Soldier,soldier.

Well shock horror it seems that a number of soldiers a year are being dismissed,enough to make up a whole battalion. The cause is not friendly American fire but...tut,tut...squadies with traces of cocaine and shock horror marijuana in their blood stream.

So they get kicked out for this? No "get yourself sorted sonny or else" type period? All that tax payers cash down the pan cos a soldier smokes a few joints on his free time?

I'm all for a "Platoon" type attitude to this if I am honest and a squaddie going out on foot patrol through rugged territory wih a marijuana or Bob Marley sticker on his helmet and a spliff in the corner of his mouth when being accompanied by the distant tones "White Rabbit" is fair play to me.

Am I missing something? Please discuss.

[G]

No opinion on it, They have to stay alert, be awake and full of energy at any given time....if their way of achieving this is by drugs then so be it.

If I was fighting blood crazed taliban in complete darkness, whilst already having been awake for the last 48hrs scouting them out.....i can imagine i would need some sort of stimulation. I'm not by any means saying it justifies it.....but its a different life.

With all the emotions they have to go through on duty, I think the use of drugs in their free time is fine. Some may need to replicate the high/adrenalin or face crashing off an emotional rollercoaster when on R&R.

We ask alot of them, surely they can have a little leeway on their downtime?

'twas interesting when I heard this on the radio this morning.

769 squaddies kicked out in the last 12 months for having traces of cocaine in the blood... It's not known as Bolivian marching powder for nothing

Incidence of drug use has quadrupled since 2003. Something must have happened in 2003, can anyone think what it might be???

QRs state quite clearly that soldiers must not take certain social drugs, and if found to have done so then disciplinary measures will be taken. Those measures include dismissal from the services.

It's really quite simple. If you want to keep your job, don't do drugs. I wouldn't want to serve in the front line alongside someone I know to have been under the influence of cannabis recently, it impairs judgement and reaction times for a prolonged period after taking it - it cetainly doesn't make you more alert. As for cocaine, it may make you appear more alert, but it makes you more impetuous and likely to do something without giving full consideration for the consequences.

Originally Posted by phil24_7

With all the emotions they have to go through on duty, I think the use of drugs in their free time is fine. Some may need to replicate the high/adrenalin or face crashing off an emotional rollercoaster when on R&R.

We ask alot of them, surely they can have a little leeway on their downtime?

Sorry phill its not that, its a guaranted way out and some rather than sign off and wait a teay where thry could well get sent to Iraq again will take the easy way out.

The things they have seen they dont want to go back simple walk in admit to snorting cocaine be out in a couple of weeks.

[yorkie_chris]

I don't like being in the general area when people have been on the powder, IME tends to cause a lot of scraps, for reasons which would never normally bother the person. (I know a few like this)

And in the army, they're all armed. Not good IMO!

[northwind]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

And in the army, they're all armed. Not good IMO!

They'd be pretty useless in a war otherwise though

I can full see where Neio is coming from. We only get to see a fraction of what is going on in the Middle East on our news bulletins. But if your curious/sick enough the internet provides a vast source of shocking images and actions. Not what your nice young British lad should be seeing whilst carrying out his gainfull is it?

But you know the Middle East is largely very,very different than Britain and maybe some can seperate the atrocities in their own mind and pigeon hole them as "Middle East".

But you know what I found more worrying? When the Army was deployed in Northern Ireland. That must have been so difficult to handle. I mean it's just like home!

Same climate, green fields, same cars and driving on same side of road. Terraces and semi's just like back in your home town. Civvies merge with soldiers on their reccy time. Yet turning any corner,or being sat in any bar could see you subject to any kind of barborous attack.
I
have to admit that would have really screwed my head up!

[TEC]

One of the difference between NI times and the stuff going on now is there weren't any random drug tests, not so easy to get caught, unless you wanted to, and the punishment was a lot worse in real terms than today. Not saying drugs weren't used back then, it wasn't the norm for people joining up to have dabbled, unlike now