Military recruiters in schools

[Nix32]

My year 10 son's school has recently been visited by marine recruiters. They seem to have glamourised the role and it seems to have motivated and inspired him.

It scares me. It's not a route I'd want him to take but I would obviously support him. He hasn't really had a clue what he wants to do - although he's quite money motivated - and is a really bright kid with high grades being forecast.

Will the interest just fade? What should I do?

I agree, same thing happened in my dds school and I felt it was propaganda.

The way they sell it is that the army is absolutely amazing, you can have all these amazing opportunities etc

Not so much about the fact you could have to go to war and kill other people or be killed yourself.

You'd feel the same about them becoming scientists then?

Oh the other thing I meant to say-

i do get the worry as a parent. Having seen his Godfather’s career/lifestyle my very academic and also sporty DS has his sights set on following in his footsteps and wants to go to sandhurst too.

Obviously I’m conflicted. The thought of your child coming to harm is terrifying. However, I am fairly sure the rest of the lifestyle/career would suit him. He is only 14 so no decisions needed now, but at the moment his plan is to do a STEM degree then sandhurst. He may well change his mind in the mean time and then there’s no guarantee that he’d pass the selection process… so I’m trying not to think about it or worry about it until I have to.

@JustAGirlInACountrySong that's a really stupid question. Science is not violence and nor are Christians taught explicitly not to do science.

@Perfect28 ohhhh it's a really 'stupid question' is it? Thank god you came along to point that out!

Right so you won't respond to my point then.

I don’t want to wade into general thoughts on the military, and their recruitment practices in schools. I can see both arguments, especially in terms of shaping young people who might not have good role models, or career paths laid out.

that said, for anyone bright I would suggest studying an appropriate degree (engineering etc) and heading to Sandhurst. I work with some ex military people and it’s very clear that the hierarchy affects prospects, those entering at the bottom face glass ceilings, and issues with recognition of study in comparison to those who enter as officers. Even if those who have worked their way up from the bottom are more knowledgeable and relevantly skilled.

Watch the current Warship series on iplayer with him. I think it's quite balanced showing how closely you have to live together, how you have to do any job assigned to you including hand sorting rubbish and how they can't even get off the ship at the highlight destination.

This.

I've seen so many threads the past few days with posters catastrophising about things that will almost never happen. The control over the lives of young people on here is, for some at a concerning level.

Truth is there are some kids that want a career in the military - front line with a firearm is a small part of it.

Some people on this thread might find this website interesting (this is from a pacifist religion)

www.quaker.org.uk/documents/responding-to-military-engagement-schools

My DH did badly at school, dyslexic, bullied etc. Came out with minimal gcses. He studied to be an electrician which he did for a few years before he joined the RAF.
He was in for 7 years, as an electrical engineer. Some like him had previous electrician training, some had nothing. He travelled to some amazing places, made amazing relationships along the way and when he left he went into a new industry which sought almost completely from ex-mitary. He now earns £70k a year and has a position of responsibility.
The military can open doors, like nothing else can. He has friends who have done degrees through them etc. The army obviously has a worse track record for injuries and mental health repercussions, but I would 100% support my children to go through Navy or RAF should they be interested because I've seen the doors that have opened to my DH. He wasn't commissioned at all, either.

@Frrrout Just a fancy phrase for the bullets and bombs part of a war.

The government mandates that schools give access to any legitimate organisation who wishes to give careers advice. Schools have no choice in the matter....

Kinetic is when it gets ‘fighty’
Which is of course ‘war’

But most deployments are not to war, and most participants in a war don’t get ‘fighty’

The Cold War was not kinetic, but was tension rather than a war - (there were of course heated moments and major powers took sides and ‘sponsored’ proxy wars)

Thanks @tommika
learn something new every day!

Thank you for that link @ThreeFeetTall . It makes interesting reading. I hope others on this thread read it.

But he may well end up firing a rocket into a car full of cars innocent civilians somewhere in the Middle East though, no? And incinerating them alive.

Some really narrow minded uneducated responses here. For those who think it’s so terrible that maybe the military try to recruit those from more deprived backgrounds - what would some of those young men and women be doing otherwise?? Maybe it gives them the structure they may have missed growing up, a purpose and a sense of belonging? Maybe it gives them a life and prospects they wouldn’t have otherwise had? Maybe you just grew up with far more privilege and that makes it easy for you to be so judgemental. Be grateful for the freedoms that you have, off the back of all these psychopaths.

The RAF came to my school when I was about 15. I was really impressed, I think my mum was a bit worried I wanted to join. The thing that impressed me though was that the woman was willing to say how much she earned when everyone else was so coy. I wanted to be in the Air Cadets too but had other hobbies so couldn't fit it in.

I don't think I'd ever have actually tried to join as I was a lazy so and so and the physical side would not have appealed at all. I'd actually be fit enough these days!

Unlikely as a loadmaster, chef, drill instructor, intelligence officer, nurse, medical officer, chaplain, driver, physio or many of the varied and interesting careers available in the forces.

All enabling killing in one way or another.

The army didn't go in to the school in my small town, they targeted the pupils out buying their lunch who weren't in uniform, smoking etc.

Well said! I would be devastated if my child chose a career that does exactly that.

So you don't think we should have armed forces then?
We shouldn't have people ready trained to defend our country if needed?
So any tin pot dictator who feels like it can just rock on up and take us over?

And we shouldn't play our part in helping look after our neighbours when someone is doing just that to them?