suicide missons

[potterfan3]

Do the millatary acctually send people on suicide missions? No i'm being serious, I don't mean very difficult missions I mean mission that the only way you can complete it is to give your life. Come on you ex-millatary generals how many people have you sent to their deaths (purposley) or is their anyone who knows someone who was sent on a sucide mission.

[gary baldy]

I am no military general but i would say (in my opinion) that every single military operation in a 'hot' zone carries with it ineviatable casulaties. Therefore when one sets out on a mission there is a very big chance you are going die (what with people trying to kill you and all).
Obviously some missions carry a greater risk than others but i am sure that no-one has set out on a mission thinking:
"I'm definitely going to be alright on this one!"

[Lonnie]

Gary, thats a good answer, I served ten years in the Royal Artillery, first, when one joins up, in this country its all volunteers, you are volunteering to fight for your country, and if neccessary die for it, so looked at from that angle, whenever you are sent into action, it could be classed as a suicide mission.

In action, each and every regiment, troop, battery etc, has a life expectancy, eg, the regiment I was in had 105mm Pack Howitzers, and our life expectancy, in action, was two minutes.

For the record, I served from 1966 to 1976, and saw action in various places, but without the Howitzers, as infantry.

[stanleyman]

I served with the Royal Engineers for six years until ''76, didn't quite make General so in the event of an advance was expected to be in the front line to help build bridges, roads and clear the way, totally exposed whilst under constant fire with no chance of cover or return fire.

Fortunately this never happened in anger but we still lost and injured a few in Northern Ireland tours, mainly in shootings, bomb blasts and the occasional accident.

The sort of thing potterfan means would only be likely to happen in an all out war where it was the only option to ultimately save lives.

[Skids]

No one gets sent on a mission where losing their life is the only way to acomplish that mission. There are such operations that involve an incredibly high risk to life, much higher than been sent into battle, and these are generally carried out by members of the UKSF (United Kingdom Special Forces). All members (they come from all three services) are volunteers to the UKSF.

[Quizmonster]

How about the following from Peter Cook in 'Beyond The Fringe'?...

"War's not going very well, you know. We are two down, and the ball's in the enemy court. War is a psychological thing, Perkins, rather like a game of football. You know how in a game of football ten men often play better than eleven - ?"
"Yes, sir."
"Perkins, we are asking you to be that one man. I want you to lay down your life, Perkins. We need a futile gesture at this stage. It will raise the whole tone of the war."

Wonderful stuff in comedy, but - in real military life - no-one would be so briefed!

[Lonnie]

And then there's the last episode of 'Blackadder goes Forth', where they are ordered over the top, into certain death, that also could be classified as a suicide mission, because they had no choice,

[ianess]

Lonnie..... in total agreement with you. That particular episode was the only possible way to end the series.
A truly classic television moment.