ForcesWatch
PTSD report finds veterans from disadvantaged backgrounds most at risk
05/11/2013Wales Online
Wales Online
Forces Watch report calls for the minimum age of recruitment to be raised to 18 to avoid exposing the youngest soldiers to the most trauma
Defence ministry does cost-benefit analysis of recruiting under 18s
02/11/2013The Guardian
The Guardian
After telling the Guardian it would not be revisiting its recruitment policy the MoD is doing exactly that
PTSD ‘most common in young soldiers’ says new report
28/10/2013BBC Newsbeat article and video
BBC Newsbeat article and video
Young British army recruits at higher risk of PTSD and suicide, says report
28/10/2013The Guardian
The Guardian
Former soldiers criticise MoD recruitment practices, with Britain one of only 19 countries to allow 16-year-olds to join up
British army: one young recruit’s story
28/10/2013The Guardian
The Guardian
Britain is one of just 19 countries that still recruit 16-year-olds to the armed forces. A new report from ForcesWatch claims that younger recruits are more likely to suffer from PTSD, alcohol problems and suicide than those who join as adults. This video tells the story of David Buck who joined the army at 17 but now feels he was conned by misleading recruitment marketing.
War trauma hits young soldiers hardest: new report
27/10/2013ForcesWatch press release
ForcesWatch press release
Young soldiers recruited from disadvantaged backgrounds are substantially more likely than other troops to return from war experiencing problems with their mental health, says a wide-ranging report published today by human rights group ForcesWatch.
ForcesWatch response to the Ministry of Defence’s statement about The Last Ambush, 28 October 2013
27/10/2013ForcesWatch
ForcesWatch
In response to The Last Ambush report, the Ministry of Defence has issued a statement containing some claims that are either inaccurate or not relevant to the report’s findings. Here we respond to each claim in turn.
Youngest Army recruits pay highest price in Afghanistan, new report shows
21/08/2013ForcesWatch and Child Soldiers International press release
ForcesWatch and Child Soldiers International press release
The risk of fatality in Afghanistan for recruits who enlisted into the British Army aged 16 and completed training has been twice as high as it has for those enlisting at 18 or above, according to a study published today on behalf of human rights groups Child Soldiers International and ForcesWatch. The authors believe the increased risk reflects the disproportionately high number of 16 year olds who join front-line Infantry roles.
Army recruitment at 16 ‘should stop’
23/04/2013BBC
BBC
The "outdated" practice of recruiting 16-year-olds into the Army is wasting up to £94m a year and should stop, two human rights groups have said.
Millions ‘wasted’ on junior army recruits, report claims
23/04/2013The Telegraph
The Telegraph
Tens of millions of pounds is wasted on training young soldiers for roles that could be filled more cost effectively by adults, a report has found.