The Conflict in Iraq Why......

Why do people who have never been to Iraq constantly go on and on and on about it as if they have patrolled at night from the Old State Building?There have been a number of threads running on ARRSE on late that these so called ''Sky news generals'' seem to have a major input into. Of course everyone has a right to there own opinion, I am sure many of the service personnel that have been there many very varying opinions and experiences of the place .I for one will always respect that.The thing that really grips my sh@it ,are these ''no it alls' that get there info and ''facts'' off the internet or ''you tube.com''

Us guys and girls who have served over in Iraq know a hell of a lot more about the real facts of the place/ conflict than these so called ''experts'.However it doesnt stop these people argueing like they have just come off stag at the S.A.A.H. sanger watching cigar island for mortar teams.Please have a little bit of respect for the people that have actually been there and wind your necks in, as it is plain for all to see you have no idea of what you are talking about.If you wnat a battle go to urban75 forums, you will get like minded people there.

 

Blimey pave, who has wound you up today? Get it off your chest fella. I agree with what you are trying to say though. Come on name names. Who has been posting armchair comments that have upset you so much?

 

Big_um have a look around arrse mate , some of these punters are posting hype crap and it winds me up. I feel it cheapens the 3 tours I have done of the smelly place. These guys have no idea of what happens everyday day in day out in Iraq.I am sick of there armchair comments.Oh and my posts today are sponsored by ''Rioja'' x 2 .

 

Good on you anyway, the frontline Arrsers know where you are coming from mate Will PM you tomorrow with the latest FR news from Afgh. Will cheer you up ready for your next tour Enjoy POTL and the wine

 

Big_un cheers mate, take care.Do you know something that I dont ref Afgan and FR regiments??

 

Not particularly, but i can give you an insight into what the boys have been up to most recently. What's hot and what's not etc......

 

cheers mate that would be good, Hows the stocks of HE?

 

Low over 600 fired in one contact No need to clean the barrels after patrol, just change 'em when the EFC's are up

 

Being as the closest I got to Iraq was Granby with the RAF in 91,I can honestly say I know next to f*ck all about what is current in Iraq or Afghanistan.I agree with your comments about 'armchair soldiers' being experts on the conflicts.I prefer to plod along & throw the odd comment or post the odd headline on the boards.
All of you lot who have served in theatre deserve our thanks,commiserations in some cases & support.
Cheers guys.
Spike

 

Hope your gun docs are spot on !

 

Big_um,
paveway was probably thinking of people like me.
And he has got a good point.

through the courtesies of the Internet people who are in completely different environments can now chat as if they are in a bar together.

when pave says you have to have been in Iraq or Afghan to appreciate whats going on he is both right and completely wrong at the same time.

You see I'm presuming we are all British and civvies and armed forces
are travelling down the same unknown road of war in the same direction.
It impacts on us all. We have no idea how long this road is or the twists and turns that it might take. But now started travel it we must.

None of us know where this road may lead and it is therefore a matter of urgent debate.
But we are travelling at different speeds.
Us civvies are in the slow lane and as such we have time to look about us and have a look at more of the landscape.

armed forces in theater are going hell bent as needs be in the fast lane and must concentrate on the white line in front of their noses lest they crash.

A conversation is on going between us but our perspectives are different.
This calls for sensitivity on us civvies we can talk about difficulties and contingencies that are pertinent to the larger picture which quite understandably annoy folk who are going flat out concentrating on the here and now and of course keeping themselves alive.

A classic example happened the other day when discussing the Panorama program a widely read civvy came on and mentioned a prospective oil pipeline Afghanistan.

Boy, did he take some flack for that from those in theater.
And being ex services I appreciate why.

but I was also almost minded to come steaming in about what I knew about oil exploration inside of Afghanistan. And it is something that needs discussing.

But out of a courtesy I'm only learning for the blokes on the front line I bit my tongue. Because right now they don't need to hear it. they have a specific job to do.

The thing is this is the first war ever to be discussed in an Internet chat room.
So there are no established rules of etiquette.

However, even if we hadn't thought of it before we posters are in fact creating a valuable historical record.

Imagine if we could read back the posts of those who fought in the first world war or the Crimea.

 

Good post SLR All points are valid at the end of the day and a cross section of opinion never did anyone any harm in the long run. The beauty of Arrse is that on here we are lucky to have a very mixed community of past, current and future british soldiers, along with a lot of other members from wide and vary varied backgrounds. (Even some ex RAF! )
People who post comments are welcome to do so but must be aware that there are fellow Arrser's on here who know what life is really like on ops. The view that the public get back in UK is far from reality, even with the latest reporting and constant media presence.
The day to day life for soldiers in 2006 is incredibly busy and the pressure of constant preparation for ops and ops themselves is unrelenting. Guys like pave have spent 18 months in Iraq during the past 4 years, add on to that 3 to 6 months training prior to each tour and a unit move to BFG and you start to get the idea of how busy the Army is.
If, after all of that pave wants to come on Arrse during his post tour leave and have a whinge about armchair generals and walts then so be it.
The fact that Arrse is becoming a historical record is a very interesting point though and one that people should bear in mind when contributing.

 

Cracking post Big_one