Sir,
I refer to last Sunday’s article by Jean Christou entitled ‘They’re in the army now’. The situation may not be as bleak as the mothers of the boys who have gone into the National Guard seem to believe. For instance, I don’t think that their boys will have problems with their studies after the military service of two years is over. I had the same concerns when my son went into the NG, but it did not seem to be a problem for the boys I know who did military service. I do not have any research in mind on the subject but when I was at university older students on average seemed to do better.
As to the point of view that two years is too long and not necessary, I think the mothers are missing the point. Their sons are being trained to do a job for two years. Unfortunately, our sons are on the bottom rung of the hierarchy and have to do sentry duty and cleaning. It is not a pleasant prospect I agree but somebody has to do it. There might not be actual fighting now, which is an even worse prospect, but we do face an enemy with tens of thousands of soldiers in Cyprus along a line of many kilometres, who are organised to attack with quite short notice. The NG is spread very thinly.
Serving in the NG is not a happy prospect for most of us, but let’s not make the situation worse than it actually is. After all, the national guardsmen are allowed mobiles now, and the facilities have improved. I believe if you asked the military, not just in Cyprus, they would explain that garrison duty is one of the most boring and soul destroying of tasks.
George Kamperis, Engomi, Nicosia
Sir,
Every National Guardsman that I have ever spoken to, including my two sons, agree that the army is a waste of time. Although there are lots of down sides to the army in Cyprus there are also pluses which parents will realise at a later date. The army gives these boys confidence, and most of them, coming from a very closeted background, learn to stand on their own two feet and are usually psychologically well prepared once they leave the island to study abroad. They also learn to take responsibility and they come into contact with people from all walks of life who they would not normally have the opportunity to do. They also learn a certain sense of discipline.
I have to disagree with one of the mothers quoted on the point of patriotism. The children in Cyprus are instilled with such a sense from primary school (I remember my six-year-old coming home with a picture of Grivas, for example). I am a foreign mother and both my sons identify absolutely with Cyprus and feel 100 per cent Greek. The army also gives them a sense of belonging.
The downside of course is the sentry duty, the lack of exercise, the bad food, continual financial funding by parents etc., etc. There are many improvements that the National Guard can make but some of the problems stem from lack of numbers, which is why the service is 25 months and not less. There simply are not enough boys to do the job.
All I am saying is don’t continually harp on about the many disadvantages of the army. It’s there, and they have to do it, instead try and give a positive attitude to your children so that they can cope better. Personally, as a mother, I feel a lot happier that my 20-year-old son is going off to UK to study after two years in the army rather than as a shy, insecure 18-year-old.
A Nicolaou, Limassol
Sir,
Your article last Sunday reflecting the views of mothers saying farewell to their sons joining the army for two years National Guard training raised many serious questions.
Some of the young men and their parents clearly wonder what is the point of such military conscription on an island of the size and population of Cyprus.
If the purpose is to defend the southern part of the island from any future Turkish aggression, such a defence force would be as pointless and futile in 2005 as it was in 1974.
Would not a vast amount of money be saved by scrapping the National Guard and by replacing it with a fully regular and much smaller Defence Force or Paramilitary Police force? Such a force could bolster the overstretched Police as well as defending all the borders of Cyprus from illegal immigrants, drug runners and others who are hell bent on destroying the fabric of the society.
Any analyst will realise that Turkey is unlikely to invade Cyprus again. The present National Guard would be no deterrent even if Turkey had such intentions, which are highly unlikely at a time when it wishes to join Europe.
Switzerland long ago realised that it could not afford either the cost or the manpower to defend such a small country against the might of others. It declared its neutrality as well as setting up a highly effective small but fully professional border defence force. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learnt there.
Possibly our politicians should be thinking the unthinkable and scrapping the National Guard. Such a decision would thus allow young Cypriot men to make a real contribution to the development of the country at a crucial time in their lives, with their brains, instead of wasting two years playing at soldiers in the mountains.
John Russell, Ayios Therapon, Limassol
