Climbing on soapbox.........
Ready??
I say we make university free, but a condition of entrance is say about two years in one of the forces, if they felt unable in all good concience to fight then we could make them medics.........or (rum, sodomy and the lash) matelots
after the 2 year point we offer them a wage to stay in or if they'd rather go off and play at education then the 2 years of service will have paid for it.
Think of how much better behaved they'd be and we would probably get a large uptake as they realised that despite all the ****e we've been through/going through/about to go through (delete as appropriate) the services are still a good laugh with fantastic mates and real skills relevant to the real world.
Those that went on to engineering would have a real grounding in what was needed and what the kit had to put up with.........
Vote for me..........
Oh and Tigs 2, calling me a brownnoser really does a disservice to the spineless career monkeys in whitehall, I feel they might get offended that you think an erk like me is up to the same grade as themselves. Made I larf though.
Respect to the liney is due, coz he serviced your jet/cab/big shiny target etc and if you buy him the odd beer when on det he functions an awful lot better.
Bloody Students