VIDEO - Soldiers start trek to Ottawa honouring mission in Afghanistan

If I send money, can someone run out during their evening stops and buy these lads a beer ?

Sure sure, let's but them a beer and honor a mission that turned into a cynical political ploy by a govt that won't even keep its commitment to he soldiers it used to poorly in order to play the patriot card. Let's talk of duty and honor and patriotism to make sure the next crop of young men and women fall for the same bullshit line.

Honor the soldiers, OK, but the mission? You've got to be kidding.

I doubt they are allowed.

Let's not fall into the trap that the Americans did after Vietnam and blame the soldiers for the mission. Our politicians send our servicemen into places like Afghanistan and no one else does.

Let's not fall into the trap that the Americans did after Vietnam and blame the soldiers for the mission. Our politicians send our servicemen into places like Afghanistan and no one else does.


No danger of that. More so the trap of supporting the troops means supporting the mission, now that's an American style trap.

Not sure what the second sentence means. I supported us initially going to Astan to beat Al Qaeda and find Bin Laden. I did not support expanding the mission to futile nation building and was absolutely disgusted with the phony appeals to patriotism made by the Reformacons, with opponents derided as non-patriotic and even traitors. As soon as the soldiers had served the political aims of this govt, it gave out a few ribbons, said thanks a lot now fuck off and don't bother us. And there's always plenty of people willing to fall for this shit, it seems

Not sure what the second sentence means.

This means that our soldiers, sailors, airmen do what they are told to do and go where they are told to go by our elected officials and it has always been that way. Don't blame the piano player for the song.

Are you saying I have?

They did volunteer afaik tho - they seemed to be all for the mission, so maybe they do need to take some blame to that extent. Can't jump up and say 'ready aye ready' and then claim you were only following orders. But no matter, they served how they thought was the right way to do so, they don't deserve how they are being treated now, pretty ceremonies notwithstanding.

Not sure if in this Forum they have a memorial Thread? Do they?
If so, then if you have nothing good to say, in this case about the Soldiers, then you keep it to yourself.
If you wish to begin a Thread on the mistakes made in Afghanistan, then I suggest a thread with that as a topic.
Anything else is poor manners.
Myself I have lost far to many friends in Bosnia, Afghanistan, training accidents and suicides.

We've only ever had voluteer forces in this country except for two very brief periods at the end of both World Wars when conscription was enacted out of desperation. If volunteers agreeeto go where they are asked or told to go, then the system is working correctly.

It's not volunteer forces, it's that nobody that didn't want to go to Astan didn't have to - they volunteered for the mission.

And the title of this thread is about the mission. As I said, honor the soldiers, but in my opinion the mission was a big fuckup once it expanded beyond Al Qaeda/Bin Laden.

Wrong- Once a Warning Order is given that is that- Failure to adhere results in a Courts Martial.

I certainly could be wrong. I'm under the impression soldiers sent to astan had to volunteer for the mission.

No, a unit is given warning order, then it is announced. Then the prep begins, interviews, ability to deploy, medical, vaccinations and on and on.