Navy tour return - Rant

[ginge191]

If anyone has any family or relatives in the forces they would understand the emotions attached to love ones abroad.
As i write this, i currently also have another brother out on his second tour in Afghanistan, finishing off some training in camp Bastion and then heading out to another base to add fotifications; he left just before my other brother come home. By the time he returns, he hadn't had seen his brother in over a 18month. For a fairly close knit family, it's quite a while.

My army brother:



My navy brother who is an aircraft technician not only hasn't seen his family in 6 months, but also hasn't had the chance to see his first niece as he just missed her birth. As simple as this sounds, our sister has had massive complications in having a child an unlike most, she has planned and is bringing this rugrat up in the best environment possible.

His tour went fairly unscaved and yes, despite being away in the sea, the threat is "less" than that being a front line solidier and i respect any person in that situation - full HMS Argyll Story - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7328983.stm.

So anyway, here's a few pictures of the day.

The ship pulled into Plymouth navy base at around 10:30 with roaring crowds from the start.



But unfortunately it does take a while to bring these ships in and to put the boarding bridges in place, so here he is waiting in anticipation.



He managed to be one of the first members off. As they left the ship, tradition takes it the Navy members bring a rose off for their loved ones. This didn't change. His long term girlfriend ovr extatic to see him ran as far forward as possible.



And finally meeting his niece that he has never seen apart from a dodgy skype connection in Dubai, where at which point she wasn't the happiest of babies, but yesterday, she done is proud!



So that was our day out in plymouth, a fantastic day out, and has done us all proud.

Unforunately, my mother also have another son awaiting to join the Navy. Once my degree has finished i will be starting my training as a Navy Officer, resulting in 3 of her sons being in the armed forces.

Thanks for the time to read.

[4WayDiablo]

Are you sure your navy brother isnt you?

And you have a lot of army brothers! :-)

[Eeyore]

too many brothers...

[Matt]

Sweet deal, I'd be bloody proud of them doing what they do. Hell of a long time to be gone from the family.

I did just type out a huge reply, but deleted it to save Puting a downer in things.

So ginge how long till your joining then pal? It's a good career

[Connor]

Dont really see how this was a rant lol but fair play to you mate, have a few uncles that were in the Navy and my cousin has just recently left the Grenadiers after 2 tours of Afgan

[Atterz]

Im in the forces and have a lot of friends that spend time away from their families, it is sad to be honest! Afghan is a waste of time but hey ho, for most of us its a job that pays the bills!

[declantg]

I was originally meant to go in the army, got a ridiculously high barb score as well!
Got medically deferred due to my dodgy jaw, told me if i got shot i couldn't scream for help etc etc.
Sucks but oh well, was meant to be an aircraft technician

And now i work on tractors...

[Matt]

I was originally meant to go in the army, got a ridiculously high barb score as well!
Got medically deferred due to my dodgy jaw, told me if i got shot i couldn't scream for help etc etc.
Sucks but oh well, was meant to be an aircraft technician

And now i work on tractors...

Dodgy jaw? What's up with it?

[declantg]

the bone in one side of my jaw is longer than the other so it can lock occasionally, well, it used to

[Matt]

Damn. That's not cool.

[declantg]

your telling me threw me right off in career choices etc etc

[cwspellowe]

Half expecting to be shot down in flames now, but picking up on about the only rant I could see in your OP..

Surely that's part of the decision process in signing up? It's not conscription, we all have a choice, and part of that is the knowledge that you may well be away on 6 month tours at a time? Be daft joining the Forces and thinking you'll always be close to friends and family imo.

Not saying that they're not missed, but it IS expected that they'll be absent for a long time.

Still, I couldn't do what they do. Credit where credit's due.

[ginge191]

Most definitely spellowe, I'm not saying its a bad thing or a waste of time just more of a highlight of the work and meaning of families... For people seem to be hyped with small things in life at the moment..

[smanfa]

I thought you were moving to Canada!! Make your mind up x

[THE_Liam]

Got a lot of respect for the Navy, my grandad served 4 years during WW2 so I grew up hearing the stories.

[4WayDiablo]

My dad has just thrown out a load of his old falklands gear from when he was in.. snow camos:-(

[Niall]

I have a lot of respect for people who are/have been in the forces but I really fail to see how this is a rant? Its something you have to take into account when going into force forces. It's not like most jobs where if something happens, you can hop in the car and drive home.
Fair play to you for going Into the navy. It's not something I think I could do!






do the navy take gingers?

[Toms306]

I agree with the above really......its expected.....but they don't realise how lucky they are not having to see family for 180 months, I'd love that! . Seriously though, I always find it pointless when on the news there's someone that got shot in frontline combat.....well yeah, if you're shooting at someone they're also shooting at you, that's kinda the idea, they/you chose the career knowing the possible consequences imo.

[Atterz]

Seriously though, I always find it pointless when on the news there's someone that got shot in frontline combat.....well yeah, if you're shooting at someone they're also shooting at you, that's kinda the idea, they/you chose the career knowing the possible consequences imo.

Wind your neck in kid, its the least respect they deserve for what they sacrifice. We all know the risks, but when a soldier dies in combat its only fair they are in the public eye for at least 2 minutes.

[Connor]

Tom you're a dick

[Niall]

Seriously though, I always find it pointless when on the news there's someone that got shot in frontline combat.....well yeah, if you're shooting at someone they're also shooting at you, that's kinda the idea, they/you chose the career knowing the possible consequences imo.

Wind your neck in kid, its the least respect they deserve for what they sacrifice. We all know the risks, but when a soldier dies in combat its only fair they are in the public eye for at least 2 minutes.

Exactly this. Stars are on tv all the time and they rarely do anything for the country. These people have given their lives. Least they deserve is for the world to hear about how they died for their country!

Tom sometimes I really do wonder why your here! On this occasion, I agree with Connor.

[Jake]

That is so disrespectful Tom, people lose there lives on frontline fighting for there country, I'm sure they would have given anything to see there familys.

Jeeze, a little thought before you post shit like that!

& enjoyed reading that ginge, nice to hear story's like this.

[Toms306]

It's really just a different point of view and ill bet I'm not the only one with that opinion, whether or not the others would write it is a different matter. No one asked them, at the end of the day its their job that they chose. People die everyday from various jobs with no recognition, why should it be different for the forces.

[ginge191]

It's really just a different point of view and ill bet I'm not the only one with that opinion, whether or not the others would write it is a different matter. No one asked them, at the end of the day its their job that they chose. People die everyday from various jobs with no recognition, why should it be different for the forces.

It's a very lay way of thinking in my opinion; an opinion with very little backup, but yes, just an opinion. Fair doo's.

Appreciate the feedback guys, thought it would be nice to hear a real story for once instead of random spam

[4WayDiablo]

It's really just a different point of view and ill bet I'm not the only one with that opinion, whether or not the others would write it is a different matter. No one asked them, at the end of the day its their job that they chose. People die everyday from various jobs with no recognition, why should it be different for the forces.

Dont be a flynn/troll/(unt

[ginge191]

.... / (unt

[Atterz]

Tom, for instance if once in your life you actually ended up in a social situation, maybe say, in a public house and you voiced that opinion, and there happened to be a serviceman or woman in close proximity, you would get one on the chin.

It may be your opinion, but your opinion is SHIT.

[THE_Liam]

Tom, you really need to think before you say shit like that.
I'm personally not a military person, I'm very undisciplined, and I don't agree with this war in terror bullshit. However, young men and women are fighting for what they believe in out there and dying, and they deserve our respect for that, and their families deserve our condolences.
My grandad fought for this country, and my great-grandad fought against this country, and they'd both have the same outlook.

[Atterz]

I dont beleive what we are fighting for in Afghan, and neither do a lot of the lads i know. But then we have no choice in the matter, and the fact is a lot of us do it because it puts food on the table. So yea a bit of respect when a solider dies is only a good thing.

[Toms306]

You know what, I typed a long reply explaining my opinion on the matter but you wont take notice anyway as there's no sensible discussion here, just a 'your a lady garden'. I too had grandads, great grandads, uncles and currently mates in the services so its not like my opinion isn't justified. But I forget you're not allowed an opinion on a forum unless it matches everyone else's so I won't even bother posting it. That's, the last I'm saying in this thread.