Pubs should welcome our soldiers home
Whether you believe we should be at war in Afghanistan or not, the fact is, we are.
And over the past year, the pub sector has been entangled in its own war of words between so many competing groups, it's hard to see who's fighting who or what they're fighting for.
I think the public are just as confused about why we are still entangled in Afghanistan. We're still there following 9/11, but in greater numbers and with much higher casualties and, like the Pub Wars, there seems no end in sight.
The troops, though, must really know why they're there. We'll probably never understand the bigger picture, but they're probably very aware.
We have to accept we'll never fully get it, but one thing we can get is a feeling of compassion for those doing their job. It's got to be tough, especially when you hear of fatal casualties like that of bomb disposal expert Olaf Schmid, who died defusing the 65th bomb of his recent tour of duty. That's where pubs can do their bit to help.
It's not just about having a poppy tray on your bar any more. Every day young men and women are making similar sacrifices to those in World War I and II. So, like the Victoria pub in Thurston, which has held a whole week of events from Remembrance Sunday, all pubs could bring communities together to help soldiers feel at home and raise much-needed funds.
We'll debate whether a war should be fought at the bar every day and that, without question, should happen. Debate is the real essence of our pubs. They allow freedom of speech and help bring communities together, united in common support of our soldiers, whether we believe in the war or not.
That's why I'm calling on all pubs to do even more for our soldiers. When they arrive home, welcome them and encourage them and their families to visit you and, yes, buy them a pint. When they are gone, celebrate their lives and provide a place for their families and friends to reminisce.
When a battalion returns to base, invite them over with heartfelt thanks. Their suffering, even though they're paid to do a job and it's their choice, is still real suffering and deserves the warm welcome a pub can give.
After all, a survey of military personnel conducted by Greene King in the summer stated that 84% of them, when returning home, thought a visit to their local was extremely important. A pub is not political, it's a public place where our soldiers can feel at home again.
David Elliott is managing director of Greene King Pub Partners
