	Serving in the Army Today
	I remember as a child attending many Remembrance Sunday services at Norbury and the focus was always, quite rightly, on the two World Wars of the last century. People may, perhaps quite reasonably, assume that the two conflicts the British Army finds itself involved in today in the 21st century are vastly different from those of the last. My own thoughts are that they are probably very similar. The technology may be different but the soldiers, I am sure, will not have changed a bit. When people talk to me about the army they often have the two same, false, pre-conceptions. The first is that soldiers are 'pro-war'. Having spent six months in Iraq myself I can assure you that we are not. Admittedly, and strange as it may sound, there were some aspects of my time there that I enjoyed - the camaraderie, friendship and complete selflessness that can only exist between soldiers, the excitement of driving a 30 ton tank into Basrah city centre at rush hour for the first time(!), the thought that in some way we might leave Iraq after six months in a better state than when we’d arrived, however small an improvement that may be. But Basrah is also a city of a million people in the very depths of despair and destitution and I saw some truly saddening sights whilst I was there. The lowest point of our tour was about three weeks before Christmas when Sergeant Jones, a soldier in my regiment whom I had known since I had joined two years previously, was killed by a roadside bomb. He was enormously popular and his loss deeply affected everyone. Even more tragically he left a wife and young son back in Germany.	The second common misconception is that people assume soldiers must have a strong opinion on the politics of the current conflicts and be keen to share it with everyone. I’m sure everyone at Norbury has an opinion on Iraq and Afghanistan but please don’t judge soldiers on the rights and wrongs of these conflicts. In today’s society it seems harder and harder to find people who are prepared to serve others, but this is what soldiers are: servants. They voluntarily give themselves up to the service of their country, and if our democratically elected leaders decide to send them to war then it is their sense of duty and service that demands they go and do their best, whatever their own opinion may be. Much of the comment in the newspapers at the moment seems to centre on whether the general public is fully supporting British soldiers. I for one have always felt tremendous support. Whilst in Iraq Dad would often send me letters and emails that finished with We all prayed for you again at Norbury last Sunday…. You can only imagine what a boost these few words gave. British soldiers need your prayers and support now, as they always have done, but let us pray too for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, that they may also find peace. David Broadbent
	Norbury Parish Church, Hazel Grove, Stockport, Cheshire. Telephone: 0161-483 6325

Serving in the Army Today

I remember as a child attending many Remembrance Sunday services at Norbury and the focus was always, quite rightly, on the two World Wars of the last century. People may, perhaps quite reasonably, assume that the two conflicts the British Army finds itself involved in today in the 21st century are vastly different from those of the last. My own thoughts are that they are probably very similar. The technology may be different but the soldiers, I am sure, will not have changed a bit.

When people talk to me about the army they often have the two same, false, pre-conceptions. The first is that soldiers are 'pro-war'. Having spent six months in Iraq myself I can assure you that we are not.

Admittedly, and strange as it may sound, there were some aspects of my time there that I enjoyed - the camaraderie, friendship and complete selflessness that can only exist between soldiers, the excitement of driving a 30 ton tank into Basrah city centre at rush hour for the first time(!), the thought that in some way we might leave Iraq after six months in a better state than when we’d arrived, however small an improvement that may be.

But Basrah is also a city of a million people in the very depths of despair and destitution and I saw some truly saddening sights whilst I was there. The lowest point of our tour was about three weeks before Christmas when Sergeant Jones, a soldier in my regiment whom I had known since I had joined two years previously, was killed by a roadside bomb. He was enormously popular and his loss deeply affected everyone. Even more tragically he left a wife and young son back in Germany.

The second common misconception is that people assume soldiers must have a strong opinion on the politics of the current conflicts and be keen to share it with everyone. I’m sure everyone at Norbury has an opinion on Iraq and Afghanistan but please don’t judge soldiers on the rights and wrongs of these conflicts.

In today’s society it seems harder and harder to find people who are prepared to serve others, but this is what soldiers are: servants. They voluntarily give themselves up to the service of their country, and if our democratically elected leaders decide to send them to war then it is their sense of duty and service that demands they go and do their best, whatever their own opinion may be.

Much of the comment in the newspapers at the moment seems to centre on whether the general public is fully supporting British soldiers. I for one have always felt tremendous support. Whilst in Iraq Dad would often send me letters and emails that finished with We all prayed for you again at Norbury last Sunday…. You can only imagine what a boost these few words gave. British soldiers need your prayers and support now, as they always have done, but let us pray too for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, that they may also find peace.

David Broadbent

Serving in the Army Today

Norbury Parish Church, Hazel Grove, Stockport, Cheshire. Telephone: 0161-483 6325