Why does the British Army beast 16 year olds?

Question

I joined the Royal Artillery Regiment Junior Leaders as a very young 16 year old. My time was spent living in the worst basic accomodation, ironing my y-fronts for 6 months, drill, jail if you were found with a speck of dust on sunday parade, jail meant severe beastings. I left after 6 months as the Army lied to me as during hte interview I was specifically told that Recruits lasts 3 months but ours was just continuous beastings everyday. I must've used a rifle 5 or 6 times. Some one in another squad actually went to the press, the sun i think, to seek help from the torture and daily beastings. One sergerant actually had everyone strip down to their kegs and he would walk around with a porno mag and anyone who got a stiffy would be beasted.

If the Army has such a poor retainment record then they must stop the un-necessary beastings and concentrate on fieldcraft (which we did very little of), thye need to teach military history and battle craft, tactics, a pride in the Regiment and self respect. I wasted 6 months of my life in what seemed a prison sentence, well 2 weeks of that were as when I told them I wanted out they threw me in jail and then I could leave.

Here's what the British Army needs to do to retain kids.

-Fieldcraft

-Battle craft,

-Field tactics

-a mock war game every week make being in the Army fun and exciting

-stop imprisoning boys when they have a speck of mud on their boots from marching from their accomodation in file to the parade ground when its raining!!!

-Beastings? Are they necessary everyday for minor infractions?

- Bullying and racism are tolerated by the sergeants but having a bit of dust on your beret means going to jail is just hypocritical

- Travel, offer foreign travel ie a holiday to some other country to engage in war games

- more leave

- being allowed to call home regulary and write letters. we were banned for 3 months any contact

- weapons training with real weapons and not .22 SLR converted rifles. Even the local Army cadets had better equipment than us

-Stop the False advertising, if you advertise foreign travel, commando training and pride then at least offer that, not be beasted by some psycho gym instructor because he has napoleon complex.

Unfortunately most recruits have a great time, i realise now that i chose the wrong regiment. and was left confused, hurt, broken ,bullied, mentally exhausted and violated for wanting to serve my country.

I later, when I matured joined the T.A.s and this at least sated my thirst for Army life.

Answer 1

the army likes to claim they are a profesional army, but then act like anything but

Answer 2

As your experience showed, beasting is part of the proud British tradition. Unless our men are brutalised first, they will not know how to brutalise the enemy before killing them. That's why our enemies fear our men and the mere threat of wanting to send them will often bring them to heel. Stopping beasting will be another concession to the PC brigade and produce softies, don't you think?

Answer 3

I too joined the army at 16 and was in the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion at Oswestry.  The majority of our Instructors were Guardsmen, if you havn`t been beasted by them you don`t know what beasting is.  I was under no illusion as to what I was being put through and got on with it.  Perhaps you were not quite ready?

Will bow down to all the Paras and Bootnecks who will "educate" me as to beasting.

Answer 4

I think you'll find it's pretty much the way it's always been, certainly shows the men from the boys.  Young lads today have no idea about discipline and respect, perhaps if you did then the beasting would be a little less regular?

Sorry to sound callous, but I don't want a lily-livered girl-pants being the one covering my back, I'd want to know they can take and give what's coming.

The opposing side in a war doesn't care about political correctness, nor whether you were pre-warned of the actual horrific events, they will just kill you.  No room for political correctness in war nor when preparing for one.  Are you not breaking some sort of code by talking about his on here?

Answer 5

"Stop the False advertising, if you advertise foreign travel, commando training and pride then at least offer that, not be beasted by some psycho gym instructor because he has napoleon complex."

Sorry, you really don't sound like a killing machine that the army requires!

Answer 6

I too joined at 16 and endured similar 'torture' but you have to understand that they have to break you down to build you back up again!

I had plenty of travel, comradeship, fun and life lessons! I spent time in nick (28 days for not cleaning dead flies out of the striplight) but it only made me a better person.

Army life is not for everyone but for those who make it, it can be the best years of your life!

I didn't complete 22 years btw, I left after 10 because I had a young family and it became too painfull to leave them for such long periods of time, but for 3 or 4 years after leaving, I found it sooooo dificult to re-intergrate with society, fortunately I have now, and I have a new career that may not be as exciting as military life, but it still brings home the bacon.

No regrets!