Two British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan. The soldiers served with The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS), part of the 3 RIFLES Battle Group and were killed near Sangin, in Helmand province, yesterday evening.
The MoD has emphasised that the deaths of these two solders are not connected to Operation Moshtarak.
A total of 255 of our military have now fallen in this war. More lives lost, more families lives which will never be the same again and all in the name of 'fighting terrorism'. Such a tragedy.
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13 comments:
"The MoD has emphasised that the deaths of these two solders are not connected to Operation Moshtarak."
Why should this be relevant? Death is pretty final when or where it happens. Some dreadful days await and for what?
It's not relevant OR, but they don't want the tragic deaths of these two soldiers to be added to their latest operation. Then Ainsworth will be able to ignore them.
I found a very powerful song on youtube that just about sums up the loss of life in Afghanistan. It's on my blog here
Bring them home. Now.
Many thanks for that CSR. You won't mind if I pinch it I hope?
Of course not!
Many thanks CSR.
Rosa
255 brave souls lost in a conflict which just defies logic – how very poignant considering it’s the same number we lost back in 1982 when we went to war over a barren rock in the south Atlantic called the Falkland Islands.
God Bless them all.
Regards
TBD
Yes it is BD, exact number. I knew 2 killed in that one. One left 3 boys behind and the mother struggled for years while she waited for the MoD to sort out his affairs.
I supported the Falkland War at the time.
Now I'm not so sure. It seems like a lot of fuss about some ill gotten empire gains.
I didn't support it Strathturret. It wasn't about the people of the Falklands it was about the fact the UK believed there was oil in the surrounding waters.
When mourning the dead, do not forget the living. It's estimated that, for every fatality in Afghanistan, another 10 soldiers are seriously wounded.
Due to the skill and courage of forces and NHS medics in Afghanistan, many casualties now survive truly horrific injuries that would have killed soldiers in previous conflicts. There will be a generation of severely disabled ex-servicemen who will need intensive medical care for the rest of their lives. Governments of all colours have traditionally been very reluctant to provide the required care and support.
When remembering the wounded, do not forget those with psychological injuries. Of the men who fought in the Falklands, the number who have killed themselves now exceeds the number who were killed in the fighting. The suicide rate among Falklands veterans is over 120 times that of the general, male population.
I often wonder what happened to a naval officer I met at Rosyth in 1984. My friend asked him about the Falklands campaign medal on his uniform. The officer said nothing. He just started crying uncontrollably.
Things have moved on since the 1980s when PTSD was 'for poofs' but the closure of all UK military hospitals means that mentally ill veterans struggle to find the highly specialised treatment that they need. Where I live, they are given a list of self help books and a prescription for Prozac. They wont see a psychiatrist unless they can afford £180 an hour to go private and they are almost wholly dependent on service charities to help them.
Richard, thank you so much for your comment.
It is difficult for those who have never had any association with the military to understand the hidden horrors of war and how it changes and sometimes destroys lives.
The military are a section of society who usually keep their heads down and get on with the job. They don't seek publicity.
I defy anyone to say that war doesn't change a soldier's life in some way because it does. Sometimes it's only noticeable to their nearest and dearest but war changes everyone concerned and particularly those at the sharp end.
Yes things have moved on since the 80s but they need to move a great deal faster because we now have over 10,000 in Afghanistan and many will need some form of support when they finally come home.
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