Ian, they’re probably doing a damn sight more for the country than you and me.

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I tend to agree with Ian on this one, I think the point he is trying to get across is that everyone is being tarred with the same brush regardless of what they do,I have little doubt that they have been carrying out duties on behalf of the nation but does that make them heroes? Heroes tend to be presented with the VC, GC or similar, who knows in future weeks we may see one or more of them get such a gong.
I suspect in Mondays edition further heroes will be announced but this time it will likely be a STFC player who has scored a last minute goal.

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Mark said; Ian, they’re probably doing a damn sight more for the country than you and me – Having done time in the armed services and over 30yrs with the emergency services, I think I’ve seen plenty of heroic actions, all I’m doing is questioning the use of the word ‘hero’ by the media. It does not leave many superlatives to use when a person has carried out an heroic act, and let us remember there have been plenty of staff out in Afghanistan who’s only contact with outside Camp Bastion is to look at the sky.

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I appreciate your point Ian but you still seem to be attacking them for being commended for their actions. The media don’t go into detail about what they have been doing, but neither do the soldiers.
You don’t go into detail about your time in the armed forces, but I would expect somebody with experience of tours of duty to appreciate that they aren’t a walk in the park, especially not in Afghanistan.
Maybe you’re feeling that because this was a company of TA soldiers, that their duties were in someway light or ‘safe’ which couldn’t be further from the truth if that was the case.
Is it a feat of courage to switch from your regular factory work or bus driving job to go and put your life on the line with the very real chance that you might not come back to your family? Personally I think so and thats why every one of these guys and girls is a hero.

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I find myself in agreement with Simon and Ian here. whatever one’s stance on the war, and whether or not it is to the benefit of the UK, it is still reasonable to support the troops, and wish them a safe return. It is also perfectly reaonable to commend them for the work that they do in building communities in these strife torn places.

But does that make them all heroes? I think not. It’s very important that we make a disctinction between people who do a good and commendable job, and those who act in a genuinely heroic way.

A couple of examples by way of illustration:
Example 1. Kate Nesbitt, the young medic who risked her life to save a colleague under a hail of bullets. It would have been perfectly reaonable of her not to have done that – that level of risk was not expected of her as part of her duties – but nevertheless, she did it. A heroine? Certainly.

Example 2. Peter Moore, the IT consultant kidnapped in Iraq. He is still held and his fate is unknown. No uniform or gun for him, but like many of the unfortunate victims of roadside bommbs and sniper’s bullets, he has found himself the victim of working in a dangerous and unpredictable environment. Is he a hero? I would say not. Does he deserve our sympathy? Of course.

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