obviously easy for you to say while never having actually experienced what these brave HEROES go through on a daily basis!
You are absolutely right. I haven't experienced what those brave men and women go through on a daily basis however I do have a close family member who is a serving para and has toured Ireland, Afghan and Iraq (several times each) so I do have some understanding of their situation. I know its not all tea and biscuits and so do the soldiers when they sign up, its why they sign up!
[with reference to a firefighter] isnt this just someone doing the job their paid to do also?
Technically no. Believe it or not, a fireman, or woman, is not paid, in the course of their normal expected duties, to put their own lives in clear mortal danger (entering an extremely dangerous burning building for example) for the sake of others, however irrespective of this many still do. To reflect the difference in expected duties a fireman is not paid "danger money"*, unlike a touring soldier.
Part of a firefighters job description:
- attending emergency incidents including: fires...
- rescuing trapped people and animals;
- safeguarding their own and other people's personal safety at all times;
For instance, as far as I am aware every firefighter that went into the WTC towers on 9/11 volunteered or, at the very least, was not ordered to do so. Going into a situation where there is a high probability that they could die was not part of their job description, its was not what they were being paid to do, yet they still chose to do so. They went beyond their duties, forsaking their own personal safety for others. They are indeed heroes.
Compare that with a soldier, being fully aware when they sign up that they can be
ordered into a situation where there is a high probability they may die in the course of their normal duties and are rewarded quite well for doing so. It takes bravery to sign up for that, but certainly not heroism. It takes bravery to sign up for a job knowing full well that a copper back home can be better "tooled up" against a civilian population on a Saturday night than they are against enemy combatants with AKs, GPMGs, RPGs and IEDs (but thats an entirely different discussion!).
* Source: Staffordshire, and Whiltshire, Fire and Rescue Services Website