Canon fodder.

[Gromit]

The remains of dead US troops repatriated from AfghanIstan and Iraq were dumped in a landfill site.

http://www.telegraph....ed-in-a-landfill.html

Grim?

[Gromit]

Apolgies, it should of course have been titled 'Cannon Fodder'.

[Gromit]

Apologies. Apolgies should be Apologies.

I'll get my coat.

[jno]

good grief, I thought this was going to be about Afghans themselves throwing away US bodies. That really seems immensely disrespectful.

[emmie]

army chief says we could have done it better, gawd almighty, can that be any more insensitive.

[daffy654]

I forsee quite a few of the families suing these idiots. There is no way this sort of disrespect can be justified.

[eyethenkyew]

The supreme commander of the military should resign - or be fired.

[starone]

Preferably from a cannon.

[sandyRoe]

Isn't that the president?^^^
The Americans go to great lengths to recover the bodies of their war dead. It's hard to believe this story.

[rojash]

" Officials stressed the practice applied to bone fragments and DNA material and not large body parts."

[jno]

yes, reading to the end (I should do that more often), they said it was only bits that families didn't want. In that case, I'm not sure what else the army would be expected to do.

The business of sawing a marine's arm off to fit in his uniform was a separate and rather more startling case.

[Gromit]

Sorry for the typos earlier.

[jake-the-peg]

The Telegraph has gone downhill!

Lurid claims with an explanation in small print at the end used to be a Daily Mail trick

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....oldiers-landfill.html

A much more in-depth report courtesy of that dreaded Daily Mail.

While in no way condoning this abysmal and insensitive practice, one should say that even in our own NHS hospitals, other disgraceful episodes have taken place, which have been investigated, just as this affair was investigated into.

/// The scandal at Dover Air Force base began after complaints by three whistleblowers - civilians who worked as embalmers or technicians - who sparked an 18-month investigation by the Air Force Inspector General.///

/// A separate probe was carried out by the Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal investigative agency which looks into claims by whistleblowers.///

There have also been mistakes made at Arlington National Cemetery, it seems.

/// An Army and FBI probe is still investigating the outrage at the nation’s most hallowed military graveyard. ///

[anotheoldgit]

Incidentally it was totally insensitive of Gromit to use the headline 'Cannon Fodder'.

These servicemen and women are doing a job that they chose to do, and at times have to do the bidding of their employers, no matter how dangerous it is for them personally.

I wonder if Gromit would still be so disrespectful to them, if for instance they were 'laying their lives on the line', protecting the likes of him?

[jno]

I think Gromit was suggesting that their employers were being disrespectful to them by treating their remains in an undignified fashion - in other words, regarding them as cannon fodder, as many generals throughout the ages have done. You seem to be in agreement on this.

[Answerprancer]

"Incidentally it was totally insensitive of Gromit to use the headline 'Cannon Fodder'"
I disagree, though these brave (misguided ?) individuals have unwittingly signed up to do what they believe is good and proper, one has to question the necessity of this miserable 'conflict' and whether it is actually time to pull out.
I quite like the typo - it accidentally implies 'food for the photographer' - ie. the world needs to see this atrocity.

[anotheoldgit]

jno

No I am not in agreement with how some Command Officers, have conducted their various campaigns, but that is down to their inefficiency in carrying out their job, and no fault of those that are ordered to carry out these incompetent individual's wishes.

This type of thing happens all the time in chivvy street, but with much less fatal results, taking the NHS calamities that have taken place for instance, one would not be so insensitive to call the victims 'Medical Fodder'

No this term 'Cannon Fodder' is banded about too much by some ABers, to somehow belittle our loyal and brave troops, who have no other choice but carry out the wishes of their employers, no matter how insane their wishes are at times.

No, these 'Military Employees' have not the luxury of going onto the streets in protest, neither can they strike, but they do have a job to do, and should therefore get the maximum support from those that it is their job to protect.

[Answerprancer]

"No this term 'Cannon Fodder' is banded about too much by some ABers, to somehow belittle our loyal and brave troops".
That's utter b*llocks you silly old fool ! It's NOT meant to "belittle" the troops, it's aimed at their employers and the government ....obviously.

[anotheoldgit]

Answerprancer

Why do you say "misguided" (with a question mark), and call them "individuals" in such a belittling way? By your very tone it is little wonder that you agree with Gromit's use of the words 'Cannon Fodder'.

Most of those that join the Armed Forces, do not "unwittingly sign up" as you say, they know perfectly well what is involved in carrying out their duties, obviously at the time do not know where or what those duties are.

Now when it comes to Afghanistan which I think you are referring to, then I couldn't agree more, we shouldn't be there, no more than we should be in any other foreign land, protecting their citizens.

Our Military's job should be to protect this country along with it's own citizens.