Soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment on Parade, from MOD archive
Two weeks ago, I received a message on Twitter asking me to look at the experiences of British military veterans in Northern Ireland. It’s a vast topic, one I found difficult to narrow down, as the more I talked to people, the more I discovered about identity, issues, and policy. Some of what I discovered was predictable, some was not.
What follows is part one of a three part series. I wanted to start with the personal stories of those who stand to benefit or suffer from future Assembly decisions before delving into policy and the politics of the British army in Northern Ireland. So here below is a conversation with a Royal Irish Ranger who I will call Stephen, though this is not his real name. I get the feeling his story will resonate with other veterans living in Northern Ireland. The next post will be a profile piece with veteran services campaigner Andy Allen.
Read the rest at Slugger O’Toole!
