To think the army shouldn't be allowed to 'avertise' in schools?

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

I was speaking to my aunt over the weekend she told me she was horrified to hear there had been an assembly run by the T.A at her local school.

Her 15 year old son was apparantly very excited about all they had said, and has apllied for his local cadets group.

I just can't help think that this smacks of desperation on the armies part to recruit children who otherwise feel they have little options, or simply don't really know what they want.

Those television adverts that make it all seem like a fun computer game are another step too far.

That's more your BIL then, he doesn't have to do it

smallone - I don't think thats a requirement of the RAf though

My Dhs navigator during the first Gulf war was gay. No-one cared. (well the blokes wife did but that was a different issue)

Dh's comment.'All I want is someone who can shoot straight' You BIL sounds homophobic, that isn't the RAF, that is your BIL.

I have teacher friends who are homophobes, it isn't because they are teachers

Kewcumber Im sure you're right there, I don't want my children having to be exposed to any of that stuff, "normal, everyday life" is hard enough and I'm glad for those that will do it for us.

But those that have disagreed with the forces making you different to the rest of society ask yourselves how that is possible - how can you be trained to do what you are told regardless of your own opinion, kill people, have collegues killed, maimed and injured around you and then forget it all and go back to "normal life". and if there are any that have managed it - then well done to whoever gave them the bucketload of counselling that must have been necessary.

BIL is shy and quiet - if he's doing that its coz the rest of his flight are doing it - and if he's going along with it then how many others are going along with it coz of peer pressure?

can't speak for exDp as he's never killed anyone, however he has had to deal with colleagues being bioth killed and maimed and has never forgotten it. it is possible to move on a deal with life fairly normally though, as anyone who has dealt with violent death will tell you. I'm sure there are some cases where people have PTS after very bloody battles but these days this kind of warfare is rare and most commonly the people doing the killing are somewhere a long way away behind a computerised gadget. May sound cold but thats much easier to deal with.

Haven't read the whole thread but does anyone explain what on earth Sandringham, mentioned right at the beginning by tdwp I think, has to do with the discussion? Isn't it a royal estate out in Norfolk? Or is that just a cover story for a sinister recruiting organisation?

But smallone, everyone there could be doing it for the same reason. It only needs one to startit up.

for sandringham read sandhurst I think emotions were getting in the way there.

bit baffled by that too slayerette but best not ask ...

exactly my point - the dangers of such an enclosed group

but that's any group, not just armed forces

Smallone - I do see where you are going with the stressful work situations theme, but I do think this applies equally to some other professions (police, paramedics, fire services, A&E staff etc) who also cope pretty well with a lot of these stresses (and yes I know that they don't tend to shoot people but I hope you see my drift). A lot of stress is dealt with through peer support IME.

"how can you be trained to do what you are told regardless of your own opinion, kill people, have collegues killed, maimed and injured around you and then forget it all and go back to "normal life". " Umm. millions did in WWI and WWII and although some did have psychological problems, most managed to re-integrate back into society - and the majority of these service people were conscripts and hadn't chosen the forces as a career option.

true and i'm sure it happens in all isolated groups - forces, boarding schools, prisons, university fraternities etc all of which i hope my children will avoid. esp prisons

Joining the army is not something i would encourage anyone in my family to do. I would be very upset if i had a son who came home and said he wanted to be in the army.

I thought that the Sandringham bit was a dig at William & Harry playing at being at "soldiers" (from a desk) whilst lads from deprived areas are seen as cannon-fodder in Iraq - but I may be wrong. It could equally have meant Sandhurst.

Hi, let me introduce myself. I've been using mumsnet for around a year, but post infrequently - now I know why.......

There I was thinking I was a slightly neurotic mum, who needed advice now and then and loved getting this advice from other mums (and dads) on this website.

It actually turns out I am a terrorist.....

I was in Iraq for the ground war in 2003 and then again in 2004. I was in Northern Ireland in the 90s (when people were still trying to kill me, and each other), Bosnia in 96 and Kosovo in 99.

I believe in what I was there to do, and what I did and always thought my fellow countrymen understood the difference between soldier and government. Turns out I was wrong. When I signed on the dotted line I KNEW that I wouldn't always like the things I could be sent to do. I KNEW that I could be killed. I KNEW that I may have to kill.

I joined at 18 BECAUSE I WANTED TO. If someone joins thinking he wont ever go to war then he is a fool to himself. I think you underestimate 15 year olds if you think they are too stupid to make that decision for themselves - oh and if you think that the Army recruiters only talk about the best parts of the job you are wrong - Did you even see the presentation yourself? No? Well how can you comment on it? If you had seen it and then talked to the recruiters afterwards you will see that they take great pride in telling the lad and lasses they talk to that it's a bloody hard job, only to be undertaken by the minority able to cope with it.

Oh, and by the way TDMP - you talk a load of shite

I would still be very upset if my child went in the army.

MamaD, you shouldn't have had to say that, butI understand why you did.

I, for one, am proud of our armed services, people can slate the forces, but they've never been there, only spouting what they've heard or read.

sweettalkinmam (did I spell that right lol), why's that? What if that is really what your ds wants to do. Will you be proud then?

I don't slate the forces, my brother died in the army, that's why i wouldn't want my child doing it because i know what it's like to lose someone who joined the army.

The army came to my DS pre-school recently. I didn't have a problem with it and DS loved having his picyure taken with an army jeep.
He came home with a goody bag too which contained:

A drinking cup (a huge hit)
2 balloons
...and a poster showing a tank firing!

I have to say I giggled at the idea of two rookie soldiers putting together goody bags and thinking "oh yeah - we'll give them some posters too" but not thinking "oh - this one might not be appropriate"

I have no problem with the army going into schools - in some parts of Europe it's still mandatory to do National Service. Nobody HAS to join.

Sweettalkinmum, so sorry for you loss. I wasn't talking about you, it's the rest of the thread

Have to say I would rather DS did not go into the army but...my brother has had a fabulous life and travelled the world as part of it all.