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Original poster

The age of conscription should be lowered to 16

247 replies

Lovepeaceunderstanding · 23/05/2024 15:53

The world looks much less stable than it has for a long while. In the event of war our depleted armed forces will need all the help they can get. We should lower the age of conscription to 16?

OP posts:
Natsku · 23/05/2024 16:38

The last thing we want to do is give 16 year olds gun!

Its 18 in my country but common to delay until 19/20 (after high school) or then after university, which seems a much better age.

TulipCat · 23/05/2024 16:35

Well I suppose if by "conscription" you mean "deploy teenagers to hacking and drone programming" then I guess many would be quite good at that. Any form of war will be won with technology not footsoldiers, it's not the 1940s any more.

FeralNun · 23/05/2024 16:29

Care to address the excellent point that has been pointed out to you umpteen times, @Lovepeaceunderstanding ?

We don’t have conscription. And we don’t have National Service.

What did you actually mean?

TheCountessofLocksley · 23/05/2024 16:29

Is this what the next couple of months is going to be like? Fucking stupid idiots floating fucking stupid ideas they haven't thought through or don't understand?

I suggest we "conscript" the fucking idiots who post this crap!

mitogoshi · 23/05/2024 16:26

@Lovepeaceunderstanding

No those who sign up through the under 18 schemes are in part time education too. Even that is controversial but I've seen first hand that signing up for education and training, essentially an apprenticeship works well for some young people who for whatever reason need to leave home. It must always be voluntary though, not that we have conscription for any age in the U.K.

The armed forces can offer excellent job opportunities to those who want that lifestyle but in my opinion it is a choice not something to be forced

passiveaggressivenonsense · 23/05/2024 16:25

Ears are going to be cyber not footsoldiers.

SallyWD · 23/05/2024 16:24

There's absolutely no way I'd want my children fighting another pointless war at that age. Would you be happy to send your 16 year old away to risk their lives?

ByCupidStunt · 23/05/2024 16:24

Actually I think it should be lowered to 5.

TinaYouFatLard · 23/05/2024 16:24

My DS will be 16 soon. He will be fighting immoral wars for corrupt governments over my dead body.

Riversideandrelax · 23/05/2024 16:23

There is no age of conscription - we don't have conscription!

10kgcookies · 23/05/2024 16:23

Let’s raise it to 75 and include women! Equality n all.

Just teasing. I think the OP wants a new job fighting for the country. 😜

K0OLA1D · 23/05/2024 16:22

My sons wouldn't be going.

maw1681 · 23/05/2024 16:21

What on earth? There is no conscription in the UK... and I really wouldn't try 13 year old being sent off to war in 3 years!

Elieza · 23/05/2024 16:21

The song Nineteen by Paul Hardcastle that came out in 1985 and we were all horrified to learn that the average age of a combat soldier is Vietnam was 19.

That was bad enough.

Any younger is just like abuse.

Wars won't be fought in the ground in future though. Await China starting one any day now via the internet...

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 23/05/2024 16:21

Absolutely not. That’s ludicrous. You can’t send children to war.

Even in Ukraine, whilst they don’t allow men between 18 and (I think) 65 to leave the country, they have an age of mobilisation which was originally 27, and is now 25 I think. Because it’s recognised to be barbaric to send the extremely young to war unless they (from 18) volunteer.

Runningupthecurtains · 23/05/2024 16:15

Lovepeaceunderstanding · 23/05/2024 16:14

@FruTbun , can persons in the armed forces see active service at 16?

No.

x2boys · 23/05/2024 16:15

FruTbun · 23/05/2024 16:05

In 1976 I joined the Royal Navy - 2 days after my 16th Birthday. I served our country for 24 years with no regrets.

That was your choice though .

Original poster
Lovepeaceunderstanding · 23/05/2024 16:14

@FruTbun , can persons in the armed forces see active service at 16?

OP posts:
QueenOfTheEntireFuckingUniverse · 23/05/2024 16:14

So 16 year olds who aren't allowed to vote or leave full time education (not that anyone checks up on that) should be sent to war?
No thanks.

KreedKafer · 23/05/2024 16:11

What age of conscription are you talking about? We don't have conscription.

If we did have conscription, we wouldn't need it to include 16-year-olds anyway.

We didn't need to conscript children in WW2, and that required a lot more front line personnel than modern warfare does, so there's no reason we'd need to conscript children in a war now.

KreedKafer · 23/05/2024 16:07

FruTbun · 23/05/2024 16:05

In 1976 I joined the Royal Navy - 2 days after my 16th Birthday. I served our country for 24 years with no regrets.

You weren't conscripted.

Mockingjay123 · 23/05/2024 16:07

FruTbun · 23/05/2024 16:05

In 1976 I joined the Royal Navy - 2 days after my 16th Birthday. I served our country for 24 years with no regrets.

Presumably that was a choice. Conscription is not.

Icannoteven · 23/05/2024 16:07

Let’s just stop volunteering other people’s children to be used as disposable resources, shall we? You want to join in a war? Fine, go join up.

ToastonEggs · 23/05/2024 16:06

Currently you can join the military after 16 but my understanding is you can’t be sent to war till 18 because we’re not in the business of sending children to war. There’s also currently no conscription and shit really has to hit the fan for this to change

FruTbun · 23/05/2024 16:05

In 1976 I joined the Royal Navy - 2 days after my 16th Birthday. I served our country for 24 years with no regrets.