Before everyone gets on their hi horse, there is something this extremely well trained individual saw that went against the grain. We do not have all the facts. Considering the extremely high quality of the troops in "The Regiment", I would personally like to know more of the facts before rendering judgement.
The "Pilgrims" are some of the most professional soldiers in the world. There was something that definitely got to him. He was released without dishonor. Consider that!
I am now donning my flame suit.
Ouch, my vagina hurts.
you will find the reasoned-thought element of FR is apparently a minority these days. No one (including me) knows what kinds of assignments he had in macedonia or afg. prior but one assumes he knows a lot more about combat and unconventional tactics/warfare than most of his critics here, and knew more even before he got to Iraq.
"We do not have all the facts."
Including whether or not fraud was perpetrated to get this coward the label "SAS soldier.”
Yes, it would help to know how many of his comrades in the SAS will be joining him in his actions. Or is he the only one of "The Regiment" to have the stones to make such a gutsy exhibition of principle?
No flames from me.
I would like to hear more facts about this case from a reliable source.
Unfortunately, reliable sources are difficult to find. Especially about such a easily politicized subject.
I dare say many were what we would consider dubious as special ops can be a very dirty war.
There is no way you can train and really prepare a man to fight a dirty war.
Conventional war you shoot at someone who is trying to kill you, in a lot of cases you don't even see them, they are figures in the dark.
In these sort of wars, civilians are also involved, it involves going into people houses and searching for weapons.I found that very hard, rousing old people out of there beds, old people which society has taught be to respect in normal circumstances. Wrecking a womens kitchen rifling through personal possessions.
Maybe interrogating someone in front of there family looking at children who look back at you with fear mingling with hatred.
It is recognizing these things which makes you still a decent individual as well as a soldier and not some paid up paramilitary thug in a private army which we see in parts of Africa the Middle east and the Balkans during the conflicts
If he can no longer feel that he can take part in any more ops he did the right thing, because when you lose your edge and spend too much time thinking you become a liability to your self and your team.
We are humans not machines and there comes a time when you can no longer carry on with those tasks that sorrowfully need to be done.
Just my opinion with the limited info in this article, but Jennings and Griffin seem to be made of similar stuff.