Is our military…

[Bill Walker]

British forces are in my humble opinion the best in the world.

We should be rightly proud of them.

What do you base this on ?
I'm not saying you're wrong I'm just curious.
Why are they better than say the Japanese, Israeli or Korean etc ?

 

[Bluesince1979]

I've had quite a lot of unfiltered access of the army recently and I'd suggest you don't have to be a sexist, racist, generally offensive, right wing c*nt to get on, but it sure does help.

So, unfortunately it's a no from me.

Playing devils advocate.
Do you not think you possibly need to be a bit of a nutcase, a bit naturally violent, a bit aggressive, sometimes irrational, maybe a tad bad tempered, to do the job in the first place.

Also, i know probably 6/7 lads who have served and not one of them fits your description. But they all have an edge. Id 100% want them alongside me when the shit hits the fan rather than some nice chap who likes everybody

 

[Bluesince1979]

What do you base this on ?
I'm not saying you're wrong I'm just curious.
Why are they better than say the Japanese, Israeli or Korean etc ?

I think you need take the opinion of other armed forces. Certainly our special forces are generally recognised as the best

 

[Bill Walker]

I think you need take the opinion of other armed forces. Certainly our special forces are generally recognised as the best

I haven't seen other armed forces saying the British are the best in the world.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Playing devils advocate.
Do you not think you possibly need to be a bit of a nutcase, a bit naturally violent, a bit aggressive, sometimes irrational, maybe a tad bad tempered, to do the job in the first place.

Also, i know probably 6/7 lads who have served and not one of them fits your description. But they all have an edge. Id 100% want them alongside me when the shit hits the fan rather than some nice chap who likes everybody

Good point. There are a lot of specialisations within the army and the folk range from Oxbridge graduates to lads who would probably otherwise be dead or in prison. Some frontline types (paras etc) need to have certain skills/traits which are not that useful in everyday society, although I suppose the ability to keep a lid on them in public is a skill in itself.

 

[bluenova]

Playing devils advocate.
Do you not think you possibly need to be a bit of a nutcase, a bit naturally violent, a bit aggressive, sometimes irrational, maybe a tad bad tempered, to do the job in the first place.

Also, i know probably 6/7 lads who have served and not one of them fits your description. But they all have an edge. Id 100% want them alongside me when the shit hits the fan rather than some nice chap who likes everybody

I'm not sure they're the same thing. While there certainly are some people who are keen on violence, hasn't there had been a lot of changes to the psychology of the training over the years because historically most people found it quite difficult to point a gun at someone and shoot?

So, I wouldn't link being aggressive, or "a nutcase", to a culture that isn't keeping up with the rest of society. I've got close friends in the armed forces, who don't have those attitudes I described, and when I told them I was surprised at the casual slurs etc., they pretty much rolled their eyes, and said it wasn't a surprise.

Also, to be clear, it appeared that things have improved, so you'd hope it was heading in the right direction, just a few decades behind most other work places I've seen.

 

[Bluesince1979]

I'm not sure they're the same thing. While there certainly are some people who are keen on violence, hasn't there had been a lot of changes to the psychology of the training over the years because historically most people found it quite difficult to point a gun at someone and shoot?

So, I wouldn't link being aggressive, or "a nutcase", to a culture that isn't keeping up with the rest of society. I've got close friends in the armed forces, who don't have those attitudes I described, and when I told them I was surprised at the casual slurs etc., they pretty much rolled their eyes, and said it wasn't a surprise.

Also, to be clear, it appeared that things have improved, so you'd hope it was heading in the right direction, just a few decades behind most other work places I've seen.

Im not defending by the way. Im trying to understand it.
I know gallows humour is such a huge thing in the forces, maybe its important.

 

[Bluesince1979]

I haven't seen other armed forces saying the British are the best in the world.

Well you havent read/seen the stuff i have then. Possibly also a reason why a lot of aussies/kiwi/south africans etc join the british special forces rather than their own

 

[Fred_Quimby]

I am a FOC who served in the Army for 23 years. I don't recognise any of these "Do you not think you possibly need to be a bit of a nutcase, a bit naturally violent, a bit aggressive, sometimes irrational, maybe a tad bad tempered, to do the job in the first place." The people I served with were racist and right wing but that was/is the nature of the beast and they were not rabis nutters, just had leanings that way. I am certainly non of those things now. I spent some time in Oman with SAS guys and you would walk past them in the street and not know, when they lived amongst us they were just ordinary guys doing an extraordinary job. We were always willing to take on 'strike breaking' jobs like firefighting etc; we didn't do it because it was union bashing but it was an opportunity to get out of barracks and do something different.

I know I have been left a fair while now but I never knew any 'foreigners' joining the SAS and, as I say, I knew a fair few in Oman and also when at the School of Transport we trained a lot of SAS on diplomatic driving skills etc

What I have realised is that most ex servicemen tend to be far more organised than most people and are more willing to take on responsibility. I do realise that this is not always true.

As I say I am a FOC and have been left longer than I served so I may well be well out of date but I live in RAF country and they appear to be similar people to when I was serving.

 

[Bluesince1979]

I am a FOC who served in the Army for 23 years. I don't recognise any of these "Do you not think you possibly need to be a bit of a nutcase, a bit naturally violent, a bit aggressive, sometimes irrational, maybe a tad bad tempered, to do the job in the first place." The people I served with were racist and right wing but that was/is the nature of the beast and they were not rabis nutters, just had leanings that way. I am certainly non of those things now. I spent some time in Oman with SAS guys and you would walk past them in the street and not know, when they lived amongst us they were just ordinary guys doing an extraordinary job. We were always willing to take on 'strike breaking' jobs like firefighting etc; we didn't do it because it was union bashing but it was an opportunity to get out of barracks and do something different.

I know I have been left a fair while now but I never knew any 'foreigners' joining the SAS and, as I say, I knew a fair few in Oman and also when at the School of Transport we trained a lot of SAS on diplomatic driving skills etc

What I have realised is that most ex servicemen tend to be far more organised than most people and are more willing to take on responsibility. I do realise that this is not always true.

As I say I am a FOC and have been left longer than I served so I may well be well out of date but I live in RAF country and they appear to be similar people to when I was serving.

I admit i was totally exaggerating in my post that they are all nutters. I didnt mean that really. I was kinda playing devils advocate and suggesting that to be front line army you need to be a fuckin fearless and maybe slightly mad! And then its up to the higher ranks to channel that madness/bravery as required

And as regards to foreigners joining the SF. Read Bravo Two Zero , one was a kiwi.
Also watched a doc, and i may be wrong on the location but it may have been aiden, or Oman even, of a SAS rear guard action against ‘restless natives’ and at least one , possibly 2, were south sea islanders.