Thanks for your post Mr Civilian, your words will be of great comfort. At least when the bullets start flying, people start losing their lives and servicemen have to endure another several months away from their families, we'll know it's only a flag waving exercise. :o
Not only do we have to endure the back-to-back tours of the Balkans, Falklands, Middle East and Afghanistan to name but a few, we have to do it with ill funded kit, with little extra money and now with narrow minded people like you coming out with bone statements as you do.
You thinks it's easy. Try telling that to the serviceman who has just returned from an Op theatre, had his post Op leave cancelled due to our dear friends the fireman and has the threat of a conflict in the Middle East looming. Oh and do it on very little money with no right of recourse or protest (not that a majority of servicemen would, loyalty and all that).
Even though the bullets may not fly, there would be the constant threat of CBWs being used. Spending untold hours in NBC kit and a respirator is no fun although i suspect you wouldn't appreciate what it's like; I suspect you've spent little if any time wearing the kit.
I'm also glad that 75% of the Iraqi Army will surrender, that only leaves about 100,000 Republican guard to deal with, easy money. 'A few of our ships and doctors' should see them off a treat.
Many of our guys routinely risk their lives. Not wishing to sound dramatic but tearing around at 250 feet in a FJ, conducting Armd Bde live firing Exs etc etc are not without risk. These are things people in the forces do without question, daily; all to train to defend the country. Oh i forgot, we can't do those things at present as we're putting out fires.
The bottom line is, you're comments here are unwelcome, insulting and ill informed. If you think it's easy, why don't you join the military and see for yourself, or are you one of those who is well and truely entrenched in the comfort zone?
If you said what you said to provoke a reaction, you got it but, final comment - F%ck you and crawl back under your rock.
PS CDS what a speech, what was needed right now.