An insult to our soldiers..
 

just come across this in the daily mail online and it makes my blood boil .
how dare they treat our soldiers like this.



Soldiers returning from Afghanistan forced to change out of uniform on runway | the Daily Mail

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

As somebody has put in the comments of the article;

ONLY IN ENGLAND :mad:

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Thats a disgrace. (Loving the poll on there though, would jeremy clarkson make a good prime minister, well surely if would be better than what we have at the moment). Surely our troops deserve better than this.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Well reading that article it looks like the MOD to blame and someone at the airport taking a rule over the top rather than trying to get around it.
absolutely unnacceptable IMO..:mad::mad::mad:

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Not just the troops, as a nation we deserve better than these bungling politically correct pillocks who make these decisions.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

sorry dave it will not let me give ya karma.;)

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

I hope atleast 1 of our soldiers had the sense to completly ignore there idiots and just wandered off in full uniform, i would have. Btw poll added in q&a.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

thats just disgusting,,what a farse..:o

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

its sickens me.... there uniforms were good enough to wear while they were fighting for their country

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Obviously a ridiculous and shameful situation, but the most important question is what's going to happen now? Are the MOD going to reverse this crazy ruling? Are the government going to order them to reverse it? I wouldn't put money on it! :rolleyes:

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

I would like to see them in uniform, it's politics that is wrong, not these young men and women.
They are willing to go out and deal with dirty tasks that we as a nation send them to.

When they come home they should be able to wear their uniforms with pride, they, (the members of the forces), are nothing to be ashamed of, they do a difficult job and whenever they come home should be given respect that they deserve!

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

It may be due to those on leave soldiers being threatened and attacked a while back - ie - for their own protection - sad but maybe why

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Must admit Margaret, didn't particularly like to comment here as wondered if I was missing the point. Aren't all service personnel advised or 'instructed' not to wear their uniform in public whilst not on duty ?

Purely, for their own safety and safety of others around them I would have thought. They would certainly be a target whilst out on their own or with their families. Nothing to do with the rest of us being ashamed of them.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

I believe the Armed forces are not allowed to wear uniforms in public due to a threat to themselves, if they are spotted inuniform and then seen aqgain by the 'wrong type' in civies with their families. HOWEVER, they should not have been made to change on a runway and should have been treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve. I'm sure some A list Celeb and their entourage would have been given a nice heated waiting room or VIP lounge, so why not our men that have been fighting for Queen and country, or however the phrase goes???

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

I just don't believe it - I have only just read it here (about soldiers having to take their uniforms off on the runway at Birmingham). How many more insults to soldiers, most of whom are young, from people who should know better. Perhaps they would prefer to have been German speaking (I am sure that is not racially correct and I do not apologise). I expect the union jack has to come off the coffin before the dead returning from Afghanistan can be allowed in - mustn't let anyone think the English are patriotic - heaven forbid. Since the only military hospital we now have is not a military hospital but a section of a General Hospital in Birmingham (cost cutting exercise) the airport must find it very distasteful if it has not been possible to remove all of the uniform from an injured soldier - or do they make them come into Brize Norton and travel up by road.
The reason I have my beard in a blaze is that today I heard from my daughter that her five year old daughter was told off at school for wanting to draw her uncle's tank (my son is in Afghanistan and has been since mid-october - his 1st child was born on 31st October). She was told that she had to learn that not all people around her would like it and may be upset and no she couldn't nor should she talk about him - I wonder if the school and Government has heard the expression - "If you can't stand the heat in the kitchen get out"!
I am even more disgusted by this because yesterday we received a message to say that our son's tank had gone over a landmine and he had been hit by shrapnel - in the head. He is not dead but apart from us who the hell would care if he was - certainly not Gordon Broon. Jeremy Clarkson would make an infinitely better Prime Minister and I would vote for him. The British by and large are a very tolerent race for the most part but straws are beginning to break the camels back.
I am sure this is all politically and racially incorrect and I don't give a dam and stand by every word of it. What I am ashamed of recently is to have British on my passport and I never thought I would say that at my age.
One day we will no longer have an army, the pacifists will be happy though, won't they, so that must be OK - oh, and I forgot to mention of course that the army are grossly overpaid.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

As somebody who once was a member of the Royal Air Force, and as somebody who has loved ones still serving in the RAF this saddens me so deeply i can not express it.

Our nations armed forces have a long and proud history, one which our uniform and badge represents and they should be worn with pride in any public place. I have no doubt in my mind that had these men and women, who fight not just for our country and freedom but for other peoples as well, walked through that terminal anybody there would have cheered them and made them feel welcome home and shown just how proud we are of the job they do and the way they do it.

It is sad that the MoD can't show the same respect.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Airports are generally seen now as a high risk place aren't they? I'm not a terrorist so I cant be certain, but wouldn't it be more... i cant think of a suitable word... pleasing(?) to one to blow up a group of soldiers coming back from war rather than your ordinary citizen?

The police aren't allowed to wear their uniforms off duty are they? In fact I thought any job normally specifies that you only wear the uniform during the work hours. Those soldiers with the big furry hats in London don't go home in their uniforms surely?

It seems an odd topic this. I can understand why people may be annoyed that the soldiers had to get changed on the runway, if this is even true (i havent seen the news on this myself), but there isn't place on a plane and surely walking INTO the airport would then cause a risk to themselves if there was to be a terrorist attack?

I dont really know where I stand on this arguement. I'm just finding it hard to picture soldiers in their boxer shorts on the runway.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Yes but of course that would require a terrorist to already be in the building wanting to blow it up, in which case id much rather have a couple of hundred of soldiers with SA-80's in uniform.

For example if you visit ANY american airport it is full of their army troops walking round with flak jackets on and fully loaded M-16's in hand.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

I dont find the idea of troops patrolling a public area with loaded guns a comfort. In fact it would make many people more fearful of an attack that may not even happen.

And guns are guns, weapons designed to kill and it doesn't matter who's hands they are in, be it a terrorist or a soldier, it still makes me uncomfortable that they are there to use on another human being. Shooting down a terrorist doesn't provide justice, and in many situations its not even a viable option as many of the bombs used by terrorists deploy by releasing their finger off the detonator, not pressing it so unless you know for certain what type of trigger a bomb may have, you could actually be endangering people by just shooting down possible terrorists anyway.

As for using America as an example, well don't get me started :rolleyes: its probably got the most carriers of guns in the world, so its hardly a shock that they arm their troops to walk around an airport, the majority of america are armed.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Armed police patrol our airports when the country is on high alert, wether you feel comfortable or not is your preferance, have seen them quite a few times here as well as in usa, it makes me feel safer, thats the way life is now sadly.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

I simply don't travel.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Actually the guns and ammo that we use (the NATO 5.56mm round) are not, surprisingly, designed to kill people. They are infact designed to disable and cause injury.

Although that's going off topic somewhat.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Any one who would attack or insult one of our soldiers
whilst they are home & in uniform should be immediately
conscripted and give a taste of a military prison.

Bringing back National Service couldn't come sooner.

Didn't do me any harm.

Retlaw.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

it would certainly teach respect back into society Retlaw, bring it on.;)

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

'Attack' being the operative word Retlaw .. too late then, isn't it, when they may have had a limb blown off !!

As for National Service, am going to start another thread on this as do not agree with you. (will check if been discussed before).

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Best posting yet on the topic , anyone who is upset or tramatized at the sight of one of there own servicemen/women proudly wearing their uniform whilst home on leave either needs to get either their prescriptons re-filled at a higher doseage or buy a ticket to 'cloud cuckoo land '

Retlaw, Karma sent

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Beg to differ. I fly on a regular basis and whilst one sees large numbers of troops in transit, you will not see them carrying weapons of any kind, since all such are banned from airport property. A small number of security personnel or TSA agents fall under a different category and are armed but you are unlikely to see them waving guns around. Only on the occasion of a high risk alert will you see armed national guards at airports.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Oh and cause injury is acceptable isnt it.

Many people will remember the man who passed out due to his diabetes on a london bus and had a tazer (sp) used on him. He was an ordinary white man who was no more of a threat than you or me. The excuse used to justify it was that 'he looked egyptian'. Yes, I can see where the justification for simply causes harm comes into it. How could I have been so naive. :rolleyes:

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

I don't know where you got that info from "not designed to kill"

The NATO 5.56mm is a reduction in calibre from the 7.6mm round
so that soldiers can carry more ammo for the same weight.

It does'nt matter whether the round is .303, 7.62, 5.56 or .22, if it hits you between the eyes your dead.

Not all guns or ammo is designed to kill or cause injury.

Some firearms are designed for a specific purpose, IE target firearms
are to unwieldy to be used in combat, and some shot guns are designed
specifically for clay targets.

I spent a good 60 years of my life with firearms, to me they are just
wood and steel, in other words a tool, its who has hold of it that you need to worry about.

Guns DON'T kill people, PEOPLE kill people, with any thing they can lay there hands on, be it screwdrivers, kitchen knives or cars, far more so than with firearms.

Retlaw

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

I can't believe that the returning troops have to go thru this bs.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Are there any pictures of them actually doing this anywhere?

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Not seen any Blazey.

The soldiers were quoted as saying that there was little room in the aircraft to change and decided to change on the runway. I like to think that this was all done in good humour, and would have said to their mates "Blow this (for a bunch of soldiers :D) .. I'm going outside .. don't want your smelly armpits in my face". I hope so anyway. Positive they did not object to getting changed, as they knew this was the rule.

Re: An insult to our soldiers..
 

Seems that the rules are going to be changed about uniforms in public places;

BBC NEWS | UK | Off-duty troops may be in uniform