Cyprus ,went into theatre twice,left as a sergant ,enjoyed my time had loads of laughs ,and did some top hole training camps

 

[Saddle bum]

A few white feathers need dishing out here.