Langley, HB et al,
I hope that I have not implied that those who have served previously are 'lesser mortals'; however the geo-political environment of 25 years ago is completely different from the global threats and challenges malarky of the last decade.
I joined up during the Cold War and very, very few people had medals, and if they did it was a major talking point. Now, most serving personnel have campaign medals as well as QGJ & QDJMs, and in this respect I am fairly typical. If current SP don't have medals, their contemporaries will naturally wonder why. It may be due to Branch/trade/qualification issues, it may be on a personal restriction on deployment (medical, sy, welfare...) or it could be down to a degree of time/location/luck. Unfotunately in the case of some SP I know, it is due to a degree of cunning, risk aversion and an ability to play the system. But operational experience does count as AFG is still our 'maximum effort' - thus, having served on ISAF I was able to comment on an ISAF-related matter within my competencies in a meeting earlier this morning with some partner nations who are participating. If I hadn't been there, I couldn't have commented.
However, campaign medals are sui generis, ie of that time and place. Once the majority of our forces are back from the 'Stan, very, very rapidly the number of campaign medals awarded will plummet. Given that the average length of service of a Soldier is less than 8 years, by the end of this decade a majority of young soldiers (and the same for airmen and marines) won't have served in a desert location (Syria/Iran/Sudan/Nigeria...notwithstanding!) and therefore won't have any medals.
On a related issue, I had been trying to update the RAF List for years - trying to get post-nominals correct (university qualifications and professional memberships) I eventually realised that this had to be done via JPA. I went to the clerks in MB and the LCpl dutifully entered the correct details. I added (as a joke) 'oh, and DSO, DFC and bar!', which he dutifully typed in without hesitation. 8 Back-spaces amended the record, again without hesitation. Damn! Pity I'm an honest chap!
Last edited by Whenurhappy; 18th Apr 2012 at 09:50.