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More veterans who participated in the Falklands war have subsequently committed suicide than were killed during the operation.”
[url= http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/lifestyle/2012/07/why-so-many-ex-soldiers-end-prison ]New Statesman article[/url]
Not good...
Not good...
what's worse is that TB/GB did sod all about it and the current coalition doesn't seem to be much better
Always been the case - I believe its the same for Vietnam war Vets. Post traumatic stress is nasty
My dad fought in that conflict and he's a crazy nut but he's more likely to hurt someone else than himself with the stress as stories he came back with. Major Les Bown from 2 para. He got lieutenant colonel before they kicked him out cos he's old
My dad was in the Torpedo room on HMS conqueror when they fired and sank the Belgrano! However some kids in my school there dads were on the Coventry when it was hit and got killed, yes we lived in rowner, gosport where all the navy families lived, my dad s ok though but a lot are not!
big_n_daft - MemberNot good...
what's worse is that TB/GB did sod all about it and the current coalition doesn't seem to be much better
How you can blame the labour government for this is hard to fathom.
Remember the victory parade after the falklands war - where the wounded were not allowed to march courtesy of one M thatcher?
I can't find a decent link anywhere (somewhere on the nytimes.com website it'll be) but there are some pilot plans in the US where individual wings of a couple of prisons are run as barracks and only open to ex-servicemen.
Whilst one conflict is a useful talisman for the journalists etc, the problem is (and has always been) far wider...
Articles last week about the ex-service prison population, for example.
All part of the same story - the country does not provide any support mechanism to look after ex service personnel (charities do)
what's worse is that TB/GB did sod all about it and the current coalition doesn't seem to be much betterHow you can blame the labour government for this is hard to fathom.
Remember the victory parade after the falklands war - where the wounded were not allowed to march courtesy of one M thatcher?
I don't see this as a blame on labour, more that they are all guilty. So don't read it as an attack on Labour.
ALL politicians want to avoid bodies, it is never good publicity. If a few ex-paras want to kill themselves, as long as they do it in private that is fine. No politiican wants to accept that they have a duty to pick up the pieces. It is always someone elses fault, someone elses problem.
Can't blame any particular political party for this tragic state of affairs. Labour and the Tories have consecutively failed to help these people. Regardless of the circumstances, suicide is a horrible thing.
I know many Falklands vets and the whole thing start to end was savage even by warfare standards. The suddenness of it, no build up training, just get your kit, get on a boat and go fight.
I fear that if things don't improve, we'll see similar things in the not too distant future.
I'd urge anyone to support combat stress.
http://www.combatstress.org.uk/
This organisation has helped a number of friends and they all speak very highly of them. Some of you will know that it takes a lot for soldiers to speak highly of anyone or anything!
Yip...I've looked after many ex squaddies over the years.
As an ex squaddie myself I have a particular empathy towards those that are struggling...
I'm currently assisting one of the Iranian embassy lads ...sadly turned to the alcohol for comfort in a big way.
It's all sad
Do you work for CS then brack?
Thinking of doing the toughmudder with some friends for them.
We're all ex forces although they've had it a bit harder than I have and have received good support from CS.
Brack, thanks.
Seriously, thank you. You do something worth praising and thanking.