Falklands...2012!!!

[Centurion40]

My God I feel old.  I graduated high school (I was 18) in 1982 when these photos were taken:








It's like looking at photos from WWII when I was a kid!!!

[bayonetbrant]

My God I feel old.  I graduated high school (I was 18) in 1982 when these photos were taken

Dogpile on 40Cent! 

I was 9

[Shelldrake]

Heh...I have you beat 40Cent. I was in graduate school at the time and can still remember news clips of Argentinian jets making bombing runs on RN destroyers and amphibious ships at San Carlos.

[bayonetbrant]

[Centurion40]

I joined the West Nova Scotia Regiment (army reserves) at 16 (in Grade 10), in January 1980 and was humping in the muck with my FN, similar to the Brits pictured.  I got out in October 1981, shortly after beginning Grade 12 to concentrate on my studies, as the life of a grunt did not appeal to me.  The whole Falklands War freaked me out, as I identified with the possibility of being in the trenches.

It got surreal as a squadron of Vulcans was spotted flying high over my town on their way south.

[Centurion40]

My God I feel old.  I graduated high school (I was 18) in 1982 when these photos were taken

Dogpile on 40Cent! 

I was 9

LOL!  I'm "Man of the Hour"!!!  :-\

[LongBlade]

You're a year older than me, Cent.

[Jarhead0331]

I joined the West Nova Scotia Regiment (army reserves) at 16 (in Grade 10), in January 1980 and was humping in the muck with my FN, similar to the Brits pictured.  I got out in October 1981, shortly after beginning Grade 12 to concentrate on my studies, as the life of a grunt did not appeal to me.  The whole Falklands War freaked me out, as I identified with the possibility of being in the trenches.

It got surreal as a squadron of Vulcans was spotted flying high over my town on their way south.

You can legally serve in the army at the age of 16 in Canada?

[Centurion40]

I joined the West Nova Scotia Regiment (army reserves) at 16 (in Grade 10), in January 1980 and was humping in the muck with my FN, similar to the Brits pictured.  I got out in October 1981, shortly after beginning Grade 12 to concentrate on my studies, as the life of a grunt did not appeal to me.  The whole Falklands War freaked me out, as I identified with the possibility of being in the trenches.

It got surreal as a squadron of Vulcans was spotted flying high over my town on their way south.

You can legally serve in the army at the age of 16 in Canada?

Yes, if your parents sign-off and if you begin service in your 17th year of life.  I turned 16 in November 1979; I was sworn-into the CF reserve January 1980.  I was 16 and 2 months old.  Far too young, in hindsight.  I was the 2nd youngest guy in my Basic course.  The youngest, a friend of mine, was born in December.

[Shelldrake]

I also joined the CF Reserves (Militia) at the tender age of 16. As I recall, it was not unusual for recruits who were too young to lie about their age in order to join up. 

[son_of_montfort]

My God I feel old.  I graduated high school (I was 18) in 1982 when these photos were taken

Dogpile on 40Cent! 

I was 9

Pile on Brant!

I was 3!

Interesting about starting the military when you are 16 in Canada. A lot of US kids wanted to (and did, during war time), but AFAIK it is has been 18 since the modern age.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Seems like its an almost exact repeat of the circumstances that let to the conflict in '82.  A lagging economy on the mainland causing the Argentinian government to waive the "Las Malvinas" flag in order to bolster support and distract away from the poor economic situation.

That would be a bullseye.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

From my perspective, this sums it up nicely:

"The people of the Falkland Islands are British out of choice," the British Foreign Office said in a statement. "They are free to determine their own future, and there will be no negotiations with Argentina on sovereignty unless the Islanders wish it."

I really don't think that we're in for a repeat of 1982.  Argentina is not a military dictatorship today.

The area is now seen as a way to prosperity through natural resources. Even if there isn't oil, the easy win, extending sovereignty over a massive continental shelf when food prices are rising is a very big deal. People will fight over securing food for future populations.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Look at it on google earth. If they can extend exclusive fishing rights out around the sandwiches (lol) as well they can sell surpluses of food for cash.

UK should be developing the fishery for sale of food to the EU.

[son_of_montfort]

I don't know about the Falklands, but I want to say that GIF would be a great teaching tool for how the longbow was the medieval equivalent of the machine gun.