Month: May 2013

Last of the boy soldiers? Bid to end centuries of tradition by banning the Army from recruiting under-18s

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Sir Nick Harvey describes policy is ‘increasingly anachronistic’; Believes 16 and 17-year-olds more likely to die or be seriously wounded; Also claims millions of pounds is wasted due to high drop-out rates

  • Sir Nick Harvey describes policy is ‘increasingly anachronistic’
  • Believes 16 and 17-year-olds more likely to die or be seriously wounded
  • Also claims millions of pounds is wasted due to high drop-out rates

A former Defence Minister has called for the British Army to stop recruiting ‘boy soldiers’ – a move that would bring an end to centuries of military tradition.

Sir Nick Harvey says letting 16 and 17-year-olds join the Forces is outdated. He claims they are more likely to die or be seriously wounded, and that millions of pounds are wasted due to high drop-out rates.

The issue will be discussed in the Commons on Tuesday and could eventually lead to a ban on enlistment of those  under 18. According to military watchdog Forces Watch, of the 22,000 recruits who join up each year, 4,700 are boys and girls under 18 and 80 per cent choose the Army over the RAF or Navy.

Lib Dem MP Sir Nick, who was the Armed Forces Minister until last September, described the current recruitment policy as ‘increasingly anachronistic’.… Read more

Conscientious objector Joe Glenton on being jailed for refusing to fight

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Joe Glenton, a former soldier in the British army, has served his country and risked his life in Afghanistan.

He’s also been called a coward. The reason? After returning to Britain after his first tour of Afghanistan, he became a conscientious objector (CO) and refused to go back.

‘It’s not like you make a choice to be a conscientious objector,’ he said. ‘It’s something that develops over time and goes against the grain of your being.’

Glenton, now 31 and author of Soldier Box, published today, was 23 when he went to Kandahar in 2006 as a logistics specialist and driver.

He’d joined the army, he says, like many, to earn money, as ‘a way out of a boring lifestyle and menial labour’ and also to serve his country, ‘the idea of Britain as a force for good, liberty and democracy’.

His tour lasted seven months. His experiences changed how he saw Britain’s involvement in Afghanistan.

‘We knew civilians were being bombed and how the war was being conducted,’ he said. ‘It was conducted in a climate of racism and indifference to the Afghan people, completely at odds with how it’s sold at home. I came back and because of those things, I thought, “No, this isn’t right”.’… Read more

Alex Cunningham MP: Stop armed forces recruiting children

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Ahead of his debate today, Labour MP Alex Cunningham argues that the UK’s “routine” practice of recruiting 16 year olds into the armed forces has to stop.

It strikes me as amazing that in the 21st century we have 16 year olds making a decision to sign up for the armed forces and in time, combat roles, on behalf of the UK when the vast majority of nations across the globe have ended recruiting children.

It is correct that they do not take part in armed conflict until they are 18 – but 16 year olds are expected to serve until they are at least 22 years old and have little prospect of leaving before that age so time in a war zone is almost inevitable.

It is for that reason that I have asked to debate the issues in the hope that the Minister will carry out a full and proper feasibility study into an all-adult military and in time end child recruitment.

The debate to argue for such a military is well timed as the Ministry of Defence announces plans to recruit more service people at the same time as making others redundant. I would argue that we should retain the experienced service people we have and stop recruiting children who should not be expected to make a decision to go to war at such a tender age.… Read more