More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
by James Woodcock, student at the University of Kent centre for journalism
More than 100 of Britain’s bravest serving soldiers were recently commended in the Operational Honours and Awards List.
In the long list of gallant servicemen and women, is Kent-based Dipprasad Pun, 31 from Ashford (pictured above). He reportedly fended off a dozen Taliban insurgents single-handedly.
Despite their courage when serving, Kent soldiers complain they are being left to suffer when they leave the forces. Families also struggle when their loved ones are away.
Serving soldiers have said that they look forward to the action of war. Despite the support and enjoyment, some serving soldiers may soon find themselves jobless.
Around 11,000 nationwide are facing redundancy under current plans. Redundancies would put more pressure on people with already hard lives.
Ex-soldiers claim to suffer as they have no introduction to civilian life. Relationships are lost, as ex-soldiers sometimes take their pain out on partners. Some are turning to alcohol, drugs, and others end up sleeping on the streets. One said that he was considering going back to the Army, because of difficulty adjusting to civilian life.
Kent at War tells the stories of Kent soldiers, and families of Kent soldiers, who are affected by war.
Ex-soldier Wayne, 33, (pictured above) describes the kind of trauma that modern warfare is putting our troops through. He has seen action in Iraq and Afghanistan.
When asked to recall events that he experienced in Iraq, he could only remember a "horrific fuzzy blur".
He describes soldiers coming home an "utter mess".
"That old image of a tin-hatted Tommy coming back from the Second World War with a stiff upper lip doesn’t apply to nowadays because things are a lot softer than back then," he says.
"A lot of these guys can’t cope and now they’re out there, heads all messed up, getting in trouble, getting themselves drunk every night. Drugs, everything, it’s all going wrong for some of the guys," he added.
Tom Eastwood, (pictured below) who has worked at the Glentworth Club in Dartford, is one of Kent’s heroes.
In the past, he has been in the marines, the Metropolitan Police, and has protected world famous VIPs, including Sir David Frost.
He left the armed forces just before the Falklands war started. In Kent at War, he comments on what it is like to take a life. Something that is the same now as it was then.
"I’ve had to do that. It’s not a good feeling. It’s not excitement, it’s what you’re trained for."
Tom seems to feel that what he has done has been justified. Justification is one thing that some soldiers struggle with, making the memories of their experiences harder.
"It doesn’t come as a surprise, it’s a reaction. It’s a natural reaction. At the end of the day you just think it’s him or me and I’m still here, still breathing," he says.
For serving soldiers, their families bear the brunt of the pain behind closed doors. Lesley recently had her daughter in Afghanistan with her fiance.
"It was the most awful feeling ever," she says.
To comfort herself, Lesley (below) said she imagined her daughter wrapped up in a padded cell, away from the action. She also described how Ross Kemp in Afghanistan helped her to imagine where her daughter was, and what she was doing.
Her other daughter Danielle also spoke of what it is like being a family member of a soldier.
"I found remembrance day that year really hard and emotional," she says.
"It was a huge reminder because they suddenly do it from modern soldier’s point of view. I found it very difficult because it was a true reflection of the kind of injuries they could come back with."
Danielle speaks of having religiously watched the news channels.
David Neenan, 49, of Walderslade, had two sons, Ray and Darren, in Afghanistan. Ray was Darren’s boss, and together they worked on Apache helicopters in Camp Bastion.
The older brother, Ray, had already been on tours of duty. Darren, the "baby" of the family, had not. David says that Darren spoke of having "grown up" after seeing certain things.
Jamie Croucher, 17, from Gravesend, has recently been recruited by the Army and is soon to begin his training. He says he anticipates the shock of war. However, he is ultimately looking forward proving himself.
For full stories, visit Kent at War.
About James Woodcock
A 20-year-old student journalist, James is soon to graduate from the University of Kent.
He's spent the past three years studying on the innovative Journalism and the News Industry course, which also prepares students for the industry exams (NCTJ).
James has lived in Kent all his life, in the Longfield area - after graduating in the class of 2008 at Gravesend Grammar School.
