Good Morning Ahnaf.

This is common amongst parents and something i also experienced. At the time i found it extremely frustrating however now that i am a parent i also understand my parents concerns in a way i didnt before.

It would be irresponsible for me to say that they should not be concerned over safety. The Army is a job where you choose to join and potentially fight an enemy who is seeking to do you harm. There is no pretending that this isnt a key part of the job as, regardless of trade, everyone in the Army is a soldier first and foremost. Their acceptance of your choice to join, until you are 18 is important as their consent is necessary and you will be unable to join without it.

In terms of when the right time to join is.....i dont mean this to sound patronising but you are currently in a part of your life that is entirely set up to preparing you for the adult world. You are able to complete education without the distractions of a job or dependants that rely on you. This will not be the case when you are older or if you join the Army. The education and the things you learn now will be vital later in life and while you want to join the Army now, even if you serve there will be a time when you are a civilian again, and these skills and qualifications will be come important. The Army will always be there and can wait for you, however the time that is set aside for you to develop and learn will not. My advice is not to join the Army as quickly as possible but to get as far in your education as you can and gain life experience. The trainees i have seen who have done this have been far better, quicker, than the ones that didnt. Once you have done this then not only will you be able to make a more informed decision about what you want to do, but more avenues may have opened in the Army and as a Civilian. In the Army, education is vital and if you dont have the qualifications you need then you will get taught, but you will do this alongside your job which can be hard. Consider this, if you already have the qualifications then you can use that time to do other courses to further your career and gain an advantage and promote quicker than others.

I did not focus on my education when i should have and its taken me 15 years to get to the point where i could have been before i joined the Army if i had prioritised that. Yes the Army has helped me to achieve this but this is one of my biggest regrets as i now try to balance completing a degree at the same time as raising my children.

Finally, in terms of how to discuss this with your parents. I would calmly explain to them that this is important to you and you know that you cannot join without their consent until you are 18. I would then ask for their help until then to explore the opportunities the Army has to offer and see if it is a right fit for you. You could potentially join your local Army Cadet Force which will teach you a lot. Involving them in your journey will help. It will also help them to understand that while all soldiers can be expected to fight, there are some roles that are less likely to and are "safer." They may have some preconceptions about life in the Army based on popular culture and together you can explore these. It is vitally important that you involve your family in the decision you make even after you are 18 as, should you join, they will become your support structure who are there to listen when you have a bad day or to water your plants and worry about you when you are on deployment. It is all too easy to forget that when we join the Army in essence so do our families. I could not have done this without mine and i cannot thank them enough for their support.

Dont worry, the Army will always be here and will always be recruiting. You wont miss out if you take a bit more time to make an informed decision for both you and your parents.

I hope this helps.

25 October, 2024 08:56