Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief.....

[Joe Shearer]

Here is a question posted on an open forum.

"Are Armed Forces personnel doing a favour to Indians by serving in armed forces or are they doing their job for which they are trained and paid for?"

And also read the best answer posted by a serving officer. A real officer and a gentleman in every sense.

I am an officer in the armed forces and I am being paid 60k to protect this nation's borders. I was trained for 4 years in an academy where you as a tax payer spent Rs 1000 a week for my food and my daily clothing. I trained in an academy where I made great friends, learnt a whole new perspective about myself. I could do that because I had some amazing people to train me who are all common folks like you, a waiter would fill my glass, an orderly would laundry my clothes and frankly without these people life would have been hell for me.

Whenever I walk in my uniform outside people look at me with respect and gratitude but what they don't know is that it is me who is filled with gratitude for them. Citizens of this nation define my purpose in life. I can't raise my opinion about most matters in public because my profession demands me to stay away from all matters political even if they concern me and it's the people of this nation who raise their voice for me.

Please don't be indebted to me. I am indebted to you for your unconditional love and support. You pay me to do my job and you can be proud of me if you want, but don't feel indebted. You owe me nothing. A sweeper cleaning the roads of this nation to a truck driver braving Himalayan chills everyone do their part to drive this country forward. Please stop for a moment and feel proud for them too.

I am not a hero. I haven't even seen combat still but I can say what every soldier feels when someone calls them a hero. To the Indian soldier the heroes are the ones who never returned, who fought and died for a cause dear to their heart. Patriotism isn't our monopoly and your pride in us certainly isn't. Please be proud of the farmer on whose food this army marches, please feel proud of the doctors who work day and night to save lives, please feel proud of the sportsmen who are making this nation proud at world stage and at last please feel proud of yourself for it was your money which trained me to what I am today. Thanks.

 

[doppelganger]

It takes a special sort of man to volunteer for the Armed Forces. Especially in the sub-continent, where death is never far away even in so-called "peace" time.

I realize that in a war every able bodied man can and might be conscripted for the defense of the motherland.

But to be volunteering to do that on your own earns my respect and admiration completely.

Yes its a job and a salary is paid. Yes, as a doctor I do my bit for my countrymen too. But one would need to be very stupid or very transactional to be able to put that down to just money terms.

Jai Hind. Jai Jawan.

 

[MilSpec]

Here is a question posted on an open forum.

"Are Armed Forces personnel doing a favour to Indians by serving in armed forces or are they doing their job for which they are trained and paid for?"

And also read the best answer posted by a serving officer. A real officer and a gentleman in every sense.

I am an officer in the armed forces and I am being paid 60k to protect this nation's borders. I was trained for 4 years in an academy where you as a tax payer spent Rs 1000 a week for my food and my daily clothing. I trained in an academy where I made great friends, learnt a whole new perspective about myself. I could do that because I had some amazing people to train me who are all common folks like you, a waiter would fill my glass, an orderly would laundry my clothes and frankly without these people life would have been hell for me.

Whenever I walk in my uniform outside people look at me with respect and gratitude but what they don't know is that it is me who is filled with gratitude for them. Citizens of this nation define my purpose in life. I can't raise my opinion about most matters in public because my profession demands me to stay away from all matters political even if they concern me and it's the people of this nation who raise their voice for me.

Please don't be indebted to me. I am indebted to you for your unconditional love and support. You pay me to do my job and you can be proud of me if you want, but don't feel indebted. You owe me nothing. A sweeper cleaning the roads of this nation to a truck driver braving Himalayan chills everyone do their part to drive this country forward. Please stop for a moment and feel proud for them too.

I am not a hero. I haven't even seen combat still but I can say what every soldier feels when someone calls them a hero. To the Indian soldier the heroes are the ones who never returned, who fought and died for a cause dear to their heart. Patriotism isn't our monopoly and your pride in us certainly isn't. Please be proud of the farmer on whose food this army marches, please feel proud of the doctors who work day and night to save lives, please feel proud of the sportsmen who are making this nation proud at world stage and at last please feel proud of yourself for it was your money which trained me to what I am today. Thanks.

Armed forces are a special breed, and yes I do feel indebted to these. The Serving officer in his narrative is being humble and un-ostentatiously modest.

The citizens of this nation built the country, everyone who serves the nation, the teachers the doctors, the administrators, the engineers , the farmers, the sweepers and law enforcement have their roles towards towards serving the society, all citizens are indebted to them.

Armed forces though are special in one regard, they are the first in the line of fire to protect our liberties. Bravery in the face of overwhelming odds is always respected, and these guys show that over and over again. The respect for the armed forces in the country is not a given, but was earned through their sacrifices over and over in peace and war time. If anything the modesty of the officer's words garners more respect and admiration for his clan.

 

[VCheng]

Armed forces though are special in one regard, they are the first in the line of fire to protect our liberties. Bravery in the face of overwhelming odds is always respected, and these guys show that over and over again. The respect for the armed forces in the country is not a given, but was earned through their sacrifices over and over in peace and war time. If anything the modesty of the officer's words garners more respect and admiration for his clan.

As long as they themselves follow the law. Claiming a higher calling as the reason to act illegally is always a losing game.