"Our Boys" (no relatives for me, but a couple of friends) shouldn't be sent anywhere unless they're properly equipped. Least of all on the offensive. But they have been, and we're stuck trying to make the best of a bad situation. One in particular, for years used to be proud of his role "defending the nation", doing UN stuff, seeing the world, representing his country, and I was glad there were men like him out there. The last few years he has become more and more disillusioned. Now he makes gloomy jokes about "defending the oil".