Citizen comment: Let's find this soldier a home now

“Absolutely well said. The opening line to this article - "ALL soldier Johnathan Leach wants is a home for himself and his family", well the solution is look at the housing list in the paper for rental, go and view and bingo! A home for himself and his family. Job done!

Next problem..........

Oh not perfect, should we all save up and buy him a house because in 40 years time we will still be expected to let him off with everything, after all he was prepared to die for us and willing to give his life for Me!!

I absolutely agree, druggies and alchies should not jump the queue infront him but they should not jump the queue infront of anybody.”

“no house till he has the points being a bugler in army does not give the right to jump list nor to have the automatic right to a home to ???maney think hy i have an idea i willl use my job to get houseing and for this lad to attemp to use his for sympathy vote is out of order ??so he was in army yes i know i tought lads like him how to live and survive publicity is not the way to gain houseing nor posting on facebook local papers have hundreds homes to rent try them”

“I do get the point that he is put behind drug addicts etc for help but so am I! We all are, criminals are at the front of the queue all too often and that I deplore this. It is not good at all.

He should not be behind drug addicts but then neither should anyone.”

“honslknjklyt

I think that you are missing the point. Here is a story about a young fella who has 'put alot in' to society and when he needs to turn for help he is told that he is at the back of the queue, behind druggies and soaks.
Had he been told that his case was to be treated alongside these sorts then he may be less agrieved, but he isn't, he is further down the chain than them.
I dont find that acceptable.
Incidentally, folks in the forces tend not to agree with the 'hero' label. H4H was set up and thus named by civilians.”

“Anyone would think these armed forces staff were there voluntarily. There are many people in their fourties and fifties stuck in private accomodation and being decent people if given their 4 weeks notice to leave would simply have to go.

Stuck in private rent, not on high wages, no "hero" support, and yet are a part of the cog in the wheel that makes the country go round.

They take their money, they make their choice. Since help for heroes as been set up, my support for the armed forces has waned. I find it sickening that someone gets called a hero just by the job they have chosen.”

“@ SHorternews- Yes people such as nurses/ firemen/ police officers/ paramedics etc should be placed higher that drug addicts and alcoholics, you're quite right.
Servicemen, coppers and firemen may/ are required to put themselves in danger from time to time.
Servicemen/ servicewomen are unique in that they are regularly moved around the world and the country.
The waste collection operative is an employee of a private company these days and is not required to put his or her life in danger.
The guy who runs the corner shop is not a public servant and works for profit.
You're quite right that being a serviceman is a choice, but so is being a junkie...
The distinction is clear to me and no doubt many others.”

“What about nurses?
What about firemen?
Doctors?
Paramedics?
Police?
Binmen?
The guy in the local corner shop?

Do they not all make our lives better?

To be a soldier is a noble choice. But a choice nonetheless. Let's help this young man and his family. But no more than any other person in need. Their career is irrelevant.

Everyone is worthy of somewhere to call home.”

“There are many Armed Forces personnel who during their careers live in accomodation provided by the Armed Forces (Married Quarters or Single Service Accomodation,many of which are sub-standard but that's a whole different topic if conversation).

When such things as redundancies are announced, the personnel selected get 12 months or less to try and sort out alternative arrangements for things like places to live and re-intergration into civillian life.

Personnel who at the age of 18 or later signed a contract to serve their country for 22 years, a contract that is now being terminated by the goverment, have not yet had the time to save for housing deposits, not many of them would be able to get a mortgage as their basic salary would be considered insufficient to be granted a mortgage (this would also include redundancy packages).

All this chap wants to do is find a house/flat for him and his young family to live in. He is a man who has most likely given 11 years continuous service to the Armed Forces, deployed in some really god forsaken places, through no choice of his own he is losing his job, career and home, why shouldn't he go to the top of the housing list, he has served this country, he has contributed to this country. The Armed Forces Covenant was created to avoid such situatons as Rifleman Leach is now facing, obviously if he has been told he doesn't qualify for a home above drug addicts and the such the Covenant is not worth the paper it is written on (well now there's a shock)

The majority of this country supports members of the Armed Forces and the selfless work they do both at home and overseas, I for one would not begruge this man or any other soon to be ex-member of the Armed Forces a home above others who have given no contribution to this country.”

“What I perhaps should have said is that I absolutely do not agree that druggies and alcoholics should be given priority over anyone else, I find it sickening that they get such mollycoddling for them to repetitively mess up and get mollycoddling all over again at our expense.

I dispute that if people had not fought 100 years ago that I would not have a job - on what do you come to that colnclusion? The people who fought in wars 100 years ago fought for their country, without pensions, without so many things that come with it as now. There were no enquiries each time one dies.

They chose the career they have, they are not out there fighting for me, I do not think that at all. In the recruitment material for those joining the army, there is little in there for "fighting for your country" but much about pensions, much about adventure, team building etc etc. None of these in Afghanistan or anyone else are there in my name. They chose a career and they go were that career takes them.

And I will tell you I have been a long time supporter of the British Legion. A very diginified cause.

I have spent time with soldiers and they can be losers like anyone, I do not accept them as Gods. I think people should be treated on merit.

I admire him for getting a job and the work that has taken to get it, but he also if he is one of the decent ex soldiers have a better chance of getting a job than some and that is to his credit. There is plenty of accommodation in private tenancy available. If it is good enough for everyone else, it is good enough for him.”

“honslknjklyt
You would probably not have a job if it were not for our armed forces over the past 100 years. The point of the article is that druggies and alcoholics are being given priority-the majority of whom would never earn a penny for themselves in their life. Being in the forces is not like any other job. Of course there is the danger of being killed in action, but not just that-these men and women have to see and deal with the most horrific of scenes and of people there are in the world. They sacrifice not just potentially their mortal lives but also their home life. You would probably expect to be able to take paternity leave (assuming youre male) when your children are born. Some men don't even see their children until they are maybe 6 months old. Imagine being absent at Christmas, births, birthdays, deaths, emergencies, and helpless to do anything because you are capturing taliban scum who are trying to blow up parts of the world-maybe even you, honslknjklyt, could have lost your life in a terrorist attack, had they not been doing their job. Imagine having just four weeks in the uk in a year-and that includes working during the week. Most soldiers' marriages break down. Then when they come back from these horrors to the alien world of civilian life and they are faced with remarks such as yours, and the general disrespect many have for their fellow human beings. It is a lot to cope with.
The man in the article has, as the editor says, got himself a job and is doing his best to cope with life and take care of his brave family. He is an example to everybody. They should absolutely get priority, and if you spent maybe even a day with a few soldiers just returned from afghanistan maybe you would understand. They have suffered many cuts and redundancy lately. They need the support of their country, as they have supported us.

In USA soldiers are treated as heros, here some people seem to think it is politically incorrect or potentially offensive to anti-war protestors to support them.
It's about time we were brave enough to fly Union Jacks, avidly support our troops, and sing the national anthem with pride, once again.”