From Hero to Zero

As wars become less and less popular in the UK, it is the soldiers who seem to be suffering the consequences .

by Adriana Mendez

In past times, soldiers were regarded as heroes. Statues and memorials were built to glorify them. They enjoyed prestige and recognition from government and civilians. Today, they receive a salary similar to the minimum wage and are often subjected to insults and even sometimes regarded as murderers.

“I was in Afghanistan for 6 months fighting for my country, I mean I almost got killed, but at the same time I had to pay tax in London, it doesn´t make sense” said Adam Cocks, a 25 year old soldier who returned from Afghanistan after being blown by a mine.

“ We come back after risking our lives, injured and having lost many guys just to find out we don´t even have the support of the people. You may not agree with the cause, but the guys out there, I mean it´s not their fault, they are doing their job,” he added.

Times are changing

In Britain, it is quite unusual if not impossible to run into hundreds of cheering civilians welcoming heroic soldiers at parades, as it is the case in the USA. However, it is not hard to run into an anti-war demonstration demanding the withdrawal of armed forces and condemning British invasions.

The UK government has clearly not succeeded in providing civilians a justified reason for their presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, and as casualties increase, so do the protests.

But whether the current wars are justified or not, it is the soldiers who seem to be paying the price

The e-true serviceman story

While soldiers in the UK serve the army, they enjoy first class treatment, but the truth is that once they are discharged (occasionally for health reasons), they are left on their own to cope with their physical injuries, posttraumatic disorders and depressions.

In theory, the government has special pensions to guarantee the welfare of ex servicemen and their family and as a policy, military veterans have a priority treatment in the NHS. But in real life, they are far from receiving the treatment they need.

New cases of mental disorders have been diagnosed and are likely to increase. If the UK government is determined to keep troops in Afghanistan, even against the will of most civilians, ministers need to understand that the duty of care towards injured soldiers lasts a lifetime.

Questions and contradictions

Policies need to be review. Questions need to be answer.

How can you explain that a serviceman who is away for 6 months in Afghanistan is forced to pay taxes in the UK? Taxes which he clearly does not benefit from.

Why do servicemen at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan are forced to share a hospital ward with enemy fighters who could have fired the shots that injured them, or killed their friends?

Why is it that the well being of wounded and veteran soldiers depend mainly on charities?

What will happen when civilians reduce contributions to those charities because of a financial crisis?

Why is it that the soldiers have to pay the costs of absurd wars just to find out they don´t receive respect or care in exchange anymore?