would your DS join up

[mariamari2]

Hypothetical but if you have a DS aged 16-25 would they join up in the event of the government requesting volunteers to go and fight in Ukraine. If they did would you try and stop them. I have hear stories about so many young men in Ukraine volunteering and it got me wondering what would young British men do?

All those saying no way; surely if your home was being bombed and your family was being attacked, you would try to defend or join the Resistance? To do otherwise would be cowardly, no?

Would you just stand by and watch your home, family and freedom be destroyed? Or run away and leave elderly relatives and children to be killed, raped, tortured etc. The Russians are not known for their mercy. Ask Berlin civilians circa 1945!

I saw something on FB where people were applauding a young Ukranian man who had "escaped" across the Polish border. I thought you cowardly little shit but I was clearly in a minority.

Most young people in this country have got an I'm alright Jack mentality (my own 18 year old included) and if this country were ever to be invaded, we wouldn't stand a chance now. They'd just be posting Tiktok videos about it and running off. So much for Dunkirk spirit.

oh you mean a repeat of what we did in ww2?

my grandfather said they signed up kids, gave them 2 weeks training and the shitiest equipment money could buy, so they could be thrown over the top to act as bullet sponges, while he and the rest of the professional troops where told to hang back and wait for the enemy to reload.

No I would never allow my child to sign up, your country doesn't give a fuck about you, my grandfather left the army in disgust after WW2 no one in the family has ever joined up since he made all his kids promise never again to join the army, and we were a military family going back to the Boer, ww1 and even the battle of Trafalgar.

Churchill getting pissed and fat while the people starved, hiding in his bunker, the royal family traveling back into london in the mornings to wave from the balcony before being whisked off again to their safe hiding hole. the landed gentry and politicians think you are scum why would you fight for them while the Eton Rifles are all talk and no balls no rich man will ever die on the front lines, no politicians son.

So much for Dunkirk spirit

That was 80 years ago. Maybe we live in a world where people want peace? Wars are generally started by old men. The younger generation seem much more anti war.

@User7497521

It would probably be18-50 anyway

If it comes to it, I sincerely hope it would be. Better still 55. I'm fitter than my DD and would volunteer in a heartbeat rather than have her, my DS and other young men and women risk their lives when they have so much more ahead than my generation. Unless the situation changes drastically though, we are so far from that, that I think its more helpful to reassure young people at this stage, rather than fan their anxiety with speculation.

It's not a fair comparison. Do you think those same lade would be so quick so sign up to fight a war in England or any their country? Of course not. Their defending their homes and their lives and their families. I think in that scenario many people would, if Putins war ships were parked in the North Sea or off the Cliffs of Dover. DNeph signed up at 16,. DS is too young but will also never pass a medical. DTwins also v too young but in the future I don't think it would be right to stop able people fighting to defend their own homeland. 16 here feels so young though.

There is a big difference between fighting for your country in your country if it is being attacked as is happening in Ukraine and being told to go and fight for a country that is not yours as OP is suggesting.

My 19 year old brother would. He's already said if it ever comes to it he'll fight for us. We'd worry about him of course but we know it'd be pointless to try and stop him.

@SleepingStandingUp, you put it much better than me

Only one of mine is old enough. He wouldn't volunteer to fight in Ukraine, I guess he might if the Russians invade the UK (obviously that's not happening but we are being hypothetical). I would probably volunteer too if that were the case. He wouldnt pass the physical for conscription on multiple counts so I dont worry that the army would take him against his will.

It's completely different if the tanks are rolling down your own high street or warplanes are flying above, probably many would defend their country then

IF, and I mean IF, the UK is under attack from Russia, I cannot imagine that people able to fight (men or women) could stay in good conscience cowering like craven shit muttering how their country does not deserve it. Because let me tell you, if power goes to Russia and its government, those chickenshits would be the first to be considered a waste of resource, or maybe they would become collabo to save their own skin.

My 17yr old ds is currently doing his phase1 training in the army. He will complete his phase2 training a few weeks before his 18th birthday. I support all my dc's career choices. I am proud of the commitment and determination that this ds has shown to reach even this far in the army.

@Porcupineintherough

Only one of mine is old enough. He wouldn't volunteer to fight in Ukraine, I guess he might if the Russians invade the UK (obviously that's not happening but we are being hypothetical). I would probably volunteer too if that were the case. He wouldnt pass the physical for conscription on multiple counts so I dont worry that the army would take him against his will.

Not picking on you as others have said similar, including my own DD, but how close to the U.K. would the Ruskies have to be before people would consider joining up?
If they take Ukraine and move on through to the Baltic counties then down towards the U.K. - at what point do we start mustering an army?

Ukraine left it too late. They are conscripting people now, after the invasion. They should have been signing people up months ago and training them - this invasion hasn't exactly been out of the blue.

@VelvetChairGirl actually many rich mens sons died in WW1 and 2. Go up to Eton and look at the In memoriam boards sometime.

Did it ever occur to you that when people fought for their country they were often not fighting for fat politicians but for their family, friends and neighbours? You might be totally chill with watching your neighbours being rounded up and sent east to be gassed, maybe it wouldnt have bothered your grandad, my grandparents actually did do it. Fucked if I'd stand by and let it happen to mine though.

DS did history GCSE, I wasn’t aware of just how much he learnt and retained about the political history of the 20th century particularly the Cold War, until the Ukrainian situation started.
I am confident that he wouldn’t entertain joining up to fight. He’s a critical thinker and doesn’t believe that war solves problems.

@Justkeeppedaling he turned 16 a couple of weeks ago so yeah they'd need to be coming up the street before I handed him a gun. I'd go sooner, or more likely dh would, if there was any chance that civilians in their 50s would be likely to be of any practical help.

Mine aren't old enough. But if it was to defend the country where we live and work and have family I think yes they would. But my dh has done so in the past as his younger self. But he didn't have a choice. His home country has national service. He is 45 and was unlucky when his time came and was up in the mountains. He has many a scar from bullets and was very lucky to not have been killed. Not sure my kids could cope with it but who knows what they are like 15 years from now

Not a chance, but my eldest wouldn’t be eligible anyway.

[quote Porcupineintherough]@VelvetChairGirl actually many rich mens sons died in WW1 and 2. Go up to Eton and look at the In memoriam boards sometime.

Did it ever occur to you that when people fought for their country they were often not fighting for fat politicians but for their family, friends and neighbours? You might be totally chill with watching your neighbours being rounded up and sent east to be gassed, maybe it wouldnt have bothered your grandad, my grandparents actually did do it. Fucked if I'd stand by and let it happen to mine though.[/quote]
What good does it do sending kids to be bullet sponges, the knew full well they were sending kids to die deliberately with shit equipment and fuck all training because why waste money and resources on the walking dead.

I'll trust my grandfather thank you he was there and got a medal in that farce.( also got his stuff nicked by the commanding officers)

Yes. He wanted to join the marines at 16. I managed to convince him to finish his education first.

No I don’t think young British men would do the same

We haven’t lived under threat so dot not feel the same way

If we felt genuine threat for years and years from Russia then yet many would be signing up

@Tomnooktoldmeto

DS was an army cadet, loved it but would be rejected from the forces on at least 3 counts. (ADHD Coeliac and colour blind) He’s a lovely lad but would never survive a war so I’m grateful he wouldn’t be accepted

My DS was an Army Cadet. He loved it buy was bullied by both other Cadets (& some staff!) sadly. He is ideal 'canon fodder' (rule bound, good attention to detail, exceptionally obedient, brave in a crisis) but his Asperger's means he is unlikely to be accepted or called up. My Dd is the same. They'd both go. Thank God they can't. I cried when I read the news article on the lone 21 y/o soldier defending a footbridge in Kyiv today.

I don't think any government would request volunteers. If people do it off their own bat, that's one thing but I can't see a government urging them to do so.

As for general conscription, no-one likes that - least of all the armed forces. They don't want a load of untrained, unfit randoms if they can possibly avoid it, so I don't see any chance of conscription in the near future unless this escalates to an armageddon scenario.

I don't have a DS but I'd love to myself if my family didn't depend on me financially. I'm too old for the army (unless through the medical route like doctor, nurse, radiologist etc) but Ukraine are taking volunteer fighters and dishing out weapons.

I think under 21 is too young though, I'd discourage any dc younger than that from trying it

@User7497521

It's only males in Ukraine so that's probably why OP said males

No, women are allowed to join the army and have been encouraged to learn how to shoot a gun etc over the last few months.