Military Service Questionnaire

About five years ago, I started to become aware of a very special generation of British Army soldiers. Those who joined up in the late 1980's and then served a full 22 year career, did so during an unprecedented time in history. After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, most of those in the military (author included) wondered, "What's next?" As the perceived threat from Communist Russia seemed to fade away and politicians talked of a 'peace dividend', young men and women just out of school, joined up completely unaware of the uncertain future that awaited them.

In 2012, I wrote a short blog, The Greatest Generation? as I started to become aware of what men that I had known when I was a soldier, had just been through. For the next four years or so, as I wrote The Flag, the idea of writing about soldiers who had served during these turbulent and violent times, started to formulate. Now that I am looking for a new project I can give the idea more attention and see whether I am able to write the kind of book that would do justice to these men and women. 

But before  I can begin to even think about writing I need to collate information from anyone that is willing to talk. To start with, I am asking anyone who wants to be involved in this project to fill in a MILITARY SERVICE QUESTIONNAIRE. This will allow me to quickly see if I have enough information to go forward,  and it will enable me to contact individual participants directly.

Please help spread the word. All information will be treated as strictly confidential; nothing will be used without permission. The only thing I absolutely require you to fill in is your email address (so I can contact you) and your rank and service number (this is to keep the Walts at bay).

I think this story will make a great book; one that I hope will honor this generation of soldiers the way they should be remembered.