Hello,

Working alongside people from different ethnic backgrounds is part of daily life in the Army: we're a globally operating and diverse organisation. It's definitely possible that you could be the only one in a team with your ethnic background, but it's worth noting that the chances of this happening isn't exclusive to any one ethnicity.

As an organisation the Army fosters an inclusive workplace through it's established 'values and standards' and regularly-updated mandatory annual training which includes diversity inclusion training. Some of the units I've worked in also have cultural days where we get to show off our roots and traditions (usually with food involved!), and in others we've encouraged people to decorate the break room using something from their background like flags, sports shirts, khukris, or statuettes.

The Army also has support networks both inside and outside the Chain of Command like Welfare officers, the Chaplaincy, and Armed Forces charities.

From personal experiences, working in teams where I was the only person of my ethnicity made no impact on feeling 'out of place': everyone was still part of the same team and we were all mates so ethnicity was a non-issue.

If you're interested, you can find out more information on UK Armed Forces diversity here: UK Armed Forces Biannual Diversity Statistics: April 2024 - GOV.UK

19 May, 2025 10:10