As a matter of fact, earlier this year the Republic of Korea deployed troops to Iraq or Afghanistan (I forget which) to support the US Air Force Security Forces. Not because we needed extra Security Forces airmen, but because it was valuable real-world experience for the Koreans.
Actually, if you ever visit the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, it’s kind of interesting to note that they have exhibits and displays from quite a few different wars that the Koreans fought in, not just the one in the 50’s that took place on the peninsula. This includes historical stuff from the spears and arrows days, and equipment and records going all the way up to the War On Terror™. They seem to have a policy of sending their troops to fight alongside our troops so they can have real world experience going through their ranks in case they should ever need it.
Actually I have spent some time in the military, though I’d be honestly amazed if you have.
I know all about multi national joint operations, and joint training between the Western Allies.
British S.A.S. troops fought in Vietnam, (In spite of P.M.Harold Wilsons strict non involvement policy), but officially they were on exchange training at Fort Bragg.
The C.I.A almost certainly had, and has unofficial sources both sides of the border(and for that matter in mainland U.K. itself) which I wouldn’t be stunned with amazement if it turned out that the U.K. security services knew about but pretended not to, just as perhaps vice versa is true also, even though the agreement between both allies is that we don’t do that to each other.
You obviously haven’t got the faintest idea about conditions in N.I. either now or during the troubles, but I can assure you that any U.S. experience would be totally non applicable there.
In fact I find it comical that you sincerely believe that experience in Korea and Vietnam could have anything transferrable to the province.
The U.S. military has not, and will not have military personnel on ops in N.I. now or ever, and has never had in the past.
Given US sympathies towards Irish terrorism during the troubles, it would have been extremely unlikely to have been involved in conflict in a military capacity.
That’s not to say they couldn’t have been US aircraft or personnel in (or just over-flying) Northern Ireland for other reasons as the OP described.
I’ve had this conversation with Irish people many times.
Do I write "The U.K. s mainland ?
Or do I each time I mention it type" Wales, Scotland and England ?
Sorry but veracity takes a second place if I have to keep typing all that shit when people know what I mean.
And yes I know that N.I. has parts of the republic north of it, that part of Ulster is in the republic, that the Channel isles aren’t actually part of Britain or something.
Pedantry at its worst, everyone knows what is meant and as pointed out its far easier to write this than “the island comprising england, wales and scotland”. Great Britain is confusing as rightly or wrongly people thing that includes all of the UK including it’s off shore islands.
To be honest I only brought it up because of the poster who used it. In the context of a thread on Northern Ireland it’s insensitive and indicative of lust4life’s lazy worldview regarding the place. Most of his posts in threads on Northern Ireland are riddled with half-baked urban legends and inaccuracies and much of the time when anyone calls him up on any of it he’s either dismissive as he has been in responses here or just never replies.
FWIW the term isn’t something I’ve ever really heard outside of delivery pricelists, the more common term in such contexts seems to be “British Mainland” which while still considered insensitive in the same context, is slightly less in accurate.
Yes, I know you claim to have spent time in the military. Some of your posts suggest otherwise, but that’s by the by. I can confirm I have no involvement with the armed forces, but read widely and pay attention friends and family who are in the forces.
You find it “comical” that I would think experience in Korea and Vietnam could have anything transferrable to the province. You’re seriously claming that none of the innovations in counter-insurgency, working with local populations, communications etc etc that were developed during those two conflicts could not be applied in a general sense to another asymetric conflict?
Do you have anything at all to base this on apart from your own opinion? You’ll note that I agree that they would not have been on official active duty.
Again… really? There is nothing the US - being a modern, Western nation with similar climate and social structures - could bring in terms of equipment, operations or intelligence that is anyway remotely applicable to NI? How about shipping in troops via helicopter to avoid travel through hostile areas (a requirement in Vietnam), or applying developments in interrogation techniques, or getting the local population on side and isolating the insurgents?
You may have cites for all of these claims but at the moment it’s just your opinion, which as this is in the internet is pretty much irrelevant.
Actually I 've spent a lot of time there, and in the republic…
I personally believe that those cowards who plant bombs and walk away, knowing that they’re almost certainly going to murder innocent people at random, including women, children, old people and even fellow Irish who haven’t been" in the loop", are the lowest of the low.
Its a cheap tactic to make vague allegations about my posts including urban legends and half baked etc.etc.etc
And the best that you can do is raise a petty quibble about the terminology used by me and my countrymen to describe a part of MY country .
Talk about scraping the barrel, if thats the best that you can up with then it would seem that my posts are very accurate in their factual content.
You have in the past expressed lukewarm condemnation of Irish Republican attrocities, while at the same time expressing unbridled admiration for the terrorists themselves.
(Personally I found them to be the biggest racist bigots that I’ve met anywhere in the world, and I’ve met a good many)
What was it ?
Sharp, brave, intelligent
But I suppose that in some circles its considered that anything used to discredit those on the other side of the fence, especially by those who commit random murders to make their point, is excusable, if its “For the cause”.
I’ve always been honest about my views, but have never expected the same from supporters of terrorism in the past .
Nor would I, even for one moment, expect it at any time in the future.
[moderating]
This being GQ, how about if everyone tones it back a bit? Please, feel free to open a Pit or GD thread for the debate, and return this discussion to the question in the OP.
Not at medal, by my father-in-law spent time in WWII in southeast Asia, out of combat. A general appreciated his work, so they arranged for him to fly above a war zone while flying back to his base. This allowed him to get some extra army benefits for being in a war zone.
