I never joined and I am glad I didn't

[Ste Preece]

Wow, this thread certainly deviated!!

Personally I served with a fair number of black guys, most were great and the odd one wasn't. Same as anybody else really, no matter what colour their skin is.

In the 80's we didn't judge people by the colour of their skin, the accent they spoke with or their religion. If they earned and wore the green lid then it didn't matter. We were all equal. I don't know what it was like in generations previous to this, but I would hope its the same today as when I served.

The thread started with somebody saying they were glad they didn't join the Corps, which after he posted that he'd opted out of basic training, was, I thought; quite a bold statement to make.

I also don't know anybody who joins the marines for the money. More so the challenges, hardships and friendships bonded for a life time. You can't buy that.

I'm not slagging the police force, but the challenges are somewhat different both physically and mentally. However, the Corps do have a Military Police troop, which, like everybody else, they have to pass basic training and also tend to serve for a few years prior to taking up that post. Or they used to anyway.

I do know a number of former bootnecks who later joined the Police Force after leaving the Corps. Again some are great guys and the odd one isn't. I did think about this as a second career after I demobbed, for a few minutes only and I decided that it wasn't for me!!

I personally, loved being a marine and have NO regrets whatsoever of joining up. The only thing, these years on is that I look back with great memories and some times wish I could turn the clock back and do it all over again.

All the very best

Steve

[Wholley]

I'm not slagging the police force,

Yes you were
I really can't speak for the British Bobby although I do feel kinda sorry for them.
No side-arm and those pointy hats?
Do their heads grow in to them or does it require surgery?

Lord.....I can already feel the incoming.

TAKE COVER

[Ste Preece]

Wholly:

Actually, on the way to work this morning I saw a huge crater that had appeared in the middle of the road. However, it was nothing to worry about as the Police were looking into it.

The old ones are the best!!


All the very best mate.

Steve

[lil_dinger_bell]

hahaha good times!!! Good joke.

Love your senese of humor Wholley, I guess that was one of the attributes to becomnig an mfat moderator.

[Si Capon]

Not read the whole thread....can`t be *rsed.

If you`ve never joined up, how can you know you`re glad you didn`t.

I`ve never walked on the moon, but I`m glad I haven`t????

You don`t know what you`ve missed.

[Wholley]

The old ones are the best!!

You calling me old?
Mne.Preece,
My office,08.00

[Ste Preece]

Not me wholley. Age is a figment of the imagination.

Anyway: I had my heels together when I wrote that!!


Cheers

Steve

[anglo-saxon]

Age is a figment of the imagination.

Sort of like racism being a pigment of the imagination, then!

[London Boy]

Well, for what its worth, I did what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it.

I wanted to be a soldier so I joined the RAF Regiment.
When I left the RAF I wanted to be a police officer, so I joined the Met.

Those of you who have done one but not the other can never know what you've missed out on and what you've beenl ucky enough to avoid, because there are of course pros and cons in both professions.

Regarding race, the two biggest a-holes and violent bullies I met in the RAF Regt where black.

And the two best blokes, one of them became a mate, that I met in the RAF Regt were also black. I am still in touch off and on with the other
one via facebook.

What I'm saying here is that skin colour is about as relevant as the colour of your underpants, in that no person in their right mind, gives it a second thought!

Someone once asked me in a survey, aimed at highlighting gender and race discrimination, here in Sweden, "when you see a black man coming towards you on the street, what do you see first a man or a person who is black?" Well, they asked the wrong person, 'cos I wasn't going to play ball and fall into their little trap, by saying "man" (gender_) or "Black" (race) thus my answer was "Neither, I see a mate"

He asked "how so?"

"Well, 90% of the black men in this small town are either British, American, or West Indian and I know all of those"

Of course, then he asked "well of the 10% you don't know,what do you see?"

"A person"

"Thank you for your time"

[London Boy]

On the sidearm issue. I patrolled London's streets for 13 years. I used my truncheon twice on people (both times to get a good arrest restraint on), so I didn't think, and still don't think, I needed a firearm.

Without a sidearm or truncheon, for example, (and I'm not bragging here, just stating the facts), I disarmed one man armed with a huge carving knife who was attacking people in the street and another man in a phonebox who was waving a pistol about and telling the operator he would shoot the next person who walked by. Suffice to say, the element of surprise helped and both of them bounced off nearby walls quite nicely, thank you very
much!

[London Boy]

I'm not slagging the police force, but the challenges are somewhat different both physically and mentally.

Yea, police officers are at the sharp end every day dealing with real dangerous incidents every day. I was, in central London anyway.

And soldiers spend the mjaority of their service training and preparing for conflict on a military base away from the general public.

I know, I've done both! The chances of being killed as a soldier on active service in a conflict zone are far smaller than for a police officer dealing with crazies every day! Just look at the figures since 1945, for police officers killed on duty and soldiers killed on duty - then compare that to the total of police officers/soldiers engaged in a given incident at the moment of death.

In the vast majority of cases the police officer was alone or with one or two colleagues.

Soldiers on the other hand, well the rest you know.

[Ste Preece]

London Boy: Fair play to you mate and I absolutely agree with you. However, like I said, the thread did deviate a little from a guy who started RM basic training, opted out and then said he's glad he never joined the RM, which you might agree was a bold statement to make and especially amongst former, serving and future Royal Marines.

The only year that the Royal Marines haven't since active service since their inception is 1968. The continous training in all kinds of specialisations, warfare and a high peak of physical fitness is undoubtedly necessary to ensure they are prepared to go into conflict at the drop of a hat. Which they do in all kinds of situations at locations around the world.

I appreciate the challenges and dangers that police officers face on a day to day basis. I refer to my friend Simon Bywater, the author of "Forced Out". It was both Simon's service in the Royal Marines and his service in the Police Force that caused him to suffer from PTSD. He captured this very well in his book.

I also agree that not arming the police in the UK is a good policy as a criminal has a chance of getting away if you're not armed and therefore its less likely that he will carry a firearm. On the other hand if you were all armed then he'd have no choice but to carry one to give himself a better chance of getting away.

Best Regards

Steve

[Alfa]

The chances of being killed as a soldier on active service in a conflict zone are far smaller than for a police officer dealing with crazies every day! Just look at the figures since 1945, for police officers killed on duty and soldiers killed on duty - then compare that to the total of police officers/soldiers engaged in a given incident at the moment of death.

You've got to be kidding right? There's been more than 200 deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past 5 years now admittedly I don't know the exact figures but I'd be willing to bet that's more that the total number of Police Officers killed in Britain since 1945 and that's just a single conflict if you add the casualties for Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Bosnia, the first Gulf War, Northern Ireland, the Falklands, the Indonesian Confrontation, Malaya, Aden, Korea etc...... well I think you see the point I'm trying to make.

Thankfully it's a rare occasion when a Police Officer is killed on duty (except maybe in Northern Ireland during the troubles) so while I totally agree with you that they have a very tough job and have to deal with some real scum to say that they have more risk of being killed than a Soldier is just not true.

[woof]

Steve you are being awfully polite these days your niceness is wonderful have you stopped drinking Hartlepool water and moved to warmer places?
You dont seem like the man of 3 years ago.Good on yeah mate.

[London Boy]

No Alfa, I'm not kidding. I'm talking about percentages here i.e. risk of death involved in each job not the type or level of danger. In other words the percentage killed of the entire presence of police or military personnel in any given situation.

Often, when police officers are killed, most of them or all of them present at the "killing site" of the incident are killed. This is because 99.9% of
incidents dealt with by the police are attended by between 1 and 4 officers. Incidents that then turn nasty and fatal. The military is often in a defensive position at strength when attacked or on patrol in lesser numbers, but still, both defensive and offensive military actions are proactive, armed, and prepared and with many more troops than attend your average police incident. To put it in blunt terms, one soldier killed in a defensive position out of 40 soliders or one soldier killed on a patrol out of 12, is not the same as the total presence killed during police
incidents i.e. often just the one or two police officers in attendance.


The obvious exception being the murder of Keith Blakelock, one officer among several hundred, on that night in Broadwater Farm. (My shield unit came on duty at 0800 the morning after.) And so in that regard that was morelike a military death, one among many. In that like the military the shield units there were facing an obvious enemy and were prepared.

Also I base my view on reports that held the same view on this comparison between police and military risks in the early and
mid 80s.

As for the numbers killed since 1945. Please have a look at the roll of honour for the Met Police, I think you'll be quite surprised. And that is just one police force! Arouind 180 Met officers killed since 1945. Now extrapolate that for all the other large police forces. And then add on all the small county forces and all the non-Home Office forces.

Alternatively look at the rolls of honour for each county. Or simply take my word for it.