The army have the best toys...

[Lordyosch]

I was lucky enough last week to be out of school looking after a group of 14 year old lads on an Army work experience week. I say lucky because Ofsted were in...

What a brilliant week! Being the outdoors sort that I am I was completely at home sat in the woods, navigating across open country etc while all our 'townie' kids were hopelessly lost without their X-Boxes.

The location was Beckingham camp in Lincolnshire and they have soooo much land there. I don't know if it is big or small for an army training camp but there were acres of Coniferous, Broad-leaf and mixed woodlands. Mile upon mile of fields -as well as 'ghost' farmhouses and firing ranges.

It would be fantastic to have Civvy access to this much woodland to go and play for a while.

One of the Soliders demonstrated use of a tarp and hexy stove and as I looked on the kids joked 'Sir's going to be buying one when he gets home' Oddly, they went quiet when I told them I already own both.

One of the lads, who'd probably never set foot outside of Bradford came to me with a puzzled look on his face brandishing a fir cone and asked what it was. Another boy told him it was an acorn...

Jay

 

[HillBill]

LOL.... Beckingham camp? Would that be near Beckingham palace?

 

[Shewie]

Great stuff Jay

We used to have the Army round at Bingley Grammar every year as the school had close ties with the military. They used to bring allsorts of toys for us to play with, a particular favourite was the Milan anti tank buster simulator

 

[SimonM]

I'm doing a similar week with a group of Year 8's in May - really looking forward to it as I used to "work" with some of the guys running the course!

Simon

 

[andy_pevy]

Great stuff Jay

We used to have the Army round at Bingley Grammar every year as the school had close ties with the military. They used to bring allsorts of toys for us to play with, a particular favourite was the Milan anti tank buster simulator

I worked on the design for that, many moons ago.....

Andy

 

[Lordyosch]

Spending the week down there has made me think a lot about joining the TA...



Jay

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Get the kids to join the Army Cadets, then they can go do that sort of thing on a regular basis. Roll on July when we take 300+ kids to Sailsbury Plain for 2 weeks.

 

[Shewie]

Get the kids to join the Army Cadets, then they can go do that sort of thing on a regular basis. Roll on July when we take 300+ kids to Sailsbury Plain for 2 weeks.

What for ? Target practice ?

 

[helixpteron]

What for ? Target practice ?

 

[Celt_Ginger]

What for ? Target practice ?[/Q

Of course not, that would just be silly. We have wooden targets on proper ranges run by fully qualified RCOs (range conducting officers) The cadets are not allowed to shoot unless thay have passed a weapon handling test. It's all VERY safe. We NEVER shoot at cadets, not does the regular Army. The cadets will get to ride in tanks though, and go on Helicopter rides and go on an "Exercise" where they camp out for up to 4 days, as well as all the normal adventure training activities that goes on. It's great fun.

 

[Sisyphus]

The cadets will get to ride in tanks though, and go on Helicopter rides and go on an "Exercise" where they camp out for up to 4 days, as well as all the normal adventure training activities that goes on. It's great fun.

I'm sure it is great fun! Bet it's a right laugh being posted to helmand province when you're a teenager or barely out of your teens aswell.

The fact that the military can get this kind of access to and influence of schools is really totally unacceptable and frankly disturbing.

I'm all for kids who've never been out of the city having the opportunity to get outdoors and learn the difference between a pine cone and an acorn, it is just a shame that these opportunities should be framed in a military context and even sadder that they are cynically used for recruitment purposes.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

I'm sure it is great fun! Bet it's a right laugh being posted to helmand province when you're a teenager or barely out of your teens aswell.

The fact that the military can get this kind of access to and influence of schools is really totally unacceptable and frankly disturbing.

I'm all for kids who've never been out of the city having the opportunity to get outdoors and learn the difference between a pine cone and an acorn, it is just a shame that these opportunities should be framed in a military context and even sadder that they are cynically used for recruitment purposes.

Get over yourself. You really haven't got a clue.

 

[Sisyphus]

Get over yourself. You really haven't got a clue.

Ok then fair enough.

 

[Dougster]

Get over yourself. You really haven't got a clue.

Hear hear.

let's not get this one started, views expressed before, people ranted before, people spanked before.

It's politics, leave it.

Good to get the young uns out like this - we don't do it at our place even though 20% of them are Army bratts themselves......

 

[Sisyphus]

It's not politics mate, it's ethics.

It's politics, leave it.

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

I did a stint in the TA.

When i joined i was A typical late teens, dropped shoulders looking at the ground as i walked , desheveled, I probably didn't wash enough either.

I did only the basic training (passed it all) enjoyed every minute and came out a different man! (it wansn't for me) but even that caused me to change!
i walked tall, had confidence, could talk to people from a higher status without getting in a muddle.

I personally think the Govt should bring back mandatory military training for school leavers. even if they never go to war, it would make a massive difference to the teenagers and unemployed in our country!

Army/air/navy cadets can only be a good thing IMHO

 

[SMARTY]

Army has the best toys? too dam right mate!! All you have to do is join up and you can play for years.

 

[sandbag47]

true... i have been there many times...even had to spend a week there when i was called up in 2003

 

[MartinK9]

Army has the best toys? too dam right mate!! All you have to do is join up and you can play for years.

Thank heavens I am now too old for that malarky

 

[Sisyphus]

i walked tall, had confidence, could talk to people from a higher status without getting in a muddle.

I'm curious as to how you define "people from a higher status".

I personally think the Govt should bring back mandatory military training for school leavers. even if they never go to war, it would make a massive difference to the teenagers and unemployed in our country!

Yes it would be wonderful to live in a militarised society wouldn't it, and those teenagers and unemployed people are just lazy ignorant undisciplined drains on society aren't they?

Individual attitudes aside, I think it's a crying shame to associate something as fulfilling and worthwhile as bushcraft with the military and servility.