The Ultimate Sacrifice

[Centurion]

[MOD: Split from other]

People who want to serve overseas should be careful what they wish for. It's no picnic or Boys Own adventure as the events in Kosovo showed last week. If you need further proof I'd suggest you go to www.lunaville.org and see how many National Guard and Army Reservists have been killed in Iraq since last March. I'm quite sure most of them would have been happy to stay at home.

Just to take one recent example;

Pfc. Nichole M. Frye, was 19 when she was killed on Feb 16. Her National Guard Unit had only been in Iraq for 2 weeks. According to her local paper:

"Employees and friends at Wayne's Family Restaurant, 805 Brazeau Ave., Oconto, where Frye worked since she was 14, we're shocked by the news of her death.

Karen Thompson, owner of the restaurant, spoke on behalf of her co-workers about Frye, who started as a dishwasher and worked her way up to be a waitress."


So there's the reality of it guys, some poor kid (who doesn't seem to have much of a start in life) ends up dead at the side of a dirt road in Iraq while delivering school books to children.

Like I said, be careful what you wish for. And if you have a moment, maybe say a prayer for Nichole Fry.

[Docman]

Unfortunately, it comes with the job. In a volunteer army, noone should enlist without first considering the fact that it is a dangerous job. It is something we try to impart to our recruits before they are sworn in - It may all be fun and games now, but when the S*&$ hits the fan, you're in the firing line, so do sign up unless you are willing to take the consequences.

You are just as dead from a 81mm mortar misfire as a Negligent discharge.

[Centurion]

I agree with you entirely Docman, however I'm not sure that all those who want a more challenging role and a greater committment for the RDF have fully thought through what this would entail. Soldiers shouldn't need reminding that "if you take the shilling, you wear the boots. . . "

There is no point in calling on the State to increase expenditure and reorganise the RDF unless you accept that the State may in turn want something in return for that investment. I drew the Army National Guard analogy because I think it fairly illustrates the logical outcome of the argument.

On a less serious note, I saw a photo of a US ARNG division being mobilised for Iraq recently and was fascinated to note that almost without exception they were either over-age or overweight. Made me feel much better!

[Docman]

Originally posted by Centurion
There is no point in calling on the State to increase expenditure and reorganise the RDF unless you accept that the State may in turn want something in return for that investment.

I fully accept that and am quite willing to give that return PROVIDED I receive the training required for that role. I have no intention of placing my ass on the line unless the training and equipment are forthcoming.

On a less serious note, I saw a photo of a US ARNG division being mobilised for Iraq recently and was fascinated to note that almost without exception they were either over-age or overweight. Made me feel much better!

If anyone has been following Cal tankers deployment diary, they will know just how shorthanded they are. His unit, 1/149 armour, were amalgamated into the 81 Brigade to bring 81 Bde up to strength. At one stage his company were at 40% strength with only a month to go. The coy was reduced from 4 to 3 platoons bringing each platoon closer to 60%. AND this was after 3 months of continuous activating of reservists from across the US to try and bring it up to strength.

[MIA]

If you join even the RDF you should be prepared for combat and the consequences...its like these Americans refusing to go back to Iraq off leave citing themselves as "concientious objectors"...err, you joined the army, what did you expect, flood control?

[Docman]

It is like the 507 Maintenance Company in Iraq. When 18 soldiers were captured or killed, their families were shocked. The guys in the company had told their worried families repeatedly that they were miles from any fighting and would have a boring war. It is something they believed themselves. Weapons were left uncleaned because they did not think they would need them. They were not prepared and many paid the price.

While the chances of Reservists in Ireland being in danger are a million to one, we should accept that there is a chance.

[MIA]

Indeed-even though the danger is not present and immidiate you should be prepaired for it, lest you get bit on the ass some day.