Soldiers on the rampage!!! Or lads jyst getting a bit drunk and going overboard

[sp1814]

The Daily Mail is a wonderful source for anti gay/black/Muslim stories - and we applaud the editorial staff for this.

But a couple of days ago, there was a major story covered by not only the Mail, but most of the other news outlets:

http://www.telegraph....te-for-bar-brawl.html

Now - assuming that we all agree that the blacks are predisposed to mugging and knife crime, and the Muslims are predisposed to...to...let's just say 'every evil we can think of' - is it also true to assume that men in the services are basically inbred thugs who only enlisted in order to act out their Neanderthal tendencies, without fear of being arrested on the kitchen sink estates from whence they came?

Alternatively, is this a non-story which has just been puffed up to sell copy?

Perhaps the truth is, that it's just some ordinary lads who got a bit drunk and got into a ruck (we ALL have at some point!!!)

By the way - had these lads been black - would the usual suspects have posted something here? I notice silence from the unusuallu vocal 'silent majority' on this one.

[poodicat]

Have to say that not all soldiers are hero's,the blackwatch are notorious for fighting and serious injuries that are kept in house

[Sandy-Wroe]

In future Juan Foreigner, and anyone else of that ilk, will know to steer clear of our brave boys.
I can't see what all the fuss is about.

[poodicat]

Ok sandy they are brave boys now i agree,but i have heard some nasty stuff ,a soldier has put a broken glass in a womans face and the army have closed ranks and the soldier was never prosecuted

[craft1948]

York was a garrison town and the squaddies were well known for fighting.........their return leave after the Falklands was a sight to behold.
Having said that do you want a meek, mild, and well-mannered army trying to slaughter the enemy......

[Philtaz]

As an ex Royal Military Policeman I used to investigate such incidents on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, this type of thing does occur, no getting away from it. To be fair, the units of servicemen involved in this sort of thing usually came down very hard on those involved.
For some inexplicable reason the majority of incidents I attended more often than not involved Scottish Infantry Regiments. If they couldn't find someone to fight in town they'd chib each other on returning to barracks!
I distinctly recall one soldier from a Scots regiment receiving the Military Medal for storming a machine gun nest during Gulf War 1.
The paper that branded him a hero failed to mention he'd only recently been released from a 6 month spell in Colchester MCTC (Military Corrective Training Centre) for glassing a female.

[jno]

Our brave boys bashing locals in a restaurant? They're trained killers, so I suppose the hapless diners got off lightly. Soldiers have always been a bit of a problem when they're not at war. Historically, the end of a war always meant unemployed armed men roaming the land stealing things at gunpoint (not just in Britain: gangs like that of Jesse James in the USA sprang up after the Civil War ended).

Sorry, I've never got into a ruck in a restaurant and beaten people up. Have you?

[Androcles]

http://home.clara.net...war/kipling_tommy.htm

[Booldawg]

Once upon a time Aldershot was home to 2 Para, notorious for a bit of biff on a Saturday night, they worked hard and fought hard.

The local council resented the Paras being there and managed to revoke licenses of any clubs/pubs that they frequented and generally made the regiment feel very unwelcome due to the stigma they created.

This was several years ago, the Paras have moved out to Catterick/Colchester and now Aldershot is rife with drug crime, low lifes and chavs commiting acts of petty vandalsim and indiscriminate violence.

When the Paras were out in town, yes they fought amongst themselves and whoever fancied having a go but they did police the town and certainly werent cowardly bullies.

[Craftypig]

The story is one sided and to say the least it has been "embelished" somewhat, I would also consider the motives of the reporter and the paper for printing this story too.

[fredpuli47]

Yes these....er...high spirits are common to miiltary towns. I used to live near Colchester and soldiers were often engaged in activities like that. But there it always ended very quickly with a call to the barracks and the Army turning up to sort the men out. If it ever got as far as custody the men hadn't got far to go. The 'glasshouse' is in the barracks ! ( It used to have a large glass roof hence the nickname being applied to all military prisons)

[fredpuli47]

By the way , a brigadier at a court martial I was in saw that the man had a record including punching another and was most approving ! He said that he didn't want a man in his regiment who was such a feeble fellow as to not get into trouble of that sort.Definitely not the type for a war.

[anotheoldgit]

/// By the way - had these lads been black - would the usual suspects have posted something here?///

That "chip" getting a little heavy again, old chap?

How do we know these soldiers were White? There are quite a few Black guys in the Army you know.

/// The unusual (lu) vocal silent majority /// ?????? ( I can't get my head around this, it all seems a contradictory of terms)

[Quinlad]

The 'chip on the shoulder' line is getting a bit tired now, AOG.

It's similar in sentiment to 'These negros sure are gettting uppity' - the sort of thing white landowners used to say when they were affronted that a black person dared to express an opinion.

It's something which has been out of date for half a century. Very much like yourself.

[sp1814]

anotheoldgit

Does this story prove that in their heart of hearts, soldiers are just uneducated thugs, who can't control their blood lust?

Not saying that's the case - I don't know any soldiers - but judging from some of the posts here, it would seem so.

Would you let your daughter go out unaccompanied in a town next to an army base?

[Philtaz]

ahmskunnirt,

Just recalling how I saw it. Every unit had its trouble makers and 5 pint wonders, it's just that if the Jocks couldn't find a scrap in town they'd knock holes out of each other in camp! Often as a result of nothing more than 'tribalism' (the Catholic/Protestant issue) within Scottish regiments.

Strange also that they had the highest crime figures for violence against females, either domestic or whilst 'out with the boys'.

Maybe that's why we often referred to them as 'Oatmeal Savages'!

Had a brush or two with the Monkey's yourself, did you?

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// Would you let your daughter go out unaccompanied in a town next to an army base? ///

I think she would be much safer than alone in Brixton,Southwark or Hackney

/// Soldiers are just uneducated thugs, who can't control their blood lust?///

Before you make disgraceful quotes such as that, perhaps you should remember those past "Savages"

You also mentioned intelligence, care to read this?

http://www.timesonlin...uk/article2677098.ece