Remember the old saying along the lines of 'sarcasm is the lowest form of wit'. It really does you no favours at all you know. Your message falls into a developing category here, i.e denigrating the service of those who went before you. Before you so flippantly complain about 'climbing steps' (implying that we had it no worse), remember all the technical advances that have been made over the last few decades and all the improvements to your conditions that make your lives more comfortable than ours ever were.

I was honoured to attend a National Service event at the Royal Logistic Corps Depot in 1997 and was astounded with how the army had changed. In the cookhouse - sorry 'restaurant' - the lads had THREE kinds of meat!! In our day you got what you were given. Medical facilities have also changed out of all recognition and along with that a far more caring attitude. I can well remember being sat next to a lad in a fire-trench in Bergan (yes, the RASC did dig them!!), who was literally crying in pain and rocking back and forth. Things like that affect you for a long time - tooth-ache is no joke in the middle of a German winter with no RADC for miles.

So just use your cheese-box and remember once again that ''WE ALSO SERVED''.

This must be the biggest wah ever. Tooth ache FFS (and it wasn't even your tooth!), you battle scarred warrior. Oh and by the way, I served in the late 70's and the 80's, and no I don't want a worthless piece of tin to pin to my incredible manly but medal free chest. I didn't earn any medals and therefore don't deserve any medals. Easy.

Originally Posted by Mazur_UK

Blanco, I can sympathise with you to an extent. You served, your training and barrack life may have been harder than with modern soldiers, you didn't have the chance to go on Ops etc, however, the entire point of a medal is that it recognises a particular achievement. For all the hardship and degradation a serviceman’s career brings, simply being there is not worthy of special recognition.

You could argue that medals such as the Cadet Forces Medal should not be awarded. After all, you could say, what have those people done that I have not? They have given 12 years+ of their lives over to helping young people. Something that they did not have to do. That is the crux of the issue.

You served because you had to. I do not doubt that you worked hard and earned your pay, however, you didn't do anything above and beyond the Call of Duty. That is not to say that you shouldn't be proud of your service. You should get a veteran's badge and wear it, you should go to reunions and talk to people about what you did and saw BUT, a medal should....must be reserved for those who really have done something amazing or been in a combat zone. Otherwise, it just becomes a worthless piece of sh1t.

Good night

The CFM is made of cupro nickle as opposed to silver that other medals are made of,standfast QGJM and Nato medals,does that show the difference in worth? I feel it does.No disrespect to all those with with NATO medals,this is aimed at the CFM,yes I do have one one and two silver medal plus the QGJM,can I have another medal now!!LOL!

Originally Posted by TalaveraTom

Between the Ruskies in the bushes, rampaging Lemonade trucks, tooth ache in the field and only getting what you were given in the slophouse! I have changed my mind and will aquiesce to your medal lust. Your arguments and debating skills have made me realise that my meagre collection of medals mean nothing when compared to the horrors you bravely saw in BAOR and SHAPE. How could we have been so blind? Medals all round (except for cloudpunchers)...HURRAH!!!

Fixed it for you! :D

Originally Posted by Blanco_And_Dubbin

And those who suffered injuries as a result of their 'non-operational' service?

Tankies with no fingers, Don’t shove your fingers in holes

sappers with hernias, Around the top panel ‘hands on lift up’ don’t lift it by yourself

infantrymen with painful knees, Don’t tab in boots use the issue daps

mauve berets with badly broken legs? Land softly

None of them deserve a speck of recognition? Yes they do rose petals and self flagellation

And if they do, remember: there but by the grace of God go we all. Only if we are lucky, RBL pensions for all

It is late gentlemen and I feel we have all treated each other poorly - but in the traditions of the service. Personally I do believe a medal should be given in recognition. I have read the arguments; I have seen what other Commonwealth countries have presented under HM warrant and I acknowledge all of the threads here. A personal anecdote from me; my friend who lost a lot of colleagues in one terrorist action in the middle east in the 60's and remembers a beach landing in NI in 1968 (exerscise!) and asks me why he is not entitled to a GSM 62? but gets a veterans badge? The forces have much publicity at the moment but as we know it will wane in the coming years. No chance of an NDM in the coming Jubilee year - it is a NAP that medal will be pressed. What you are really describing was last centuries actions and as we know the new generation will have much tougher battles to fight.

Originally Posted by Blanco_And_Dubbin

Originally Posted by CQMS

No one is denigrating your service, only your demand for a worthless medal.

You could have fooled me. I have shown nothing but respect for the soldiers of today and in return have received a torrent of abuse

My bold. No you haven't. You gave me some bluffing rubbish about how young soldiers should understand service and sacrifice. When I pointed out that I probably know more about sacrifice than you ever did in your two years, I asked you to count how many functioning feet you had hanging off your legs. I ask again, how many have you got? What did you sacrifice, apart from two years of your life delivering bread around Western Europe???

I will give you resppect when you start giving me some.

Originally Posted by MBLU

asks me why he is not entitled to a GSM 62?

Because he never served anywhere that qualified for one?

Originally Posted by barneyrnsm

And still no medal for those submariners on patrol?
I think I have seen one of these bling medals for submariners,can I get one?How much are they?Does it go above or below my veterans badge?
Please help!

Barney,

as I understand it (as a mere Perce who sat on a cold bollard for many a long watch while old chiefs and WOs were 'dit on'), if you were in diesel boats you still stink so badly nobody will come near enough to pin a medal on you, and if you weren't in diesel boats you don't know you were born and don't deserve a medal.

Sippers? Ta, shippers.

C_C

Originally Posted by MBLU

Tosh............
remembers a beach landing in NI in 1968 (exerscise!) and asks me why he is not entitled to a GSM 62? but gets a veterans badge?
Tosh...........

It’s late and you are talking tosh

Had he qualified he would have recieved

Originally Posted by CQMS

There must be less now than there was, there are less Toms than in your era so there must be less poofs don't you think? Your valiant Army was more gay.

In his day FIBUA was known as cottaging....
more close-up battle[dress] skills required...
and if he was really good at it, split ring and all,
it might have earned him what he so desires
- the Purple Heart