Gays in the military: The UK and US compared

http://news.bbc.co.uk ^ | 2 February 2010 | BBC

[OldGoatCPO]

I guess my concern is our military is also being run by politicians and not warriors. You should see the combat skills and leadership ability of young Marines and Sailors, some with 2-3 combat tours and only just old enough to buy a beer in a bar. It will be the politicians that will let them down, they will never let us down.

[the scotsman]

Apologies if my reply was too rude. However your posts did anger as much as any I have read on FR. The British posters here would never criticise American troops, so I get very angry and very defensive about attacks on British troops. I DO NOT take kindly to comparisons to little girls.

The British Army and armed forces need feel inferior to no one. Pound for pound, we are as fine and as highly trained as any army/armed forces on earth. Better than 99% and as good as the 1%.

I am sure British troops can find something to criticise US troops for, but any criticism will be minor. I find it surprising that a 3rd tour Marine is not au fait with the fact that different armies have different ways. And that he finds the attitude of the British in error.

Perhaps he sees something wrong in the fact that we arent overtly as ‘gung ho’ as the Americans, being British we tend to be understated, we ‘just do it’. By gung ho I dont mean trigger happy, I mean swagger and cockiness. Your Marines are well known for it. Not in a bad way, its just the Marine way, or at least your Marines.

I’d be interested to find out more about what he found lacking in the British, just curious, not accusatory.

Yours,
Scotsman

(8 years a British (Territorial Army) Paratrooper)

[OldGoatCPO]

Sent an email, felt you and I were getting off track. I did not mean to disparge the British military, the gay issue has many of us a bit over taxed. I have also heard far to many pundits on both sides of the pond suggesting we be more like the Brits when it comes to gays. I prefer Marines to be more like Chesty than Monty, but our Sailors could use a Lord Nelson vice a Mullens right now.