Ex-Forces and Homeless (BBC1)

[just_me]

BBC1 (22:35-23:15) today (22.04.2008). Looks intresting, worth a watch. About many ex-service members, now sleeping rough - as you may have guessed from the title!

-Not sure wether this goes here or Recommended Media, I haven't seen it yet!

[just_me]

Watched it and it was quite intresting and was understandable how a soldier, part of this team that he has got used to, now fending for himself, most of them diagnosed with PTSD which would only make it harder for what they are going through.

[will996]

Superb documentary although exceptionally sad. I for one did not know the extent of ex forces homeless. Perhaps this is a downside of joining at 16?

[tom163]

Was a very interesting watch, Good find.



Tom

[lil_dinger_bell]

I never understood how that happens...These men are the elite few who have excelled at soldiering. I am surprised they never parlayed that into a civy's career in risk management, private security, close protection, or kidnap and ransom consulting...thats what my pops did.

I guess after having a job with such pressure and unstoppable crazyness, some don't have the mentle strength anymore to continue....or felt their was nothing for them upon retirment.

Colin Powel once said in a leadership seminar that a man should "never let his ego get so close to his position that when his position goes, his ego goes with it."

My dad tells a story about when he went back to Hereford and bumped into a troop commander of his who was pissed drunk at 2 in the afternoon on a tuesday, slurring his speech, on the floor in a pool of his own urine. The pub never kicked himout because of his previous status with the regiment but he was in a shit state and my dad never understood how a man of previous strength, leadership, power, and control, could have let himself get this way.

It's a true shame because these men were once super stars in the realm of UK security but now have resulted in homelessness and drug abuse.

My thoughts goes out to them. I haven't seen the Doc but, as mentioned above, have heard of this occur many times.


-my two cents

[just_me]

The show yesterday said that because all the men in the army, many who joined at 16 or 17, were so used to being part of this machine, a place where they lived with their mates, went out to war with their mates, all the while having their meals and accomadation paid for them AND getting money in their bank, that when they left, they had no shelter or food and their mates were mostly all still in the Army. Many of these men (that were shown in the programme) all suffered from PTSD.

Many joined the Forces to get away from home-life, so that when they left, they couldn't go back home, and if they did, because of their PTSD they weren't wanted (because many would drink to forget).
That's what I thought the programme was trying to get through anyway.

-If you wanted to see it, it will probaly be on YouTube at some time (Of Course)

[lil_dinger_bell]

Yah, that's a shame. Being in any institute, let alone a total institution like the military, one does tend to rely on the life they have created within the 'machine.'

It's just a terrible shame they didn't seek help for the PTSD and move on with the next chapter, despite not having a good family life.

They usually have some good money saved from not spending it (living on base,paying next to nothing for life necessities), which they could use for a new life.

Its the trying to forget part which is hard to deal with..and the part I don't understand. I know the life is full of pressure and images of negative things but the mentle strength is why they excelled in the SF's. I have talked candidly with many ex SFs gentlemen and they are spot on and happy with the life they led....I dont understand how so many can be happy with their previous life whilst some break down....I guess it's on an individual basis and some of stronger than others.

In the larger picture they are all hard as nails but some may be at the end of thier mentle rope

...if I were depressed after leaivng I would take my money, move somewhere hot and live on a beach,scuba dive, and adventure my money away...or buyreal-estate ...but I am not an elite soldier yet so, depsite talking to and being related to one, I don't know first hand why these men turn to a darker way of life.

[just_me]

Yes, it also is probaly quite hard for many of them as for the first time in years they would be alone.

[misterpurple]

...if I were depressed after leaivng I would take my money, move somewhere hot and live on a beach,scuba dive, and adventure my money away...or buyreal-estate ...but I am not an elite soldier yet so, depsite talking to and being related to one, I don't know first hand why these men turn to a darker way of life.

From what I understand the process of taking another human being's life is quite a harrowing one. Killing other human beings is not the glamorous act it is often shown to be. In theory, a key part of the military covenant is that society supports and protects those who struggle to come to terms with their experiences, but as we see in this documentary this is not always the case. For those with PTSD it really is not so simple as taking you money and moving to Torremolinos.

[just_me]

PTSD is not helped by the fact that you don't always know which incident in particular has triggered PTSD, so getting over it can be very difficult.

[lil_dinger_bell]

For sure I agree. My only confusion lays in the ability of some elite soldiers to move on when others can't. I understand some do more (horrific images/things) than others but from my experience of one who's pretty much done it all, he's turned out a normal business man, save looking at others with the sly look of disbeleif when they don't follow his logic of hardwork and consistancy.

I guess all people are different and some don't have families to go back to, helping to keep a form of normalcy to life.

[misterpurple]

What stuck out like a sore thumb in this programme was the presenter was a former Major So-and-so, and seemed to have made quite a decent hack of life as a civilian, when the homeless veterans he interviewed were all almost certainly from the ranks. Just an observation.

[just_me]

Yes I noticed that too.

[cruicent]

A lot of the lads from the ranks wouldnt have been as qualified as the so and so when they left the military, just makes it a bit harder to get a decent job. Made to do a public services nvq while I was at RM rt. Pile of sh..