The hidden cost of the Afghanistan war (Pt 2): Coming home
The Story
The Times
3.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 18 January 2022
⏱️ 35 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today's episode contains strong language, discussions of suicide, and descriptions of violence in war that some listeners might find distressing.
The second of a two-part investigation into the impact of the Afghanistan war for British troops. 55 soldiers from one regiment died in the campaign — 22 took their own lives back home. Why have so many suffered? War correspondent Anthony Loyd talks to members of 2 Rifles.
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Guest: Anthony Loyd, Foreign Correspondent, The Times.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Clips: British Army.
If you've been affected by any of the issues discussed in today's episode, the following helplines can provide support:
Always A Rifleman: 0800 470 0941
Combat Stress helpline: 0800 138 1619 or text: 07537 173 683
PTSD Resolution: 0300 302 0551
SSAFA - the Armed Forces Charity helpline: 0800 260 6767
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Transcript
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| 0:24.3 | People's postcode lottery manage lottery on behalf of good causes, 18-plus conditions apply, |
| 0:28.1 | and play responsibly not available in Northern Ireland. |
| 0:32.4 | Before we start, a warning. |
| 0:35.5 | Today's episode contains strong language, discussions about suicide, |
| 0:41.8 | and descriptions of violence in war that some listeners might find distressing. |
| 0:54.1 | Yesterday, in part 1. |
| 0:56.9 | You would live in a pretty perpetual state of stress. |
| 1:00.2 | You wouldn't have any sense of ground gained. |
| 1:02.5 | You wouldn't have any sense of winning? None. |
| 1:06.6 | We heard about the traumas endured by the two rifles in Afghanistan in the summer of 2009. |
| 1:15.5 | I just remember the idea going off in the young year and I just thought, |
| 1:18.5 | fuck here we go. |
| 1:19.9 | Who was injured? Who was dead? |
| 1:21.6 | Dast ever, there's noise everywhere. |
| 1:23.5 | I can still remember the last post has played. |
... |
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