British soldier attacks and kills his own baby daughter

The is nothing heroic in jumping on top of a grenade, that would be stupidity.

The is nothing heroic in jumping on top of a grenade, that would be stupidity.

The is nothing heroic in jumping on top of a grenade, that would be stupidity.

Is he one of those "hero" soldiers?

The is nothing heroic in jumping on top of a grenade, that would be stupidity.

LOOOOOOOOL at OP, when you mentioned 'chap'. I bet tax-payer would pay him a right visit and ask if he needs anything else to entertain him.

Sounds to me like he's been seriously damaged by his experiences and has been taught in the army not to show emotion, which means he didn't show emotion in court, and might not have known how to before it was too late. Of course it sounds bad, but you haven't been inside his head to fully understand the situation. I'm not saying it was justifiable, just that we aren't in a position to judge it.

Really? I'd like to know how you made that link. Was the Nigerian guy who beat his nephew to death for wetting the bed a former squaddie? No he wasnt

There are many cases that can't be explained. I don't think any of them can be excused, but it has been suggested that the psychological status of those who commit such crimes without thought are different to the rest of the population in some way, e.g. it's in their genes from ancestors, caused by their upbringing, or is caused by a mutation in their genes.

I think it must have been a documentary a year or two ago that I saw about people who have developed a mental illness because of seeing friends being brutally killed in action. It was a much more widely-known happening during the world wars because so many people were involved in those wars. To the extent that men were excused from serving for having a genuine mental illness. And I know they were much more brutal than what has happened in Afghanistan and Iraq recently, but it doesn't help that the luxury of what we call home these days is a complete contrast to the situation that soldiers face when they're away. We suffer from such little loss and pain in our daily lives compared to previous generations that the situation at war is completely different. Soldiers are separated from their family and friends, may see fellow soldiers brutally killed, and are encouraged not to show emotions. That means they won't admit to feeling the way they do until, in some cases, its too late. It's drilled into them so that they won't let emotion overcome them if they do see someone killed, but some don't know how else to express the emotion, which is when tragedies like this arise.

I've seen friends brutally killed. I never developed PTSD and went around killing kids. Many people I served with, many of whom are still serving have been identified as PTSD don't go around killing kids.

There's been a lot of myths getting banged out about the armed forces. Quite a bit by people with a political agenda to push. The most recent one is that former troops are more likely to commit suicide. That one was debunked a few months ago. Former soldiers actually have a lower risk of suicide than the general public.

The military is just a cross section of society. They behave no different to those members if society. In it you'll find that the majority are great people. But as with every cross section of society, there's some odd balls that do odd things. Because they've worn a uniform, doesn't mean they've got a reason to do bad things.

Soldier/sailor/airman/ fireman/policeman/ teacher/ politician involved in X,y,z reads better in a headline than shelf stacker/office administrator etc.

Then I guess you're pretty lucky. I'm sorry if you feel misjudged or if I've offended you. I based my reasoning on the media, which I know can't always be trusted, but seeing as I have no experience to compare it to, I was led to believe it was true. Is suspect there are some exceptions, however.

Really? You've obviously never been in an environment where acts of selflessness can impact on those around you. It's no different to a fireman risking their lives to save life, or a paramedic putting themselves in harms way.

I'm confident though that you're not happy unless you're sucking from the tit of a welfare state spending other people's money convincing yourself how important you are and how hard done by you are.

This story highlights a thug loosing control. The fact that he is a soldier neither here nor there. Not every soldier who does something bad suffers from PTSD, just like every non soldier who does something wrong can explain their actions away with some excuse.

PTSD is very misunderstood. A large government backed study a few years back tried to look at the link between the military and homelessness and violence. They found that veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan were no more likely to be homeless or violent than service members suffering in peace time such as the Cold War. What it did show was that members if the military were actually less likely to get involved in these acts. It's just that the media always like to say 'soldier' or 'former soldier'

Even if the self-sacrifice results in the direct survival of your colleagues?

1. I run with the hope of survival
2. I give up, jump on a grenade in hope it will save a colleague.

Im taking option 1.

*losing
At the end of the day I would rather be alive and with my family than the person next to me. The difference between jumping on a grenade and a fireman doing his job is that one results in certain death and the other not, for one you are getting paid and the other you are not. I have no idea were you have concluded that I am sucking on the tit of the welfare state, this is a equally idiotic statement from yourself.

Firemen and soldiers both get paid.

Soldiers dont get paid to jump on grenades, soldier ain't getting paid when they are dead.

Then that is not heroic, that is your primeval instinct to protect yourself. That is nothing to be ashamed of, it is completely natural. However, those who choose option 2 have fought against their natural instinct to run, and have taken the decision to risk their life to try and protect another. Selfless sacrifice is heroic. No offence is attended, as I understand why you would take 1, and I would not judge you for doing so. I am merely making the point that 2 is a heroic choice to take. Risking your own life to protect another is an honourable thing to do.