Should The Army Be Flexible Enough In Allowing The Winner Of Bgt To Pursue His Magician Career?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3615611/Britains-Got-Talent-winner-keen-pursuing-magic-career.html

[Peter Pedant]

we join the army to shooot people and kill them dont we ?

[Prudie]

Well he's only a band player so probably not

[dannyk13]

He has said that should he be given the opportunity to pursue a career as a magician he will leave the army.

[Baldric]

I sure The Army would be grateful.

[RATTER15]

He may do OK doing magic on Civi street while he can still ride on the back of BGT.

But he will be lucky if he is making a living from it in 12 months time.

[anotheoldgit]

He is reported as being a Lance Corporal, when he wore his uniform on BGT he had two stripes on each arm, isn't that a full Corporal?

[dannyk13]

In the Household Cavalry Lance corporals wear two stripes.

[-Talbot-]

You get plenty of flexibility/support if you're an athlete. I'm not sure the same support should be afforded a magician ... Unless he was that good he could make IS and Assad disappear.

[Prudie]

Ranks in the Household Cavalry are different to the regular army, a Corporal of Horse for example equates to Sergeant and Lance Corporal equates to regular Corporal so 2 stripes.

[agchristie]

He obviously doesn't to miss a trick.

[agchristie]

^ want

[Ken4155]

There are numerous instances of the armed forces allowing it's serving personnel to further other careers whilst still in uniform, so to speak. The one that springs readily to mind is Kelly Holmes, whilst pentathlete Jim Fox was a serving Sergeant in the REME and i also recall a boxer becoming champ whislt he was in the army. Of course, Captain James Blunt didn't begin his singing career until after he left the forces.

[dannyk13]

With reference to the army being flexible about soldiers partaking in sport.I played cricket for my unit, division and in Malta the army which meant I spent most of my service playing sport and I was not alone in this.

[Prudie]

Being fit is a key element of being in the forces so sportsmen and woman add kudos, apart from the fact that there are army boxing, rugby,skiing, gymnastic etc teams. Being a magician is neither here nor there to the army.

[woofgang]

Well but “the army” has no money of its own...its paid for by the taxpayer. As a taxpayer I am not sure that i want to pay people to go and be magicians, play rugby or do any other thing other than be soldiers. If flexibility means unpaid leave then maybe fine but otherwise hell no.

[woofgang]

and the last time I checked, sporting or other kudos didn’t get anybody anywhere on a battlefield.

[Prudie]

Being fit and team spirit gets you a long way on a battlefield, I fully support anything that encourages that.

[Baldric]

Spot on Prudie.

[anotheoldgit]

woofgang

/// and the last time I checked, sporting or other kudos didn’t get anybody anywhere on a battlefield. ///

It can make you jump when the 'bangs' go off unexpectedly.

One might also want to 'wrestle' one's opponent to the ground after 'running' and catching up with him.

Not much call for javelin throwers these days though.

[Ken4155]

My guess is that if he seriously believes he has a big career as an illusionist or magician (or someone can convincingly sell that idea to him), he will leave the forces or be asked to leave.
And, by the way prudie, no matter what your job description is in the army, be it bandsman, chef or clerk, you are still taught the requisite skills to be a soldier should you ever be needed on the battlefield. Though based on what i saw whilst in the forces, some chefs are much better off behind the hotplate than they are on the rifle range - and slightly less dangerous:-)