Joining the army not to fight?

mani · 07-07-2008, 16:48

I was having a convo the other day with a guy who was in the bar

around 15/20 years ago he'd joined the army and served for some time - however the first gulf war broke out and he quit as he didnt want to fight in a war...

it got me thinking why would you get a job in an organisation who's pliminary role was to fight when the need arose?

he then went AWOL went back served his sentance and then left after buying out his contract.

jaysay · 07-07-2008, 16:55

I heard of a couple of instances of that Mani in the first Gulf War, I heard one lads father say he didn't join the army to fight, I quitely asked him what had he joined up for given the fact that armies to tend to fight occasionally

mani · 07-07-2008, 17:00

exactly.

its like why do u think they're training you to fire that gun? for the may day bank holiday?

Mancie · 07-07-2008, 17:16

This must be a common occurence..a mate of mine joined up in the 70's..did a stint in Ulster then went AWOL, I know of another lad that went AWOL at the start of the first Gulf War.. like Mani says they both gave themselves up after a few months.
Myself and a mate joined at 18yrs ..it does sound stupid but the thought of actually fighting and being shot at never entered my head...because there was no ongoing "war" at the time.

WillowTheWhisp · 07-07-2008, 18:13

It's probably down to those recruitment ads which were all about joining the army to learn a trade.

emamum · 07-07-2008, 18:50

when i had my careers interview one of the options was to join the army as a musician...... i was told i wouldnt have to fight

cashman · 07-07-2008, 18:52

never saw the need to join up, nowt to do wi being a "Tart" just never reckoned much to the fight fer "Queen @ Country" bit, after seeing the effect WW2 had on me dad, which i never knew about until me nan died. its too personal @ involved to put on here, but they can shove it were the sun don't shine.

West Ender · 07-07-2008, 18:57

When my late husband joined the RAF he did so to start a career in electronics. Rather than going to university he studied for an HND through the RAF. He was in Bomber Command and worked on the, then, "secret" computer navigational bombing system in V-Bombers in the early 60s. He knew that, in the event of war, he would be in the front line and, in fact, was on stand-by to fly to Florida in the Bay of Pigs incident which we all thought was going to be the start of World War 3.

The point is he had joined the RAF in 1958, not that long after WW2, Palestine, Korea, Malaya etc. and I suppose everyone in those days associated the forces with having to fight. I know we've had some nasty wars since then but, apart from the "policing" role in N Ireland, they've tended to be of much less duration and, with reference to WW2, not so close to home. I think some youngsters now think of the army as an apprenticeship in a uniform. They are certainly not told by the recruitment office that, when necessary, their primary role will be to kill or be killed and, as well as learning a trade, they will be trained to that end. It must come as a big shock when they're told they're going to use that gun for real.

Mancie · 07-07-2008, 19:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by West Ender

I think some youngsters now think of the army as an apprenticeship in a uniform. They are certainly not told by the recruitment office that, when necessary, their primary role will be to kill or be killed and, as well as learning a trade, they will be trained to that end. It must come as a big shock when they're told they're going to use that gun for real.

No doubt about it.. the aim was to use the army as a way of getting a trade such as an HGV licence..that's the reason I had, only the other day a lad of 17 told me he was thinking of joining up for that reason.. what can you do?.. I did point out there is a good chance he'd get shot at.. but you can't lecture them .

mani · 08-07-2008, 00:51

i do think recruitment does seem to place an emphasis on anything but the fighting in alot of the adverts

like the ones which show the soliders being "normal" they're all laughing and having a great time rather than gritting it out in the desert. i can understand if he didnt want to fight if he was joining up as an engineer/doctor or in a non-combatant field but he signed up as infantry!

Mancie · 08-07-2008, 00:57

When you "sign up" you are not allocated to a particular section of the army.. you go to an assessment/training barracks and then you are supposed to be placed in a job that suits you and the army..unless it's changed over the last 20yrs

Eric · 08-07-2008, 20:26

The Canadian Forces are pretty much up front about the deal. The latest ads go something like "Fight with the Canadian Forces/Combatez avec les forces Canadiens".

As an aside, the 87th Canadian soldier killed in action in Afghanistan is on his way home.

Eric · 08-07-2008, 20:29

On a little wander ... and one that will annoy Barb ... the Canadian Federal Court of Appeals recently overuled a govt decision to send an American deserter back to the US. The court set up new guidelines that will make Canada the safe haven for US deserters that it was in the Viet Nam war.

Eric · 09-07-2008, 20:51

Just reading some more about the Court of Appeals decision. It does appear that in Canada, one can join the armed forces and choose not to fight if one can prove that what one is ordered to do contravenes the Geneva Convention.

Eric · 09-07-2008, 20:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by emamum23

when i had my careers interview one of the options was to join the army as a musician...... i was told i wouldnt have to fight

In the First World War, being a musician was one of the most dangerous occupations ... musicians often became stretcher bearers who had to go grab the wounded under fire.