Dear, oh, dear. Jack Todd (Letters, April 23) is playing the "our boys" card again.

Has he ever considered that "our boys" (don't forget "our girls", Mr Todd) are paid professionals?

The two world wars of the previous century were so shockingly tragic because people were forced into service both at home and abroad.

At the time of the Second World War, there was an imperative to defend our country. In the case of the Iraq conflict, this is obviously not the case so Mr Todd's comparison is, at best, flawed.

I think soldiers become "our boys" when they go to war as a last resort rather than on a witch-hunt.

-Kevin Bence, Brighton