I Think She Will Do It !

[Tony-Bones]

Over the last few months i have seen internet searches on my pc that have been done by my daughter and had me concerned, but i said nothing.

Yesterday she asked to talk ( mum was out ).... this is how it went:-

'Dad' when i go back to school i know what i want to train towards..

'Ok'...tell me..?

'I' want to be a 'SOLDIER'..

'A Soldier why!'..

'To fight for my country'.

I spent the next hour explaining most conflicts are not even in this country, placing yourself in such a disiplined area, and were you could pay or have to deliver the ultimate sacrifice.

'Yes' i know! she said.

We know sons and daughters do go into the forces its just i have always assumed this grew from a military background, the evidence on my pc shows her interest was well before the 'terror' bombings, so it would seem her ambitions are motivated for personal reasons.

I wasn't sure if i should make this post but since its not Religious, Racist, or has any Political overtones then why not, also i wanted to make this a poll but wasn't sure how to do it so....

How should i feel in your opinion?

1:- Proud :D

2:- Scream out loud

3:- Tell the wife

[peter026]

Tony if I was you I would feel proud that she wants to serve Queen and country,I had a wonderful time when I was in the Army,it taught me a trade, which I am using now in civvy street.

She must research and choose which corp or regiment to join,and what trade she wants to follow,also if the trade she chooses is also relevant for when she returns to civvy street, eg a gunner is no good in civvy street,whereas an hgv driver is.

Tell her good luck from me Tony

[adz]

Proud :D

Although i'd steer her towards the RAF if you can, but i'm biased.

What does she want to do in the army, because they're all soldiers firstly?

Ask her to consider a specialisation as there will be more prospects when you leave.

I'm a Daddy so i'd be a bit apprehensive if my son wanted to "join up" when he gets older. If he shows an interest i'll try and steer him towards a commission as it's undoubtedly the best way in.

I'd still feel proud he wanted to make a difference though. Good luck.

[Geoffers]

All three (well, the first two anyway!)

I don't envy your position.

On one hand be very proud, she wants to do something postive - make a difference. Do something positive with her life. It will make her stronger and a better person. The fact this has come entirely from within her is something that has to be applauded and shows she is a good, strong, individualistic, honourable person.

On the other hand you don't want her to be put in any position that can possibly cause harm. As her dad you are naturally going to want to protect her, whether it is now or in twenty years time.

It's a no win situation for you as her dad. You are always going to feel both ways. I think the only thing you can do is help her make the decisions herself - cadets to start with maybe?

To be honest, if it was my daughter I'd be scared stiff. I'd have to keep re-assuring myself that the forces aren't all negative. The downside is obvious, but the positive sides are enormous. I have to say that everybody I know who has been in the forces are glad they did it, and are generally better people.

Above all, be proud of her.

[javadude]

I think I'd do 2 and 3 but then support her as thats her choice.

[legendswraith]

I think I'd do 2 and 3 but then support her as thats her choice.

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in my experience i would steer her away the armed forces are on the verge of falling to bits anyway and they are understaffed and under equipped also its turning into a bunch of politicians in the upper ranks who are just yes men.

Personally i would steer my own children and anyone elses away from being in the mob now as you may as well just get a factory job its not what it was

By the way i am bitter and twisted about it too :D

[MrADeveci]

I'd be proud mate ......... but obviously a little concerened, due to the risks .........

Tell her to join the Metropolitan Police :D

[lexus boy]

not the met.....he doesnt want her corrupt and eating donuts all day.

the army leads onto so many oppertunities, and there are so many fields.

think its good for ne1

[Tony-Bones]

All three (well, the first two anyway!)

I don't envy your position.

On one hand be very proud, she wants to do something postive - make a difference. Do something positive with her life. It will make her stronger and a better person. The fact this has come entirely from within her is something that has to be applauded and shows she is a good, strong, individualistic, honourable person.

To be honest, if it was my daughter I'd be scared stiff. I'd have to keep re-assuring myself that the forces aren't all negative. The downside is obvious, but the positive sides are enormous. I have to say that everybody I know who has been in the forces are glad they did it, and are generally better people.

Above all, be proud of her.

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This sums her up to a tee, the sort of child that stands up and sings infront of 200 people without any worries.... me i would be her :D it takes a very special person to become a soldier, i just dont want the soldier to take away my special person

I knew some here in LOC are in the forces, and i wanted your thoughts so that she can read some comments from people who have experienced areas not so polished by the internet.

Maybe if its ok with Admin she can discribe her own reasons here.

[MrADeveci]

Maybe if its ok with Admin she can discribe her own reasons here.

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I don't see a problem with that .............. B)

[MacRS200]

I'm a bit late mate but if that is what she really wants to do, and she has all the information to make an informed decision then be proud and support the decision she makes.

I would suggest that you talk her into sitting down with you and the Mrs to discuss it all, you can't keep something like that from her.

My personal experience is that I really wanted to join the RAF and be a pilot, I let my mum talk me out of it after I finished college and was just under the max age for aircrew. She had the same reasons you have reservations about your daughter joining up. I still, to this day, regret not having a go at being a Jet Jockey

[Tony-Bones]

Maybe if its ok with Admin she can discribe her own reasons here.

←

I don't see a problem with that .............. B)

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Hi, its Charlotte. I'm very proud to be british, so proud that I would die for my country. It would be an honour to say that I'm in the Army and that I make a difference, not just for me and my family, but for a whole population/country. I know the major risk in the Army is death but that would be one that I would be willing to take.

If I was a soilder I would like to be covering the ground on foot patrol. This was a shock to my dad. he said "but your the one that gets the bulit first!" I knew that you are more likely to die when armed with a gun on foot but it is ACTION ACTON ACTION! and that is what I would look for in the Army. If, for some reason, I couldn't get that type of job, I would like to be a medic in the Army. That would probably be quiet a gory job but I have quite a strong stomach.

I admire the commitment and pure bravery of the soilders that risk their lives for their conntry and think that they are the pride of Britain. I have tones of respect for the people that lose their lives in order to make our own lives better. I think that being a soilder is a great way of life and a teaching experiance.

Charlotte Bones age 11

[MrADeveci]

Charlotte,

My hairs stand on end .... just reading the first few lines ............. don't know about ur dad, but I'm proud of you.

Well done girl, make something out of life ............ :)

[Mr Morse]

When I was 18 I applied for a commission in the RAF and the Army but was declined for the trades I was interested in on account of a perforated eardrum.....and ended up in the Met Police

Don't want to put you off Miss Bones but your visions of a career will change many times during your.....errr....."difficult" (teenage) years but if you keep it as a goal I'm sure you will achieve it :D

[peter026]

Well done Charlotte,I admire your sentiments and loyalty,I wish you well if you do eventually join Her Majesty's armed forces.

I don't know about your Dad,but I would be proud of you if you were my Daughter..

Your post,I must admit, has brought a tear to my eyes. tohear from some one so young, who is asking what can I do for my country,and not what can it do for me.

Young Lady you have my abject admiration.

Bless you.

[Tony-Bones]

Hi it's Charlotte again. I appriciate all of your replies, they were realy helpful towards my feeling about joining the Army. I know that i'm only eleven and so it will be quite a while before i get to join up, but I still need to do my learning at school, and I want to target this along the path of the armed forces.

I think that the world is a hostile and dangerous place. It is a huge war zone and it is almost normal to hear that someone has died in a bomb of been shoot dead. On the news you hear of all the trops that are sent to war to make the world to make the world better and that is what I want to do. In my eyes the world should be a better place. No wars. No murders. No booming. Nothing that threaterns peoples saftey or breaks the peace that we haven't got. Since that this is unlikely I want to be part of the UK's efforts to help world peace at whatever cost to me.

Dad says I can read any future replies but now its back over to him. Thanks again Charlotte Bones :duh:

[Monster-Mat]

this is something id rather discuss face to face......with someone.

however i strongly recomend the Corps of Royal Engineers.....

payed more than the rest....have trades, and are a little tinsey bit different.....than the rest, and get the respect for it

you want to do it fore the country...the Corp motto.

UBIQUE = everywhere

the engineers, First in Last out!!

[Tony-Bones]

this is something id rather discuss face to face......with someone.

however i strongly recomend the Corps of Royal Engineers.....

payed more than the rest....have trades, and are a little tinsey bit different.....than the rest, and get the respect for it

you want to do it fore the country...the Corp motto.

UBIQUE = everywhere

the engineers, First in Last out!!

←

Thank you everyone for the advice given to Charlotte she is at an impressionable age so it has helped her to read it from the horses mouth so to speak.

On reflection i know where this has all started from, earlier this year she was in a new friends house and found out the Mum was a Soldier, Charlotte said she could'nt take here eyes off of her, it would seem that feeling of respect has planted a seed very near to her heart.

I do feel proud, but very sad that someone so young is so aware of the horror in our world to the extent she feels the desire to make it a better place, no doubt the tv and internet are responsable for the loss of childhood innocence, leads to a question:- Is it better to be wise

or

Wise to be better

Crippling topic sorry everyone but like i said at the start of this thread 'I think she will do it'

[Rodders_UK]

Charlotte - outstanding!!! - how nice to hear such views from such a young person.

I have four children, and think it's important that they realise that there are a great many good things and people in the world, but there are also bad things and people in the world too.

I wish you lots of luck with whatever you decide

[dangerous brain]

I'm tempted to shout the same as the other RAF blokes here and say go for the RAF instead. I spent 16 years from school at 16 in the RAF and I saw most of the really unpleasant parts of the world in that time. I've been in Northern Ireland, Bosnia a hodge of times (well former republics of yugoslavia), Afghanistan, And the last Gulf war. I'll be a 100% honest with you getting shot at is actually a rare occurence even in the special forces world where they are in that kind of environment regularly. There are more chances of being in an accident than being shot even in these troubled times. Its a fantastic life for a young person I wouldn't swap a day of the first 10 years. As an older person your choice of partner and family happenings can alter how you cope with the forces in my case my family ended up coming before the RAF did.

My personal take here is that you appear very advanced in maturity for your age. That in mind I would re-iterate what some of the others have said and head towards a commision (commisioned personel are far better looked after and get better rewards for their work). Engineering is a very good direction to point in and these days even the IT geeks get a shot at the army LOL. If nursing is your bag then there are a lot of opportunities for nursing officers afaik.

[Tony-Bones]

Hi its Charlotte here, dad said that this will be the last time that I'm aloud to reply to this topic. So I want to sum things up!

As i said in a previous post, i would like to cover the ground on foot in the Army. Some people might find that strange because your the one who gets the bullet first and also your the one who has to pull the trigger rather than post a bomb.

There is a long way to go and lots of oppertunities for me. But my current ambition is to join the forces. My mum is a nurse and I volenteer at the hospital. I see some horrible sites and some scarey. There has been ill and dying people, even a man chained to a policeman. I have enjoyed all of my trips to hemel hospita (where she works) and it has encoraged me towards being a soilder. This is because I have learnt to cope with gory situations and been around death. Knowing that i can cope with ill and dying people forwards my ambition of the Army and its horrors/wonders.

Thank you all for your kind replies and for your time. I apprciate the suggestions and storries of your experiences. I fim going to be any thing in the future i want to be in the Amry as foot patrol or a medic in the forces. This is because my mum is a nurse :D and my dads a cop...out LOL :P. Thanks again, i am aloud to read the replies. From Charlotte :winky:

[Curran]

Why not try this.

carry on your education and join the TA when you old enough. This way you get funding for uni etc and you get a taster of what military life is all about. If after uni you still like it go for it full time ( lots of my friends did and are there still)

Also be aware that women are only allowed to do certain jobs so "foot patrols" may not be an option

Don't ever forget there is a lot of bordom eg "hurry up and wait".

I would say as others do go for a job that has an element of skill in it eg logistics or medics .

I was in an infantry battalion and I am afraid to say apart from the confidence part there was not much else I could say helped me get a job outside the army.

Its a different approach and it may be a more suitable option for some.

[Monster-Mat]

The Royal Engineers

Careers

Royal Engineers Video.......i do the bit with the Tanks and explosives

in the engineers, as a officer the army will pay you to go to university to do engineering degrees.

everyone who completes there time in the corp, leaves with a trade!!

[Damer]

Charlotte

My girls are 7 and 3 and I have nephews and nieces from 21 - 10. I bore them with this story..

When I was booted out of Uni after my first year for not working hard enough I looked at joining the RAF. As I had A levels (again I had failed all those first time around and had to work for a year and take them at night school) I was able to apply for officer training.

I went to the first few interviews/selection days and then came the day when I had to actually "sign up" or formally apply, my memory isn't what it was.

The recruiting officer told me he was happy to take me on but recomended that I stuck at Uni and reapply once I had my degree, if I still wanted to. Turns out it was some of the best advice I ever got.

I did go back to Uni, got a job and I am now doing quite well.

I have a lot of respect for the forces and would support my kids if they chose a forces career, but I would insist that they got as full an education as possible first, and live a little, then if it is still what you want every credit to you and good luck.