I normally make it a rule not to get involved in political or religious discussions, however on this I have too. I don't know how many commenting on the case of Soldier F have served in Northern Ireland but I have. Between 1971 and 1980 I conducted 4 tours of duty in NI 2 in South Armagh (Bandit Country), 1 in Londonderry,1 in Belfast. During those tours my Commando Unit suffered 5 killed and over 30 with very serious wounds.
My first tour was just after Bloody Sunday, we had come back from fighting in the Oman Dhofar Rebellion had 10 days leave and were sent to NI as an Operationally Ready Unit, to "assist" in the rising insurgency. As a young 21 year old Officer on the streets dealing with an unknown enemy and potential death at every turn in your own country it was indeed troublesome. The rules of Engagement were very one sided and certainly not on ours, every round was accounted for and every action scrutinized to the nth degree.
When you face a screaming mob of hundreds throwing Molotov Cocktails, rocks, bricks, metal pipes with every intent to harm or kill you, also knowing snipers are in the area your decisions are critical and they better be correct. Any one who says to me these people were not armed is living in a false world deprived of reality.
I can't speak to Soldier F's actions or the others being reviewed, but I do understand what they were probably going through. We are held to higher standards and should be. I have one incident that happened to me where my troop were accused of opening fire. I know we did not fire and I made my statements, there was a full inquiry which took months and I and my men were cross examined on many occasions. A Catholic Priest gave a written affidavit that he had heard and witnessed gunfire from our positions onto innocent civilians (if we had they wouldn't be alive). When counter evidence was presented to the Priest he and others suddenly said it was cars backfiring. The church of course took no action for these blatant lies, where as if that was me I would go to prison.
I could go on but I won't. The effect of these prosecutions is doing untold damage to the armed services moral, recruitment and the message sent to terrorist organizations, which we will all suffer from long term.
A heart felt and chilling perspective, Respect.....
