How many military bubbas here?

[Chas]

Hi Larry,

I probably haven't explained myself properly. In the British forces, there have always been the 'Camp Followers'. A man could get his hair cut by someone in his section or he went to the camp barber - a civilian. When he went to the NAAFI (BX) for his toothpaste or deodorant he is served by civilians. When the tea wagon comes round, it might be WRVS ladies or Red Cross or NAAFI again, but definitely civilians. Mealtimes - 1000+ personnel at a serving is a lot of plates and pots to wash, again done by civilians. Going off camp, the bus driver is a civilian - staying on, the person who serves the beer in the NAAFI bar is a civilian. The people who cut the acres and acres of grass on our airfields are civilians, just like the people who fix our plumbing and electrics and the the leaky roofs in the barracks.

And what about the wives, the sisters, the brothers, the mothers, the fathers, for the most part civilians who hope and pray on a daily basis that we will come home safe - or at least that we will come home. Is there any serviceman so hard hearted that he didn't cherish a letter from home?

These are the people I am talking about, the dozens or maybe hundreds of civilians who, on a daily basis make the job of the serving man just that little bit easier.

I stand by what I originally said "They also serve, who stand and wait".

Regards

Chas

[Larry124]

Hi Larry,

I probably haven't explained myself properly. In the British forces, there have always been the 'Camp Followers'. A man could get his hair cut by someone in his section or he went to the camp barber - a civilian. When he went to the NAAFI (BX) for his toothpaste or deodorant he is served by civilians. When the tea wagon comes round, it might be WRVS ladies or Red Cross or NAAFI again, but definitely civilians. Mealtimes - 1000+ personnel at a serving is a lot of plates and pots to wash, again done by civilians. Going off camp, the bus driver is a civilian - staying on, the person who serves the beer in the NAAFI bar is a civilian. The people who cut the acres and acres of grass on our airfields are civilians, just like the people who fix our plumbing and electrics and the the leaky roofs in the barracks.

And what about the wives, the sisters, the brothers, the mothers, the fathers, for the most part civilians who hope and pray on a daily basis that we will come home safe - or at least that we will come home. Is there any serviceman so hard hearted that he didn't cherish a letter from home?

These are the people I am talking about, the dozens or maybe hundreds of civilians who, on a daily basis make the job of the serving man just that little bit easier.

I stand by what I originally said "They also serve, who stand and wait".

Regards

Chas

Thank you. You are a gentleman.
It was not your post that prompted mine, but rather the poll choices.
I very much admire and respect those who served in armed services.
I made my career in the civil service, and on behalf of those who choose to serve their nation in unarmed service, I didn't like the limited "beyond control" or "why serve?" choices.