Sunak promises to bring back national service for 18-year-olds

It is all seems to unpopular with all sides anyway. According to the Telegraph (can’t link through paywall), there will be no exemptions (or very few) to allow for work, uni, health etc.

The military don’t want it, because they think the cost will come from the defence budget.

The government say they will use the “levelling up money”.

As for teenagers, yes, I do think many seem to mature later than my generation did.

Whether that’s because of softer parenting/schooling, I don’t know.🤷‍♀️

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c988jdxl02vo

They do seem to be more childish/ childlike even tho they’re really tall, at least the ones I come across.

Norah

Callistemon21

We relied on many 18 year olds twice before.

The average age of air crew in WW2 was 21.

I looked a bit, after the last similar thread.

"During WWII, Bomber Command, Of the 125,000 Aircrew who served, 72% were killed, seriously injured or taken Prisoner of War. More than 44% were killed whilst serving, giving the highest rate of attrition of any Allied unit. Each man was a volunteer, and their average age of death was only 23.

The equipment was not similar to now. I've no idea how the training progresses currently. I believe mum told us her brothers' training was only about a year. Brought down by flack in 1944.

Do we want people in service (again) without adequate training? No.

We're not in the same situation, thankfully.

I was just commenting on the fact that people seem to think that 18 year olds then were different from 18 year olds now.

Is that true? Do they remain children for longer now?

Sarnia

According to James Cleverly being interviewed this morning 30% of 18 year olds will go into the military but they must volunteer for that rather than be placed there regardless. The others will be split between uniform jobs such as special constables, firefighters etc and the remainder carrying out work in the community. The Government's thinking is to repair our fractured society and bring back tolerance, understanding and a sense of worth.

Did he think calling Stockton on Tees a s******e would give the young people living there a sense of worth?

Callistemon21

We relied on many 18 year olds twice before.

The average age of air crew in WW2 was 21.

I looked a bit, after the last similar thread.

"During WWII, Bomber Command, Of the 125,000 Aircrew who served, 72% were killed, seriously injured or taken Prisoner of War. More than 44% were killed whilst serving, giving the highest rate of attrition of any Allied unit. Each man was a volunteer, and their average age of death was only 23.

The equipment was not similar to now. I've no idea how the training progresses currently. I believe mum told us her brothers' training was only about a year. Brought down by flack in 1944.

Do we want people in service (again) without adequate training? No.

Oh dear, stylus again.
Services.

I'd rather my DGC went into the Armed Serives than did a stint as a special constable or firefighter.

Oreo

Callistemon21

We relied on many 18 year olds twice before.

The average age of air crew in WW2 was 21.

That’s true.
But that was 18 year olds then, who were a lot different to most 18 year olds now.Dread to think about a lot of the entitled man children around now being a big part of our defence.😲

And girl children too maybe?

Sarnia

According to James Cleverly being interviewed this morning 30% of 18 year olds will go into the military but they must volunteer for that rather than be placed there regardless. The others will be split between uniform jobs such as special constables, firefighters etc and the remainder carrying out work in the community. The Government's thinking is to repair our fractured society and bring back tolerance, understanding and a sense of worth.

The Tories have been in power 14 years and run down the armed services and failed (despite the Buffoon's oven- ready plan) to do anything about care services and now they want to introduce a cheapskate substitute. Utterly ludicrous.

Life was much simpler in the 1930s and 40s. Planes were simpler to fly, guns and artillery simpler to fire and neither a high level of eduation nor technical skill was required.

Nowadays things are very different, the lowliest squaddie will be highly trained and regularly be learning how to use the latest equipment. soldiers are constantly working to build up teams of highly trained people who know their work so well they can do it as if they were a piece of that machinery themselves, likewise firemen, ambulance drivers and para medics.

In time of war people are conscripted 'for the duration; and learn and become part of the organisation. These young people would be there for a year - then gone.

Anyway it’s not likely to happen as the Conservatives are not likely to win.

Callistemon21

We relied on many 18 year olds twice before.

The average age of air crew in WW2 was 21.

That’s true.
But that was 18 year olds then, who were a lot different to most 18 year olds now.Dread to think about a lot of the entitled man children around now being a big part of our defence.😲

Now they’re saying that youngsters could join the fire service or ambulance service.

They don’t seem to understand that both of these jobs need skills.🙄

I seem to remember that it was hard enough getting my teenaged son out of bed, never mind volunteering or joining the army. How on earth will it be enforced? What are these ‘non-criminal sanctions’?
My father told me that national service was ditched because the army didn’t want to manage a lot of young, truculent lads. Having worked in the NHS I can’t imagine they’d be welcome there or in any charities.

12% of young people ( I suspect its more) are off radar. Not engaging with education. How does this proposed scheme reach them?

So this is a daft idea on many levels. Our armed services need good, willing candidates.

As for community work, save this for unemployed youngsters.

As has been mentioned above several times, intentions may be good but the staff needed to supervise everyday, check with police, have the expertise to work within welfare systems do not exist for numbers planned for.

It borders on the dangerous to let loose young people without proper supervision.

Pammie Rishi doesn't need another job. With his money he can put his feet up for the rest of his life. Meanwhile 70+ Tory MPs are resigning. It'll be open season for daft notions! Wonder what it'll be next.

The Government's thinking is to repair our fractured society and bring back tolerance, understanding and a sense of worth

How dare they claim this! The Conservative government has purposely fractured our society over many years; rich against poor; young against old; workers against ‘economically inactive’ (dreadful phrase); ‘everyone’ against immigrants; Leave against Remain. They have tried to indoctrinate an entire generation; it could take a generation to bring us back together.

Sarnia

According to James Cleverly being interviewed this morning 30% of 18 year olds will go into the military but they must volunteer for that rather than be placed there regardless. The others will be split between uniform jobs such as special constables, firefighters etc and the remainder carrying out work in the community. The Government's thinking is to repair our fractured society and bring back tolerance, understanding and a sense of worth.

After they were the major divisions that we’ve witnessed since 2015

According to James Cleverly being interviewed this morning 30% of 18 year olds will go into the military but they must volunteer for that rather than be placed there regardless. The others will be split between uniform jobs such as special constables, firefighters etc and the remainder carrying out work in the community. The Government's thinking is to repair our fractured society and bring back tolerance, understanding and a sense of worth.

This current Government is clutching at straws! I doubt whether this latest idea has been properly thought through

Aveline

They really aren't expecting to be voted in again. Goodness knows what daft notion they'll come up with next

I think most of the recent back of a ciggy packet policies are designed to lose them the election. I get the impression that Sunak has been offered a job he can’t refuse elsewhere, and wants out.

We relied on many 18 year olds twice before.

The average age of air crew in WW2 was 21.

I don’t feel very secure right now if we’re depending on 18 year olds to defend us either in cyber security which is a very skilled profession or in the military. Back to the garden for me!!