Our Armed forces

I would never underestimate a Tory govt, but I joined the RAF in 1989 and have worked all over the world and with members of the sister services and I can confirm that I have never had anyone say that they were drafted in to assist in policing the miners strike. I can guarantee that someone would have said something if they were involved, or even if they knew anything. I am not saying that it never happened, just that I have never heard anyone say anything to support this.

 

Squaddies can't hold there own water, just one would have come forward, the Army as never been used for public order on the main land .

 

What's your point ? I'm talking about rates of pay Look at a newly qualified nurse to a newly qualified soldier . That's my point .

 

but accounts from picket lines say it did, I remember reference to this being made by the NUM at Branch, regional and National level.

 

Lol, Peterlee riots, Various industrial unrest throughout history

 

Thats my point, jesus as a young squaddie I was skint after the first week of the month and would have sold my nans jewellery so I could go out, never mind being offered a lot more to whistle blow, I was infantry and joined 86, not once did I ever hear stories, because we like a story

 

My point was that you'd seem to have us believe that joining the forces is an act of altruism rather than a career choice.

 

And a stupid point at that.

 

A squaddie from a mining community bragging/ broadcasting about being on a picket like dressed as a copper, yeah like that’s gonna happen.

 

I mean in the last 60 years, Peterlee was 1819, lol

 

I did 3 years of uni and numerous unpaid placements to become a nurse- now I have massive respect for our forces but I'm fairly certain army lads don't train for that long or have to take out student loans etc?

The two aren't comparable.

 

They wouldn't have all been from a mining community though, I'm sure anybody out of area would have took great pleasure in bragging, but they didn't because it never happened

 

Exactly, cause no squaddie has said anything means nothing

 

These were though that’s why they were recognised

 

Is that your case then, you haven’t heard of a squaddie bragging about it therefore it didn’t happen. Mindst you have already posted that the military hasn’t been used against the public on the mainland, so I can take your opinion with a pinch of salt

 

But surely Scargil would have said this on the picket line to the world media ? I need to YouTube this and have a look, because if it happened he would have spilled it as quick as a rat up a drain pipe, I ain't holding my breath

 

Yes, and the military was used since to quell industrial unrest since, albeit a long time ago, but it didn’t stop Thatcher from using them ‘underhandedly’ don occasions on the picket lines

 

So you equate 3 months training for a soldier to 3 yrs training for a nurse . As I’ve pointed out a Registered Nurse in the Army starts on £32+k which is equivalent to a Band 5 nurse , they are paid considerably more for an equivalent job . I’m all for soldiers pay increasing but maybe a better example would be a Police Officers pay compared with a soldiers rather than Doctors and Nurses , some of who work in the Forces

 

I can guarantee that if any squaddie had been involved they would have been bragging about it. Even if they weren’t involved they would have been bragging about it. Maybe the NUM were saying things to rile up the miners, and I don’t say that lightly as I come from a family that have a long line of mining tradition, including my dad, brothers and grandad. If you knew any squaddies you would know that they would have been shouting it from the rooftops.

 

Do soldiers have to work for free for 3 years prior to getting their first pay cheque or get into a minimum of 27k of student debt before they can start work.

Much to admire in the services I have family members who have served but you are not comparing like for like.