Keep the military away from school pupils!

Tefal said:
I agree for everyone except me as I couldn't handle the army :o
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Hehe, you probably wouldn't have to do a combat role or even basic training.

You can just do training as an engineer or communications technician or something, and even if you were "in action" during a period of war you'd probably be in a nice office back home in Britain or on a ship if you joined the navy instead of the army. :D
 
Ulfhedjinn said:
For the record I believe the U.K. should adopt national service (even though I'm a leftie). :)
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Whats this leftie talk about?:confused:


We had them come to my school down here, They dont come to grab your names unless you are interested, and if you are they will just send out some leaflets to you.

They mainly come to tell you whats its all about, what they do, all the specific roles in the Army/Navy/Air force and dispel any myths that people have about it.

Its up to you after that if you would like to join or not.

They arnt there bribing or forcing you to join or anything.:)
 
Ulfhedjinn said:
Hehe, you probably wouldn't have to do a combat role or even basic training.

You can just do training as an engineer or communications technician or something, and even if you were "in action" during a period of war you'd probably be in a nice office back home in Britain or on a ship if you joined the navy instead of the army. :D
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You're basic non combat jobs training is soft:p

Every one goes through the 80 day basic training down here IIRC

Then they go train in the field they have chosen to be in.
 
Zip said:
You're basic non combat jobs training is soft:p

Every one goes through the 80 day basic training down here IIRC

Then they go train in the field they have chosen to be in.
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I agree. I wouldn't mind doing basic training as I could use some exercise, lol. :D
 
The N.U.T. nutters need ask themselves whom they'd rather meet up with again 5 - 10 years after they left school.

Johhny the no-hope candidate who drifted into drugs / whatever after leaving school & at best getting a dead end job or, Johhny I've just left the forces.

I know which it would be for me!

The vast majority of todays youth has no respect either self or for their country, the noticable exceptions are in the minority alas.
 
Source - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7311917.stm

Catherine Brennan, a teacher from Croydon, south London, who is presenting the motion, said recruiters use information which does not allow young people to make informed choices.

"They are too young to vote, too young to drink, too young to drive, but they are considered old enough to sign up for years in the armed forces without being fully aware of what they are signing themselves up for in their lives," she said.
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Not only do the careers staff fully inform all potential recruits what is exaclty involved, and carry out a series of interviews and tests they also need parental consent for everyone under the age of 18 who joins up.

I joined the Royal Navy at the age of 16 and during my 6 years of service I've been through the Corinth Canal, seen the Nothern Lights, Seen the Volcano on the Carribean Island Monseratt errupt, been diving in Stingray City off Grand Cayman, sailed through the Suez Canal, taken part in the rememberance day ceremonies in Bermuda. Some of the places I've been include Barbados, Trinidad, Peurto Rico, Anteagua, Tortolla, Anguilla, St Thomas, St Kitts, Italy, Sicily, Eritraea, Greece, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes.

At the age of eighteen and a half I was getting a take home pay of over 1k a month while going to some of the places listed above.

I'll wager Mrs Brennan hasn't been to half the palces I've been, or done half the thing I have in her life, let alone when she was the same age I was. Maybe she should consider there are more jobs in the Armed Forces than an infantry soldier serving in Iraq.
 
When we invite the army/navy/RAF in here, it's for careers fairs that Years 10 and 11 take part in. They provide lots of information, pretty much as Zip outlined, and do a few team-based tasks to help get things across. It's never struck me as a case of recruitment at all.
 
Teki187 said:
Teachers say pupils are not made fully aware of what they are signing up to.
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Everyone I've spoken to in the careers office made it very very clear that if I were to join I would be sent on operations in the middle east/asia. They made sure that I was totally aware that my life would be at risk.

That was just the Navy though, the RAF and Army might be different.
 
I don’t see the problem from recruiting hard, from poor areas and going into schools pushing the army, ive been in 10 years, and have been in a training establishment where young men have turned up with a Tesco carrier bag with their life init, some cant do anything for themselves but after I have had them for 11 weeks they are a different person, they have self discipline motivation and pride, the other thing they have is money in the pocket, and end up some of the best soldiers I have trained and would be happy to work with, it’s the soldiers who have a good background and education who are the hardest at times (officers) but these to can be made good with the right coaching and direction.
 
dsb said:
I don’t see the problem from recruiting hard, from poor areas and going into schools pushing the army, ive been in 10 years, and have been in a training establishment where young men have turned up with a Tesco carrier bag with their life init, some cant do anything for themselves but after I have had them for 11 weeks they are a different person, they have self discipline motivation and pride, the other thing they have is money in the pocket, and end up some of the best soldiers I have trained and would be happy to work with, it’s the soldiers who have a good background and education who are the hardest at times (officers) but these to can be made good with the right coaching and direction.
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Hi there:)

What regiment you in mate, 10 years is along time, you gonna go for the 22 years and have a nice pension:D
 
Some kids in the poor areas are on a thin line of going into drugs/crime as they often leave school with little or no qualifications. The army installs a good set of values in these kids. If it wasn't for the war in Iraq there wouldnt be such an out cry about what the army are doing.
 
Isn't there a proportion of people who leave the army and end up living out of bags; they've become completely dependent on the army much like some prisoners are with prisons?

From personal experience, too, I've known a couple of lads who've come out of the army complete and utter idiots - except now they're fit, trained to kill and aren't scared of much.

So it's not always a case of taking kids who may not get a job/turn to drugs etc and instilling pride and discipline.
 
Slightly OT, am I right in thinking that a big difference between the UK and US armed forced is the simple fact that the US army offers a wide range of 'bonuses' such as

Signing on cash bonuses
Education points so they can go to proper universities upon leaving the armed forces
Bonuses for signing on for further years
Student loan replaments

and so on

Does the UK offer such rich incentives?
 
I thought it was brilliantly interesting when the military came to my school and college.

**** *** NUT!

Vanilla said:
Slightly OT, am I right in thinking that a big difference between the UK and US armed forced is the simple fact that the US army offers a wide range of 'bonuses' such as

Signing on cash bonuses
Education points so they can go to proper universities upon leaving the armed forces
Bonuses for signing on for further years
Student loan replaments

and so on

Does the UK offer such rich incentives?
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A big difference between the UK and US armed forced is the budget, and need. The UK has trimmed back its military to be a quick reaction force... we're never like to invade anyone with man power after all. That's why there are almost more people in prison than in our army. The US is a bigger country, with a bigger budget so have a much bigger (allbeit poorer) military.

Militaries around the world offer incentives, but I doubt this is the main reason people join.
 
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Vanilla said:
Slightly OT, am I right in thinking that a big difference between the UK and US armed forced is the simple fact that the US army offers a wide range of 'bonuses' such as

Signing on cash bonuses
Education points so they can go to proper universities upon leaving the armed forces
Bonuses for signing on for further years
Student loan replaments

and so on

Does the UK offer such rich incentives?
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They do offer the chance to earn civilian recognised qualifications such as NVQ's and National Diplomas yes, these make up UCAS points at certain levels.

Certain branches used to offer a golden hello however I think they've ditched it now, although I could be wrong.

I'm not sure what you mean by "bonuses for signing on for further years", do you mean extra money given for committing to stay within the forces for more years than the minimum required service time? if so then I'm not sure, however the pay and pension from the forces gets much better the longer you stay in.

I'm pretty sure there's nothing in the way of student loan repayments.
 
Zefan said:
I'm not sure what you mean by "bonuses for signing on for further years", do you mean extra money given for committing to stay within the forces for more years than the minimum required service time? if so then I'm not sure, however the pay and pension from the forces gets much better the longer you stay in.

.
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Pretty much. I believe once their tour is over they can often get large incentives for signing on for another two years.

While all of the above is heavily sold in the US in the UK it's more of an afterthough it appears. I've got friends in the Paras and Green Jackets and they say these things were not heavily pushed at time of signing on. Maybe i'm jumping to conclusions but would that be a reason why our forces are so good?

The fact that what you see is what you get and if you don't like it don't sign on. We tend not to get people looking for a cash bonus or a college education by doing a quick tour of a few years.

...but I am ignorant in such things and could be wrong.
 
Syph said:
Isn't there a proportion of people who leave the army and end up living out of bags; they've become completely dependent on the army much like some prisoners are with prisons?

From personal experience, too, I've known a couple of lads who've come out of the army complete and utter idiots - except now they're fit, trained to kill and aren't scared of much.

So it's not always a case of taking kids who may not get a job/turn to drugs etc and instilling pride and discipline.
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Yea the Army can be quite cruel after 22 now 24 years your career ends, thanks for your time now off you go, ive done 10 years now I have to decide if I want to continue to finish of in the army as I will 43 when I leave, or get out at my 12 year point (half pension) I don’t want to end up doing a rubbish job at 43 when im in a decent job now.

You will always get idiots in the Army, im RMP so see it every Friday and Saturday night, its part of life but that’s just a small handful that are just trying to show off or are so drunk they just don’t have a clue what they are doing.

But your last statement I don’t agree with, if I can take 1 kid of a bad estate and make something off him, he will go home tell his mates how good his job is he can flash the cash drive a new car, he could be on 30k plus a year within 4 years, travel the world, have mates that will never let you down.

But again not everyone is suited to the Army, some just cant handle it, but some love it.

Before I joined I resented discipline wanted to do my own thing all the time, would answer to nobody, now I love it, I love running ranges taking soldiers for drill going on adventure training in Canada, Africa, America, Kenya and soon to be in Australia for 4 months, I love going on Op Tours.

I have a good healthy living I run 2 new cars all tax free get cheep rent, I get help to buy my house in UK, I have free gym membership I have a private social club (the mess) some awesome mates, tell me one over job that gives you all that.

It maybe takes you away from your home town, but how many threads do you see on here, moving to London looking for flats.

I recommend that if anyone is thinking about it, just do it. Go to the 2 day induction, the training is hard and may feel like it will never end but it does, and when it does its just like having a normal job.
 
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