recruitment
UK military school audit reveals teenage recruits at risk
09/06/2018The Guardian
The Guardian
Drive to fast-track late joiners at AFC Harrogate led to issues including skewing staff/student ratios in dangerous activities.
British army ads targeting ‘stressed and vulnerable’ teenagers
09/06/2018The Guardian
The Guardian
The British army has targeted recruitment material at “stressed and vulnerable” 16-year-olds via social media on and around GCSE results day, the Guardian can reveal.
Ministry of Defence misleading public over armed forces visits to schools
With the publication of the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions Committee report on our petition on armed forces visits to schools, there has been substantial coverage in the news (see our round-up). The Ministry of Defence have said a number of things in response that are very disputable – this blog outlines some of the evidence.
Resisting militarisation in Leicester
We interviewed poet and campaigner Ambrose Musiyiwa for Peace News on militarisation in Leicester and how local people are acting to resist militarism.
An inclusive, emotionally supportive British Army? Not yet.
ForcesWatch comment on the 2018 British Army recruitment advertising campaign: We welcome any commitments and improvements the military makes to the welfare of soldiers but caution that the reality of military life is not accurately represented in this new campaign, and that the welfare of recruits into the Army should not be overlooked. A shorter version of this article is published by The Huffington Post
Take Action on Militarism: website and resource pack
October 2017
ForcesWatch have teamed up with Quaker Peace & Social Witness to produce a resource pack to help people take action on militarism in their communities. And there is a website to go with it where you can download the pack or order a hard copy, find links to more resources etc.
Take Action on Militarism 2017 pack launch
We report from the day of talks and workshops to launch the Take Action on Militarism pack which is designed to equip and support those challenging militarism in their communities.
Is pushing the cadets really in pupils’ best interests?
Cadet units are not a social panacea but a recruitment tool. Our article, published in Schools Week, critiques the social impact report being used by the MoD to validate the expansion of cadets in state schools.
From the classroom to the frontline – schools must be careful what they teach kids about the army
06/10/2017The Conversation
The Conversation
This article by
. Lecturer in Global Ethics at the University of Birmingham, explores the dangers involved in miltary activity in schools and for the youngest recruits. It emphasises the moral risks and the 'moral exploitation' involved.
The First Ambush: Effects of army training and employment
June 2017
This report from Veterans For Peace UK details how the Army's training process has a forceful impact on attitudes, health, and behaviour even before recruits are sent to war. The findings show that military training and culture combine with pre-existing issues (such as a childhood history of anti-social behaviour) to increase the risk of violence and alcohol misuse. Traumatic war experiences further exacerbate the problem.