Any serving soldiers could give my son some fitness advice.

[rbreid]

Any advice I can pass on from serving soldiers he will listen too. Advice from Dad despite being ex soldier is largely ignored.

An analogy for your son........
If climbing a mountain the worst route advice is from the man beside you on his first climb or the barroom expert at the bottom on his fifth pint.
The best advice, bar none, is from the man on his way down. He may even allow you a mile in his shoes if you ask humbly.
Best of luck in life, whatever you choose to do

 

[compo]

An analogy for your son........
If climbing a mountain the worst route advice is from the man beside you on his first climb or the barroom expert at the bottom on his fifth pint.
The best advice, bar none, is from the man on his way down. He may even allow you a mile in his shoes if you ask humbly.

That depends a lot how fast the man on his way down is descending

 

[rbreid]

That depends a lot how fast the man on his way down is descending

Yeah if he's racing to the bar...give him a miss Perhaps descending would have been a better choice of word

 

[steveindenmark]

"let him lead his own life."
Somewhere between this and negligence is a very fine line. Parents have a responsibility towards their offspring and part of this is to guide them away from making bad choices (and yes, as a parent you get to decide what a bad choice is). The reality of military life is not the same as the romantic picture conjured up by recruiting organizations so at least a dose of realism is required do the family accept that the boy will be working in 'harms way' (as the Americans call it) and the possible outcome?
Having said all that I do think it is sad that this is one of the few opportunities open to young people.

I have 2 children. One is at Manchester University and the other at Liverpool University. Between them they have 11 A levels. Not wishing to brag, but I think I have pointed them in the right direction and will continue to do so, but they have decided what career to follow. I didnt choose it.

I served with the Royal Engineers for 12 years my 3 brothers served for 22 years, 22 years ans 9 years, respectfully. I have served in Northern Ireland twice and the Falklands. My youngest brother was the longest serving soldier on the Falklands. You are correct in saying the reality of military life is not the same as the recruiting organisations show it. It is far better. They cannot show the excitement, the comradeship that continues 20 years after you leave the service, the life long friends who will do anything for you at any time. I joined at 16 and everything that has followed has been based on my military career. If you are as happy and satisfied as I am now, you are a very lucky man.

I am assuming that you have never been in the services and this talking about something you know nothing about.

Yes some do die, I know, I was there. Anybody who does it for a career is aware of the risks, it is not kept a secret, it is not a game.

If my children wanted to serve in the military I would support them. But I certainly would not stop them because I would be at home worrying if they were sent to a combat zone.

I knew what I wanted to do and my parents could not have stopped me. But they supported me and I have never regretted it for one minute.

Sorry for stealing this post, I have had my say.

Steve

 

[ayceejay]

I think I have pointed them in the right direction and will continue to do so, but they have decided what career to follow. I didn't choose it.
Isn't that basically what I was saying Steve, I was certainly not saying that a parent should choose the career trajectory - I certainly didn't.
Furthermore I would not knock the comradeship you speak of whatever it's source.
My experience of military life comes from my father, who survived both world wars (physically) as a Royal Marine. He didn't want his two sons to go anywhere near another one, as I said here a couple of weeks ago: when asked about the 'why he served' he would say - so that we didn't have to.