Originally Posted by
SLXOwft
As Kipling said:
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an` Chuck him out, the brute! "
But it's " Saviour of 'is country " when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An 'Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!
My school had plenty of service brats, but apart from a friend who was in the ATC and thinking about being an RAF doctor, I think I was the only one in my year who joined a service.
My elder daughter's (state) school has had service recruiters at careers events (probable RN only being just up the road from Pompey - even though the other two have establishments with 20 miles) and uniforms are a rare but not unknown site in supermarkets and on station platforms. And my younger daughter's school has a CCF (by invitation only). The Army Cadets and ATC seem to be thriving but I suspect we are an oddity in today's UK.
I remember when they used to bring a range of vehicles to my home City on a Bank Holiday when there was a show on, from a Centurian tank, an Alvis Stalwart and various other military vehicles along with a display of weaponary that we were encouraged to clamber over and in, also we were allowed to pick up and handle various weapons on show, I would imagine that did wonders for recruitment, it set me on a journey into the military, all be it in the RAF.
My ex boss took a Puma up to his old school on a recruitment visit. One of the biggest draws were the Battle of Britain at home days, Saints was a cracking show and the place was rammed, I got stuck demonstating an HEIU to the passing punters and one young lad stood in awe at it cracking away then asked if it could be used to fire the ejection seat!
I pointed out it wasn't needed as they had a built in system for that.... they do don't they?
The trouble these days is it has all gone digital and the life and soul of a station is now not on view to the youth of today unless they join a CCF. sad really, heck even the RAF museum seems to be going that way.