16Yr Old Soldier

[Svejk]

Programme on R4 following recruits. One of them dropped out claiming he'd been bullied.
The lady presenter just interviewed him back at his home.
Amongst the gems.
' If they want respect from me, they gotta show it to me first, innit'
' They was like shouting 'n' stuff. I don't even shout at my daughter,innit.'
Poor old army, lol.

[sebhfhion]

This is a sixteen year old child who quite possible has never had experience of discipline. To say that one must earn respect implies that we should be disrespectful to everyone we meet until they prove worthy of our respect, which is ridiculous. The Army tries to 'break' recruits by bullying tactics, instilling fear and eventual total blind obedience. Children should not be recruited into the Army,if they are not old enough to gamble or drink why should they be old enough to die for their country?

[ChillDoubt]

A work colleague once thought we were winding her up when someone started talking about poached eggs.

She refused to believe that an egg could be opened and put into boiling water.

[Octavius]

We employ youngsters, and they are given respect and support from day one. If we shouted at them, we would be called bullies. As said, I would hope he was treated with respect from the outset and only shouted at when something he did was life threatening to either himself, or his colleagues.

Still, are you asking about his social position or his lack of grammar?

[ChillDoubt]

We employ youngsters, and they are given respect and support from day one. If we shouted at them, we would be called bullies.
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To be fair though Octavius, the Armed Forces are somewhat unique in that every other employer does not teach their new employees to potentially kill another person as part of their training and as a matter of course.

[vulcan42]

I can understand if a person is surprised and/or upset when they're being shouted at but if it evokes fear then that is caused by something else apart from the shouting.

[ummmm]

My uncle was in the army. He joined to get off a joyriding charge. The process has changed a bit since then. He hated every minute of it.

[ChillDoubt]

Probably because he was serving for all the wrong reasons though, ummmm.
It wasn't his choice.

[ummmm]

No, it was my granddads choice.

They wouldn't take a joyrider now though...

[Svejk]

Me thinks some ABers would demote Sergeant-Major 'shoulders back,lovely boy' Williams and promote 'lah-di-dah' Gunner Graham.
Or, heaven help us, Gloria.