For some reason I've been thinking about the war, what one you may ask, or not. 'The Troubles ' in Northern Ireland.
I lived there for a time with the whole terrorist crap going on around me so getting evacuated from streets, shops and even yer own home for bomb alerts was just something that happened to inconvenience you for 3 hours until the police said it was safe, I think the terrorists were just bored, "hey lets park a stolen car on a street and phone in a bomb warming."
If you lived in Northern Ireland you were a target, either because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time or you got the attention of someone you shouldn't have.
If you lived in Northern Ireland you were a target, either because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time or you got the attention of someone you shouldn't have.
There was this story of a Catholic businessman, the people in a pub were lamenting over the death of a protestant, the businessman who was talking to the barman suggested that he should go out of respect as he was a Catholic, someone over heard him telling the barman this and later they took him to a war memorial called 'The Knockagh monument' and shot him, just because they knew he was Catholic.
Joining the army was no big deal for me, now I'd be a target with his own weapon to fight back with. I was sad that when on leave you couldn't walk about all proud in yer uniform to show it off as then you, yer family and friends would be more obvious targets.
I started off in the Infantry but because the English in their wisdom decided that those who lived in Northern Ireland shouldn't serve there for their own safety (didn't trust us probably) I transferred to an engineer regiment that would serve there.
A sapper in the engineers not only does the patrols etc but they also blow up bridges, build guard posts and set up temporary camps with clean water . I didn't have much interest in that shite so I ended up guarding more than anything.
Having been in the infantry I had more weapons training than most and was a decent shot so rooftops became my friend, watching out for snipers and other trouble makers, one night I had a shot taken at me from an army patrol when the guy saw my silhouette on the roof and panicked, fuck did I shit myself .
I did think it was funny when the English troops would be on a 6 month tour or whatever and that's when they start to chain smoke and drink more due to the stress, I lost friends there myself but I never really got bothered about dying, I just didn't think I would, the years I was there tested me, I've been to war and I found it lacking. During a car bombing in Belfast I was given the duty of looking for bits of guy.
I was expecting to find hands and feet etc but what I did find was bits of unidentified meat rolled in dirt, the main stuff had been lifted already and we were just cleaning up what was missed.
The pubs had been evacuated and the dickheads must of thought they were getting back in or something, at 4am with numerous roads blocked off and small crowds of twats jeering at us behind the trucks that blocked off the streets it was all very surreal.
Things you have to remember, if yer vehicle gets stuck in traffic as sometimes we had long trucks carrying equipment trying to get round tight corners in bandit country you should get out and make sure no one sticks a bomb under the back of yer truck while you wait.
If while manning a checkpoint you recognise a bloke from the army who is standing wearing civilian clothes and has long scruffy hair, do not say," hello Smithy how are you doing?" as he is probably working on a covert mission .
If some kids start throwing bricks at you don't chase them as they will most likely take you to 20 hoods on a street corner just waiting for a lone soldier to stop by, Protestant or Catholic hoods would jump you just for the sport so don't go relying on being Protestant yerself to save you.
The rules of opening fire were stupid, you had to give 3 warnings before you shot, "stop, army, stop army, stop, army" blam blam blam blam blam blam. It was never clear on when and who we should open fire, The Troubles were a learn as you go operation, they had only just started to train the troops with some police procedures.
Once in a class some bloke came in to talk to the teacher then left, we were then asked what the guy looked like and what he was wearing etc, I enjoy that shit as I am a people watcher, I still give descriptions as a peeler would, hey look at the slim athletic build on her, that is one sexy Caucasian female in her early to mid twenties, identifing tramp stamp on her lower back that says, "easy rider."
Well my infantry regiment no longer exists, the weapons I'm skilled on have been replaced with nice plastic ones the terrorists are now all politicians which is a real come doon for them and the army don't patrol the streets anymore, yet another example of how obsolete I've become.
The pubs had been evacuated and the dickheads must of thought they were getting back in or something, at 4am with numerous roads blocked off and small crowds of twats jeering at us behind the trucks that blocked off the streets it was all very surreal.
Things you have to remember, if yer vehicle gets stuck in traffic as sometimes we had long trucks carrying equipment trying to get round tight corners in bandit country you should get out and make sure no one sticks a bomb under the back of yer truck while you wait.
If while manning a checkpoint you recognise a bloke from the army who is standing wearing civilian clothes and has long scruffy hair, do not say," hello Smithy how are you doing?" as he is probably working on a covert mission .
If some kids start throwing bricks at you don't chase them as they will most likely take you to 20 hoods on a street corner just waiting for a lone soldier to stop by, Protestant or Catholic hoods would jump you just for the sport so don't go relying on being Protestant yerself to save you.
The rules of opening fire were stupid, you had to give 3 warnings before you shot, "stop, army, stop army, stop, army" blam blam blam blam blam blam. It was never clear on when and who we should open fire, The Troubles were a learn as you go operation, they had only just started to train the troops with some police procedures.
Once in a class some bloke came in to talk to the teacher then left, we were then asked what the guy looked like and what he was wearing etc, I enjoy that shit as I am a people watcher, I still give descriptions as a peeler would, hey look at the slim athletic build on her, that is one sexy Caucasian female in her early to mid twenties, identifing tramp stamp on her lower back that says, "easy rider."
Well my infantry regiment no longer exists, the weapons I'm skilled on have been replaced with nice plastic ones the terrorists are now all politicians which is a real come doon for them and the army don't patrol the streets anymore, yet another example of how obsolete I've become.
Ah well at least we won.
6 comments:
I see your Rules of Engagement are just as fucked up as ours were in the US military. How come the enemy never had these rules?
While I was in the US military, our boys were not allowed to have rounds in the chambers. So, they stood guard duty with magazines loaded, but no bullet in the chamber. We could only chamber the round after yelling "halt" three times, then we could chamber the rounds, then we had to fire. They used to tell us "it should only be in the chamber for 10 seconds max." It made sense when you were in a fairly safe area pulling guard duty. Pretty stupid thinking when you were in a dangerous area.
Interesting article.
Glad I served, glad I'm out.
Getting introspective, hm?
I'll hand you my Luger, so you can put yer hand on something haard ...
The Man I recall during the 80's when the Iranians had the country on alert I was doing security around the base with a pick axe handle.
mago I've been introspective for the last 10 years, also I'm deep. is yer iron cross hard?
Call me Steiner.
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