This is what happens when you send young men off to do unspeakable things and then don't prepare for the aftermath.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... ley229.xml

There is no equality in the justice system, yesterday on the radio was a story of a man who stabbed his wife so many times the coroner couldn't tell how many times she'd been knifed. He was charged with Manslaughter due to diminished responsibility and served TWO years in prison. By the way he was a lawyer.
Now I'm not condoning what David Bradley has done but why the huge difference in sentence for the same charge? Especially when you take into account the mitigating circumstances of his past harrowing experiences...
Could it be that he is "only" an ex-soldier not a posh get lawyer.

Yes.

MR I

Can I refer you to my earlier post - might be of interest ?

Which one?

The one entitled Oi, You! Mr I

This happens so many times its untrue. I've just counted 13 lads who I knew who have commited suicide and countless guys who have got into serious trouble.

PTSD exists and to this day it remains untreated. In todays armed forces you can nominate yourself for treatment but what the MoD publicity machine doesn't tell you is that causes you to be medically downgraded, thus reducing your wages and blocking promotion.

Its a national disgrace.

So basically,what you are saying is happening is their employers have caused them to be injured whilst carrying out their jobs, and have rewarded them with less money and no promotion prospects. Absolutely disgraceful.

Absolutely.

Allegedly everyone 'has access to treatment' but you know what servicemen are like, the macho culture steps in and nobody puts their hand up, they just suffer in silence. The US have obligatory treatment after learning the lessons of Vietnam.

Isn't the big fact about the Falklands and Vietnam conflicts that more veterans committed suicide after the wars than died during it? I know that it was mainly due to helicopter rescue (and subsequent amputation) in Vietnam, is it the same for 1982 Mr. I? Given there were 250-odd casualties it seems possible.

The man in the article didn't qualify for consideration under PTSD syndrome because the place he got shot at wasn't on the approved list.

So they had to say he was just mental.

They haven't settled Easter Island yet either and that was 1958.

But hey kids, come and join up, we do ski-ing you know...

Not sure about Vietnam, that would be a whole load of suicides. Yes there has been a lot but not nearly 60'000. As for the Falklands, you're correct that the suicide casualties exceeds the war dead on both sides.

I'm not sure of your point on the hekicopter casevacs. If you're saying that casualties were low because of helicopters then the answer is no, we only had a few. Most went down on the Atlantic Conveyor. The primary reason for the wounded surviving was the cold. It was below freezing most of the time so blood flow was slower in the casualties. This contributed hugely to the amazingly high survival levels.

I think the helicopter was only really effective in Vietnam for sure, but I never thought that was the reason people survived in Falklands - must've been pretty fooking cold My mate was a driver in the Falklands and can't drive a Land Rover now due to traumatic consequences - he was hit by something (still doesn't know what) and was the only one who walked away.

I still think one of the most chillingly poignant songs is Suicide is Painless by J. Mantel. Even Marilyn Manson, who covered it, said that his version could never be as creepy as the original used on the intro to M*A*S*H

Odd that, seeing as it was a comedy song about an epically shagging army dentist called Painless who couldn't get a hard-on any more and therefore wanted to commit suicide.

At least in the film anyway.

you know what you are signing up for when joining the armed services, i fyou dont think you can handle it then dont sign up!!

i couldn't imagine myself shooting another human without considerable effects on my physical or mental state, therefore i had no intention of enlisting.

i praise the lads and lasses who serve our country so well as they do a remarkable job, but i feel anyone can get in these days.

Excellent post.

No you don't, you haven't got the foggiest. Unless you've been there you have absolutely no comprehension of what its like to be shot at. You have no comprehension of what its like to take another mans life or to see your friends killed. Frankly the vast majority of soldiers have never known either.

And at the age of 17/18, you don't have the mental capacity to even consider the effects, theres too much bravado and testosterone.

There are only two kinds of soldier: those who dream of war and those who have nightmares of war.