My Tribe - Military Nomad

Tribe: a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognised leader.

‘Tribe’ is an old fashioned word, today we prefer to use ‘community’. I have chosen the word ‘tribe’ deliberately, not because of any reference to colonial over-use but because I feel it refers to a primeval need to belong.

At the GG2 Diversity Conference there were many discussions around the use of language. This quote by Miranda Wayland, BBC Head of Creative Diversity, was one that stood out for me:

‘Language has the power to divide or unite.’

We change the words we use as society changes; words go in and out of fashion or they change meaning so that if you are not up-to-date they can cause offence. This is why I have chosen to define ‘tribe’ at the very start.

Battalion Magazine 2009

If you then define ‘community’ you will find that it is actually the definition of ‘tribe’ but unpacked into smaller areas:

1. A group of people living in the

same place or having a particular characteristic in common. 1.1. A group of people living together and practising common ownership. 1.2 A particular area or place considered together with its inhabitants. 1.3 A body of nations or states unified by common interests. 1.4 (the community) The people of a district or country considered collectively, especially in the context of social values and responsibilities; society. 1.5 (as modifier) Denoting a worker or resource designed to serve the people of a particular area. 2. mass noun The condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common. 2.1 (in singular) A similarity or identity. 2.2 Joint ownership or liability.

That’s the science bit!

I felt it was really important to demonstrate the similarities of the words that have been given an over-layer of historical meaning that actually detracts from what our basic instinct tells us as humans: we need to belong to a tribe / community.

Finding the right community is so important for us to thrive, to find that sense of belonging. My community is in the military: sometimes as a soldier but primarily as a family member. My paternal family have served in the British Armed Forces since the cotton mills closed in Paisley and they were moved south to find financial security.

Being a part of this community goes beyond the definitions and when those who don’t understand my community start to change it then life is unbalanced.

Listening to the speakers at the GG2 Diversity Conference ‘Empower for Change’ I began to think of my own diverse military community and the communities that belong inside the wider umbrella of the term.

The reunions

Just as diversity needs champions, so do communities. In the military many of the decisions about our community are taken by civilians who have not got the lived experience. When you have the lived experience you know the true value of a community that has been forged on the frontline of battlefields - quite literally.

The Crimean War was the last war that wives went with their husbands. In 1854 Captain Hugh Scott, 92nd Gordon Highlanders, wrote to the Secretary of State for War, Sidney Herbert, stating the conditions the wives were living in.

Wendy outside one of her many childhood Army quarters

Their service in supporting the Army was recognised and they were given modern accommodation: a quarter.

This was the Army recognising that the military spouse has a vital role in the wider community of the Armed Forces. This is a community that has evolved and adapted but remains largely misunderstood as people try to equate it to a civilian community.

As the day drew on with the conference I began to wonder which ethnic group I belonged to. Society tells me I am ‘White British’ but what is that for me? I was born in the Middle East, I didn’t live in England until I was 6 years old and have spent 25 years living in Germany (on and off).

This is where belonging to a community that has the same values, wherever I may find myself in the world, is so vital. This is where the strength is: ‘The condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common’ (Definition 2: The Mass Noun)

Just as with all diverse communities we should not aim to make it conform to what suits others to better understand, but rather ‘others’ are invited to value our community for our differences and strengths - to enhance them for a greater good.

So whilst I may not be defined by colour or race, the basis for much of the diversity conversation, I do share that need for belonging, that need for a respect for my community that is different and the desire to make it better understood by a wider audience.