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Aussies are being sent home from the Gulf after refusing to take their anthrax vaccines.

The vaccines are voluntary, but you are not allowed to stay on the "front" if you haven't had them.

As such some have been turning them down and are currently being flown back to Australia.

http://www.abc.net.au/am/s782368.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2003/02/item ... 5621_1.htm

Kudos to the Australian Navy for respecting the rights of those sailors to not be injected with a vaccine that has a dubious history.

All is not lost.

VIVE IMPERIUM AUSTRALIS!

That's pretty sad. What's next, is the Australian air force gonna let their airmen out if they're afraid of air travel?

Wicked Pilot wrote:That's pretty sad. What's next, is the Australian air force gonna let their airmen out if they're afraid of air travel?

Why is it sad. The Australian military from lowliest grunt to the highest brass is against a war on Iraq without UN backing. So this happening and the military letting it happen, let alone letting the media learn of it is not entirely surprising.

What isn't surprising is the Howard government spitting chips and trying to brow-beat the military the moment they heard news of it...

Eh. Not like Australia is needed, anyway.

HemlockGrey wrote:Eh. Not like Australia is needed, anyway.

You'll be missing our SAS blokes if they decide to exploit the loophole. They've proved themselves more than handy in Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq before.

We still have Britian, the modern-day American protectorate.

HemlockGrey wrote:We still have Britian, the modern-day American protectorate.

Yeah, but their special forces are too busy writing books to be of any real combat value.

weemadando wrote:

HemlockGrey wrote:Eh. Not like Australia is needed, anyway.

You'll be missing our SAS blokes if they decide to exploit the loophole. They've proved themselves more than handy in Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq before.

Frankly our special forces can take care of what's needed. This is likely to be a much more conventional wars any way so if you Aussies want to run scared then we'll wave bye bye and go kick Saddam's ass.

weemadando wrote:

HemlockGrey wrote:We still have Britian, the modern-day American protectorate.

Yeah, but their special forces are too busy writing books to be of any real combat value.

Ahem, the British SAS are always active, remember who trained you guys. The US also have their fair share of spec-ops, but at least Australia is making some sort of stand.

I don't get it. Are you trying to say we need Australia but at the same time you are glad that they've found a loophole to avoid service?

Wicked Pilot wrote:That's pretty sad. What's next, is the Australian air force gonna let their airmen out if they're afraid of air travel?

Why would someone who was afraid of air travel sign on as an airman?

Gandalf wrote:

Wicked Pilot wrote:That's pretty sad. What's next, is the Australian air force gonna let their airmen out if they're afraid of air travel?

Why would someone who was afraid of air travel sign on as an airman?

Beause they dont want to be deployed to a combat zone. Its not about really being afraid. Of flying that is.

Austrailia shouldn't be there, not because the US and Britain don't need/want them, they're good fighters but Austrailia needs to get the whole John howard thing under control and figure out what they're gonna do.

TrailerParkJawa wrote:

Gandalf wrote:

Wicked Pilot wrote:That's pretty sad. What's next, is the Australian air force gonna let their airmen out if they're afraid of air travel?

Why would someone who was afraid of air travel sign on as an airman?

Beause they dont want to be deployed to a combat zone. Its not about really being afraid. Of flying that is.

I know you're being sarcastic here, but thats still a stupid example. Try 'EnemyMigoPhobia'

Darth Fanboy wrote:Austrailia shouldn't be there, not because the US and Britain don't need/want them, they're good fighters but Austrailia needs to get the whole John howard thing under control and figure out what they're gonna do.

First problem here is getting Howard out from under Bush's desk.

Stuart Mackey wrote:

Darth Fanboy wrote:Austrailia shouldn't be there, not because the US and Britain don't need/want them, they're good fighters but Austrailia needs to get the whole John howard thing under control and figure out what they're gonna do.

First problem here is getting Howard out from under Bush's desk.

I miss the days when it was just Monica Lewinsky under there, days of innocence, sort of.

weemadando wrote:Why is it sad. The Australian military from lowliest grunt to the highest brass is against a war on Iraq without UN backing.

I understand your beef with the president sending over your military without parliament approval, but the military should answer to the civilian government, regardless of if they like their orders or not.

Furthermore, refusing to take a vaccine is no different than refusing to wear a helmet into combat. Those who don't obey orders need to be court marshalled, not simply sent off the front line.

Wicked Pilot wrote:

weemadando wrote:Why is it sad. The Australian military from lowliest grunt to the highest brass is against a war on Iraq without UN backing.

I understand your beef with the president sending over your military without parliament approval, but the military should answer to the civilian government, regardless of if they like their orders or not.

Furthermore, refusing to take a vaccine is no different than refusing to wear a helmet into combat. Those who don't obey orders need to be court marshalled, not simply sent off the front line.

Umm its was not an order to take the vaccine, the sailors were asked to sign a CONSENT to declare whether or not they consent to being innnoculated. You don't get a consent form for wearing a helmet.

And you shouldn't get a consent form for taking a vaccine, either. If you sign up to be a soldier, you should be prepared to do what the job entails.

HemlockGrey wrote:And you shouldn't get a consent form for taking a vaccine, either. If you sign up to be a soldier, you should be prepared to do what the job entails.

How about if they say it is crucial to the mission that they cut off your arms?

Face it, some things require consent and taking a vaccine with a dubious history is one of those out of respect for a fellow sailor.

How about if they say it is crucial to the mission that they cut off your arms?

If you must lose two arms for the sake of the mission, you'll lose the bloody arms and be happy they left your legs!

HemlockGrey wrote:

How about if they say it is crucial to the mission that they cut off your arms?

If you must lose two arms for the sake of the mission, you'll lose the bloody arms and be happy they left your legs!

You know I'm glad that you're not in charge of anything in the military

You aren't are you?

No, but if I ever am, and I give an order, I expect the grunt to follow the damn order or wind up in court-martial.

There's a reason they call them orders.