Military life still an attractive option to the young - even in wartime

Nov 19 2009 by Paul Bradley, Birmingham Post

They must ask themselves if they are convinced they will get the very best equipment to keep them safe, or the compensation they deserve if they get hurt? Is a starting salary of £13,000 (rising to £16,000 when they pass out) worth their efforts on the frontline?

Standing in the mock battlefield in Salisbury, the threat of the Taliban and roadside bombs seems a million miles away for 17-year-old Fusilier Ryan Smith.

The former Archbishop Illsely school pupil, of Small Heath, joined up with the Battalion in September and now hopes to move in to the drumming wing.

“When I left school I didn’t have very good grades and I didn’t know what to do with myself,” he said.

“I had fancied joining the army for a few years so I thought I’d give it a go.

“I want to get out there and see what I can achieve. Its good for me here at the moment because I can go home most weekends and see my friends and family.”

It’s a similar story for 18-year-old Nathan Bankowski of Quinton.

He said: “My dad was in the First Fusiliers so I’m following a family tradition I suppose. I know I’m going to have to do my time on operations, possibly in Afghanistan, but that’s all part of the job.

“I’m not worried. I think my dad will be though.”

Neither teenager will be drawn into publicly criticising the army – an act that would see them severely disciplined. But the bigger picture shows that many young soldiers become disillusioned with the offer they are sold as teenagers.

In 2008 14,070 Army personnel left the service.

In Afghanistan, there are mutterings of discontent reflected by the penned graffiti in some parts of Camp Bastion.

Back in Birmingham job security and promise of action is a tantalising lure for young men struggling to find work in a recession. Throw in the huge support troops get in Britain when they return home and the recruitment officer’s job is half done.

To convert the potential into reality Maj Bath has two weapons up his sleeve.

Firstly, professional recruitment teams target schools, colleges and careers fairs to make sure their offer is rammed home with the contact details of their nearest recruitment office.

Targeted drives are then supplemented by uniformed soldiers “touching the green” – handing out leaflets and meeting people face-to-face.

But for some, the army has always been a dream that doesn’t need selling.

Captain Matt Clarke from Solihull has seen his career develop nicely.

At 27, he is driving a brand new Audi sports car, earns in excess of £30,000 a year and leads a group of soldiers who respect him.

The history graduate, who completed his officer training at Sandhurst five years ago, is moving up the ladder fast.

To get on even quicker, he has volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan next year, one year before his regiment is due to be sent.

The Second Battalion of Fusiliers last month returned from Helmand province battle weary after seeing seven of their comrades killed in the bloodiest fighting since 2001.

But Capt Clarke is unphased.

Capt Clarke said: “Going on operations is what I joined the army to do. Being an infantry regiment we are at the sharp end of things and I don’t have a problem with that.

“I’m with a battalion that recruit heavily from my home town and I enjoy leading and working with these guys.

“We have to trust our kit and our training and do our job. The dangers concentrate the mind but we accept it as part of the job.”

Capt Clarke and Major Bath passionately believe in the dream life of the army.

For many, the nightmare it can become is hardly worth contemplating.