Uncharted Thoughts.

AI FREE ZONE

A person can deserve compassion for what war did to them without automatically deserving public reverence for having participated in it.

I am from a military town, meaning the town I was born in hosted a large military presence. Eight, of my high school friends joined, two are still in.

I have close ties to the military within my family, and have friends that fought in Afghanistan, and Iraq.

So before I unleash this controversial take, I want you all to understand that I am not a solider, and I have never served. I also want you to understand that I am no novice to the lifestyle. My best friend is in the Royal Marines, his family are a part of me as my own.

I intend to be gentle with my wording here, and try to explain this thought process without offence.

The military in the UK, is a life long commitment. Families are raised around it, homes are decorated with it, and every aspect of a military family has it’s roots deeply imbedded in its culture.

That’s not to say that EVERY single family is like that, only the ones I have come into contact with closely are.

While they celebrate their branch of the military by getting blindly wasted on Guinness. I always found the tradition, sort of cringe.

I like that there is a brotherhood, and that there is a companionship, that is found nowhere else. But there is a arrogance to the military, and the men that are part of it that just doesn’t sit right.

We owe a lot to WW2 veterans, and I think it is important we honour them and their courage. But there is something about honouring Afghan, Iraq and maybe Iran veterans that doesn’t sit right with me.

In the First and Second World War, people were forced into conscription. There was an impending war across the sea and we had to deal with it. Maybe not so much in the First, but they were drafted and had no choice. With Afghanistan, and modern wars, the troops were not conscripted, they volunteered for it, and the wars feel… wrong.

We were not defending ourselves from the poppy farmers of Afghanistan, we were not attacked by Iraq. Yet, modern veterans seek the same treatment as those conscripted and forced to war.

That doesn’t mean that the hardships they endure are any less than that of a conscripted solider, but the hardships are not forced by law.

They volunteered for the job. They are paid and any injury or death caused by their voluntary subscription into the military is bought and paid for.

There are plenty of people I know, and love, that would physically assault me for saying this, but I don’t have sympathy for people who sign up for a job, and have to do that job.

If I signed up to be a chef, I can’t complain about the hours. I signed up for it. If I joined the Marines, I can’t complain about going to war, it is literally part of the job.

PTSD, and injury in warfare is a tragic part of the job, and the Government should have more facilities and resources for those returning from war. I would never say a person deserves any such mental or physical illness from their job. Yet, we are human, flesh and bone, and you are casting yourself into the most dangerous occupation on earth. Expect the reality of war.

I used to have a guy come into a pub I worked at. A man in his 50s, and a veteran. He was nice, always drank the same beer, smoked the same cigarettes and never caused any trouble.

However, he expected us to give a shit about his war stories. Expected us to praise him, or think him some hero. He’d pause after every story he told us, as if he expected some praise, or congratulations.

I never gave him any. Because it was the job he signed up for.

I don’t expect praise from anyone in regards to pouring them a pint. Neither do I think myself superior for it.

My friends dad is this military nut. His career is impressive, and he used the military to get out of poverty, see the world and make a life for his family. Yet, somewhere along the way, something went wrong.

He started writing about his time in the military, and dedicated his works to his dead friends, but it felt weird. As if he was using their deaths for personal, financial gain. I often wonder if any of the money he got from writing ever made its way to the son’s and daughters of the deceased loved ones? If he asked for permission to write about them? It seems sinister, and self motivated, but hidden behind a wall of distorted honour and forced sympathy. As if to criticise the work would be a form of blasphemy and unsympathetic to his experience.

The UK military isn’t as bad for it as others. The US has a weird glorification of their troops. “Thank you for your service”… a ridiculous statement and attitude. Half the people that join don’t even see combat, and the other half spend 6 months shooting farmers.

Perhaps I am being rude here. Perhaps we should honour them? I just don’t see, in times life today and the wars we are subjected to, why we should bend our knees to people are could just stay home.

A nurse, goes to work every day and saves lives. A teacher, goes to work everyday and raises the future of our societies. A soldier goes to war and kills people to ensure the safety of our country.