Member's statement: Military Service in Afghanistan: President of the United States

Member's statement by Mr Doug Beattie MC on 26 January 2026.

MLA

Mr Doug Beattie MC

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

26 January 2026

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Military Service in Afghanistan: President of the United States

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5340159

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I did three tours of duty in Afghanistan in the dismounted close combat role. My eyes are not as bright as they once were; my waistline is a little more expansive; and my hearing is not as sharp. Some people wonder why I shout, and that is why. However, I still remember the sights, sounds and smells of Afghanistan. I also remember the taste, because, when you see a body being eviscerated in front of you, the blood hangs in the air like a mist and invades your nostrils, and its coppery taste lands on your tongue. That is not something that you are likely to forget. I served with some of the most fantastic men and women that this country has ever had. They were dedicated, committed and courageous. I served with people from other countries, such as the United States, Canada, Estonia, Poland, Denmark and many others. Their young men fought shoulder to shoulder with me in the incredibly difficult environment that we shared. We shared the hardships and the isolation. Fear was our continuous companion, and we shared that. Sometimes we used dark humour to get through our day, and I fell foul of that — trust me, I know, and I apologise for doing so — but that is how we got through our days.

We patched up our wounded, carried our dead with dignity and did everything that was asked of us on the front line, yet an individual sitting in Mar-a-Lago, 8,000 miles away from the front line that I was standing on, thinks that he can insult the people who fought, died and were injured on that front line. That is absolutely appalling. He cannot get away with it, and he cannot get away with saying that it was just an unfiltered remark. He is the president of the United States, and I am in no doubt that he cares not one jot about somebody like me who stood on that front line and fought with other nations. He has no interest. His attempt to row back on what he said about those whom I served beside in Afghanistan are hollow words. All those people whom I stood beside — Americans, Canadians, Danish people, Estonians and Polish people — gave so much. The United States invoked article 5 of the North Atlantic treaty, which states that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all, and all those nations answered the call. I will say simply this: while the president continues to attack and insult the memory of the nations who gave so much, be that the UK or others, I will never accept it. He needs to give a full apology, and I expect it.

455 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:23 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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