Jack: A soldiers story

[Mc Lovin]

BBC1 last night, anyone else watch it at all?

I've seen a few similar programmes this year, so it wasn't a surprise to see the constant contacts, but Jack was doing very vell to hold it together i thought, especially after loosing his mates and seeing the things he'd seen!

Glad to see the AA are well drilled as well, sat back in cover smoking a rifter at any given moment, i guess they are a good diversion for the bullets though!!

I cant beleive how he was treated on his return, what do they expect, you come back off tour where your used to being shot at, shooting at the enemy and your wound up, then released into normal life.

I bet the reason for him assulting that guy in the taxi was because he was mouthing off about how we shouldnt be out there in the first place, i think considering what he'd done out there he'd be right to get pretty pissed off about it.

I'm sure i must have depression as i still want to join, it's done nothing toward putting me off signing up

[dirty doug]

Very brave lad, iirc out of his troop of 6, he was the only one not injured, 1 was killed. Very difficult for all our forces to readjust when they get home so I agree it's very easy for them to 'go into combat mode' when they get back. We need more personnel like him, but because he wasn't helped when he got back, he eventually ended up leaving the Army. Beer on me Jack if we ever meet.

[Mc Lovin]

dirty doug said:

Beer on me Jack if we ever meet.

Very brave indeed, especially after that suicide bomber incident!

[Tony*T3]

this was a repeat first shown some months ago. Jack would have been even more depressed then, and he is a spurs supporter and Juan De Ramos was still in charge.


Seemed a nice lad. Decent, brave soldier. TV cameras however shouldnt really be allowed to get this close to someone on a tour.

[Penny-lope]

It was on BBC 3 or 4 a few weeks back. Hard to believe he was so young, and had already been through so much.

[Cara Van Man]

Mc Lovin said:

I'm sure i must have depression as i still want to join, it's done nothing toward putting me off signing up

All those big hunky men in uniforms eh?

I knew you couldn't hide it much longer.

[speed_monkey]

Personally I cannot believe how frankly he was able to talk to the film crew!

When he spoke about crap pay etc etc I was astounded the MOD allowed that one to air.

Usually you are told what you can and cannot say and they are very strict about talking to the media

ETA: I watched this and it just makes me even more excited about the RMC

Edited by speed_monkey on Thursday 11th December 09:57

[Heskey]

Cara Van Man said:

Mc Lovin said:

I'm sure i must have depression as i still want to join, it's done nothing toward putting me off signing up

All those big hunky men in uniforms eh?

I knew you couldn't hide it much longer.

His wife nagged him to take out a life insurance policy. His wife drives him mental. Perhaps she's driving him towards the army in the hopes he'll get shot and she can be quids in?

[Tony*T3]

speed_monkey said:

Personally I cannot believe how frankly he was able to talk to the film crew!

When he spoke about crap pay etc etc I was astounded the MOD allowed that one to air.

Usually you are told what you can and cannot say and they are very strict about talking to the media

ETA: I watched this and it just makes me even more excited about the RMC

Edited by speed_monkey on Thursday 11th December 09:57

Things are changing. The top brass wants you to know that the labour governments been cutting thier budgets for years now.

[Fittster]

Has being in the military ever been a well paid job for lower ranks?

[Mc Lovin]

Cara Van Man said:

Mc Lovin said:

I'm sure i must have depression as i still want to join, it's done nothing toward putting me off signing up

All those big hunky men in uniforms eh?

I knew you couldn't hide it much longer.

Isnt it just!

Mate being serious for a second, do you know where the RAC are based out there?

[ShadownINja]

Mc Lovin said:

I cant beleive how he was treated on his return, what do they expect, you come back off tour where your used to being shot at, shooting at the enemy and your wound up, then released into normal life.

I bet the reason for him assulting that guy in the taxi was because he was mouthing off about how we shouldnt be out there in the first place, i think considering what he'd done out there he'd be right to get pretty pissed off about it.

Yes, I was thinking both things at the time.

I wonder if, on return, they should all have some sort of counselling, not because they are presumed to have some sort of mental illness but simply to help them adapt. As you say, you get all the adrenaline and your life's on the line the entire time and then you come back to banality. No wonder he ended up in fights. And then there's the taxi incident. I'm sure the passenger said derogatory things to him. I really do think the armed services personnel are not respected enough in this country.

Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 11th December 10:12

[tonyvid]

I watched that last night - bloody hell. I have no idea how you can switch off from full combat mode and go back to normal overnight. I would have battered the Afgan Army blokes each time they stopped behaving like soldiers. It was a very well made programme, really captivating and gave you a feeling of what it was like to be there.

[Mc Lovin]

tonyvid said:

I watched that last night - bloody hell. I have no idea how you can switch off from full combat mode and go back to normal overnight. I would have battered the Afgan Army blokes each time they stopped behaving like soldiers. It was a very well made programme, really captivating and gave you a feeling of what it was like to be there.

not what you want in a situation like that, they are soldiers, trained to do a job, you dont drop your st in a middle of a gun fight a smoke opium/weed.

[LeighW]

ShadownINja said:

Mc Lovin said:

I cant beleive how he was treated on his return, what do they expect, you come back off tour where your used to being shot at, shooting at the enemy and your wound up, then released into normal life.

I bet the reason for him assulting that guy in the taxi was because he was mouthing off about how we shouldnt be out there in the first place, i think considering what he'd done out there he'd be right to get pretty pissed off about it.

Yes, I was thinking both things at the time.

I wonder if, on return, they should all have some sort of counselling, not because they are presumed to have some sort of mental illness but simply to help them adapt. As you say, you get all the adrenaline and your life's on the line the entire time and then you come back to banality. No wonder he ended up in fights. And then there's the taxi incident. I'm sure the passenger said derogatory things to him. I really do think the armed services personnel are not respected enough in this country.

Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 11th December 10:12

Couldn't agree more, it must be so difficult to adapt to normal life after staring possible death in the face day in, day out. All that for £19k per year? Ridiculous.

[Jonny671]

ShadownINja said:

Mc Lovin said:

I cant beleive how he was treated on his return, what do they expect, you come back off tour where your used to being shot at, shooting at the enemy and your wound up, then released into normal life.

I bet the reason for him assulting that guy in the taxi was because he was mouthing off about how we shouldnt be out there in the first place, i think considering what he'd done out there he'd be right to get pretty pissed off about it.

Yes, I was thinking both things at the time.

I wonder if, on return, they should all have some sort of counselling, not because they are presumed to have some sort of mental illness but simply to help them adapt. As you say, you get all the adrenaline and your life's on the line the entire time and then you come back to banality. No wonder he ended up in fights. And then there's the taxi incident. I'm sure the passenger said derogatory things to him. I really do think the armed services personnel are not respected enough in this country.

Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 11th December 10:12

I agree, I think we all remember that time they came home and no one turned out for their march through the town.

I only caught the last half an hour so will watch the first half today.

I quite liked seeing what it was like up close in war, he was very good too.. I liked how he could talk openly about it, but you could tell when he said "A suicide bomber jumped on the bonnet and blew himself up.. But no one would believe that" You could tell war has hit him quite hard too but he puts on a good face.

Glad he didn't get put inside aswell

[Seight_Returns]

Ridiculous that if you give an imigrant pharmacist an earful for refusing you medication on "religous" grounds you end up in front of the magistrates, whereas mouthing off at this brave man appears to be ok and it's him who ends up in pokey when the intended reaction is provoked.

Something very rotten in the State of Denmark.

[Munter]

ShadownINja said:

Mc Lovin said:

I cant beleive how he was treated on his return, what do they expect, you come back off tour where your used to being shot at, shooting at the enemy and your wound up, then released into normal life.

I bet the reason for him assulting that guy in the taxi was because he was mouthing off about how we shouldnt be out there in the first place, i think considering what he'd done out there he'd be right to get pretty pissed off about it.

Yes, I was thinking both things at the time.

I wonder if, on return, they should all have some sort of counselling, not because they are presumed to have some sort of mental illness but simply to help them adapt. As you say, you get all the adrenaline and your life's on the line the entire time and then you come back to banality. No wonder he ended up in fights. And then there's the taxi incident. I'm sure the passenger said derogatory things to him. I really do think the armed services personnel are not respected enough in this country.

Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 11th December 10:12

I'm not sure "councelling" as such should be given to them all. But I think some kind of civvy training/trasision. Kind of wind down period where they can be assessed to see who might need councelling/more support. Too many ex military guys end up in trouble/on the street.

[Eric Mc]

In WW1 and WW2, there were lots of "drop in centres" for soldiers on leave or invalided out to meet and chat. Often the only people who can identify with soldiers are other soldiers.

Some patronising "counsellor" is the last thing they want to put up with.

[speed_monkey]

Eric Mc said:

In WW1 and WW2, there were lots of "drop in centres" for soldiers on leave or invalided out to meet and chat. Often the only people who can identify with soldiers are other soldiers.

Some patronising "counsellor" is the last thing they want to put up with.

I came back from Iraq and indeed after my tour in Afghan and never spoke to anyone. My O/H at the time could see I "wasn't myself" I was extremely aggressive at the slightest thing.

But you are right after some chats with friends that I had toured with and was basically going through what I was experiencing at the same time, the aggression subsided and we were able to 'vent'.

Nobody I know will ever talk to a civvy about what happens out there because they just cannot comprehend it and whatever you tell them they will undoubtly say "coool!" or something like that!

I'd just like to add that some of the things I have seen are fairly 'tame' compared to what other guys go through and see.