Comments on: The effects of armed forces service http://www.primalsneeze.com/2009/11/22/the-effects-of-armed-forces-service/ Noli nothis permittere te terere Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:24:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Primal Sneeze http://www.primalsneeze.com/2009/11/22/the-effects-of-armed-forces-service/comment-page-1/#comment-7142 Primal Sneeze Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:29:25 +0000 http://www.primalsneeze.com/?p=1146#comment-7142 I can only guess that either the supply of career 'operators' as you call them is dwindling, or that freshly formed 'security companies' do not have the screening procedures that the well established do.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('7142','Primal Sneeze'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> I can only guess that either the supply of career ‘operators’ as you call them is dwindling, or that freshly formed ’security companies’ do not have the screening procedures that the well established do.
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]]> By: Primal Sneeze http://www.primalsneeze.com/2009/11/22/the-effects-of-armed-forces-service/comment-page-1/#comment-7141 Primal Sneeze Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:25:14 +0000 http://www.primalsneeze.com/?p=1146#comment-7141 Career soldiers adapt usually. Unfortunately most of those being sent to Iraq at this time are raw with only basic training behind them and their sole motivation is a job. Any job.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('7141','Primal Sneeze'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> Career soldiers adapt usually. Unfortunately most of those being sent to Iraq at this time are raw with only basic training behind them and their sole motivation is a job. Any job.
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]]> By: Hangar Queen http://www.primalsneeze.com/2009/11/22/the-effects-of-armed-forces-service/comment-page-1/#comment-7140 Hangar Queen Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:30:22 +0000 http://www.primalsneeze.com/?p=1146#comment-7140 I've had some dealings with a certain private security contract outfit (Lets call them what they are: Mercenaries) and they sought out specific personality types for contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Definitely more along the lines of your ex-SAS neighbour. Older,settled lads often with families and always with many years of military service often in specialised units.The contrast between their 'day' jobs and their lives back home was astounding and they worked hard to keep it that way. As you touched on they never,ever corrected anyone who got the wrong idea about what they actually did. They were professional soldiers going in and they were under no illusions about what to expect.Career 'operators' have built up mechanisms (not always healthy ones) for dealing with the combat stress. These guys all know each other it seems and they do look after each other in a very surprsing way.I hardly think Vincent's FCA (I was in for 7 years meself)time prepared him for what he encountered. I'm not knocking the man at all btw. My time in the FCA made me a superb commander of a 30yr old anti-aircraft gun.That's about it.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('7140','Hangar Queen'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> I’ve had some dealings with a certain private security contract outfit (Lets call them what they are: Mercenaries) and they sought out specific personality types for contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Definitely more along the lines of your ex-SAS neighbour. Older,settled lads often with families and always with many years of military service often in specialised units.The contrast between their ‘day’ jobs and their lives back home was astounding and they worked hard to keep it that way. As you touched on they never,ever corrected anyone who got the wrong idea about what they actually did.

They were professional soldiers going in and they were under no illusions about what to expect.Career ‘operators’ have built up mechanisms (not always healthy ones) for dealing with the combat stress. These guys all know each other it seems and they do look after each other in a very surprsing way.I hardly think Vincent’s FCA (I was in for 7 years meself)time prepared him for what he encountered. I’m not knocking the man at all btw. My time in the FCA made me a superb commander of a 30yr old anti-aircraft gun.That’s about it.

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]]> By: paddyanglican http://www.primalsneeze.com/2009/11/22/the-effects-of-armed-forces-service/comment-page-1/#comment-7134 paddyanglican Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:08:19 +0000 http://www.primalsneeze.com/?p=1146#comment-7134 Powerful post - makes you think of the likely collateral damage as the soldiers return from Iran/Iraq - A new normality? Is there any real effort to deprogram soldiers to adapt back to civilian life or is that really possible?<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('7134','paddyanglican'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> Powerful post – makes you think of the likely collateral damage as the soldiers return from Iran/Iraq – A new normality? Is there any real effort to deprogram soldiers to adapt back to civilian life or is that really possible?
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]]> By: Primal Sneeze http://www.primalsneeze.com/2009/11/22/the-effects-of-armed-forces-service/comment-page-1/#comment-7132 Primal Sneeze Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:12:44 +0000 http://www.primalsneeze.com/?p=1146#comment-7132 I'm not sure anyone ever really gets back to normal. The three affected above would not have experienced anything like those who were in Vietnam etc. - I cannot imagine what it was like for those.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('7132','Primal Sneeze'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> I’m not sure anyone ever really gets back to normal. The three affected above would not have experienced anything like those who were in Vietnam etc. – I cannot imagine what it was like for those.
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]]> By: Primal Sneeze http://www.primalsneeze.com/2009/11/22/the-effects-of-armed-forces-service/comment-page-1/#comment-7131 Primal Sneeze Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:08:11 +0000 http://www.primalsneeze.com/?p=1146#comment-7131 Met his da yesterday. It's looking like a lost battle. Money talks.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('7131','Primal Sneeze'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> Met his da yesterday. It’s looking like a lost battle. Money talks.
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]]> By: Rummuser http://www.primalsneeze.com/2009/11/22/the-effects-of-armed-forces-service/comment-page-1/#comment-7130 Rummuser Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:18:21 +0000 http://www.primalsneeze.com/?p=1146#comment-7130 Whether the family succeeds or not, the damage to the man's psyche has been done. It would take a great deal of counseling and understanding from his family for him to return some semblance of normalcy. This pattern has been repeating in the West since Vietnam. WWII and even Korea did not have this effect but from Vietnam the story has been repeating itself over and over again. There is a lot of soul searching that needs to be done as to why this is so.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('7130','Rummuser'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> Whether the family succeeds or not, the damage to the man’s psyche has been done. It would take a great deal of counseling and understanding from his family for him to return some semblance of normalcy. This pattern has been repeating in the West since Vietnam. WWII and even Korea did not have this effect but from Vietnam the story has been repeating itself over and over again. There is a lot of soul searching that needs to be done as to why this is so.
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]]> By: Grannymar http://www.primalsneeze.com/2009/11/22/the-effects-of-armed-forces-service/comment-page-1/#comment-7129 Grannymar Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:11:29 +0000 http://www.primalsneeze.com/?p=1146#comment-7129 It certainly does take a certain type of person to take on the role of professional fighter. I hope Vincent’s family succeed.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('7129','Grannymar'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> It certainly does take a certain type of person to take on the role of professional fighter.

I hope Vincent’s family succeed.

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