Tonight my 16 year old ds has been declared medically unfit for the Army. It is all he wants to do and if his appeal fails he will be devastated. He has been studying hard for his gcses and spending all his spare time reading about and training for the Army. I feel sick for him and I need advice of what to say to help him through this.
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Please help me to help my devastated son
pastacaring · 30/12/2022 19:53
RandomPerson42 · 30/12/2022 20:26
I know someone who failed military medical but went on to be a successful police officer career - similar skills etc.
pastacaring · 30/12/2022 21:52
@StressedToTheMaxxx I guess this is what is so frustrating. He did have normal feelings, they were just too much for him at the time and I wasn't confident I knew enough to help him properly. I wanted to do the best for him. At that age, he hadn't even thought of joining the forces and even if he had it wouldn't have stopped me getting him help.
NewspaperTaxis · 30/12/2022 23:48
All I've been reading the last few years is about how the Army is a toxic, bullying institution - just this week headlines in the Telegraph about bullying at Sandhurst. Why anyone with a history of anxiety issues would want to sign up to that I do not know. I suppose it may be that thing of trying to get involved with something so unlike you that it may rub off and improve you.
Same goes with all State organisations these days - recent scandals in the Navy, Red Arrows, the Met, Gwent Police, Greater Manchester Police, local authorities, Post Office, Westminster MPs and even some charities - you name it, if it's a State organisation, bullying and corruption will be rife.
There's also the question of whether they deliberately recruit sociopaths. Certainly the police are known to recruit employees 'in spite of their having criminal records' for that read, they recruit known criminals because of their criminal record. They may not want some bleeding heart do-gooder who will either buckle at the first sign of trouble or whistleblow corruption.
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