Army accused of political correctness in recruitment campaign

/ Mike Buchanan

A piece in The Guardian. The start:

The British army has been accused of bowing to political correctness after launching a campaign to recruit more people from a diversity of genders, sexualities, ethnicities and faiths.

It has also been criticised for appearing to mislead recruits by suggesting the army offers help for those with mental health problems.

In a series of animations released on social media, the campaign positively answers questions such as “Can I be gay in the army?” and “What if I get emotional in the army?”. [J4MB emphasis – hmm, which cohort of people might ask THAT question?]

Later in the piece:

Gen Nick Carter, the chief of the general staff, said the army needed to change how it recruited and looked after trainees. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he denied claims that the “This is belonging 2018” campaign showed the army had “gone soft”.

“We are getting new types of applicant, that’s why we need to adjust the approach we are using to how we nurture them into the army,” he said. “This campaign is a recognition that we don’t have a fully manned army at the moment, [J4MB emphasis] that the demography of our country has changed, and that we need to reach out to a broader community in order to man [J4MB: ‘man’? Arrest this man for thoughtcrime!] that army with the right talent.

“Our tradition cohort would have been white, male, Caucasian 16- to 25-year-olds, and there are not as many of those around as there once were. [J4MB: Can someone please explain how the claim in bold type can POSSIBLY be true?] It is entirely appropriate for us therefore to try and reach out to a much broader base to get the talent we need in order to sustain that combat effectiveness.”

Cue laughter from Russian and Chinese military personnel. What would have happened if half the troops in the Army, Navy, and Air Force on D-Day had been women? We’d all be speaking German today, and life’s difficult enough as it is.

 

7 thoughts on “Army accused of political correctness in recruitment campaign”

  1. ‘“We are getting new types of applicant, that’s why we need to adjust the approach we are using to how we nurture them into the army,” he said.‘

    Soldiers still use un-nurturing devices like hand grenades and bayonets. I hope those new types of applicants understand that they’re going to have to fight nasty wars in very old fashioned ways – up close and personal in a very un ‘gay’ friendly manner.

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  2. To be honest I hope this is simply a bit of PR rather than something serious.

    “Our tradition cohort would have been white, male, Caucasian 16- to 25-year-olds, and there are not as many of those around as there once were.”
    Possibly not but there are millions so given the tiny size of the Army it seems a bit ridiculous to abandon fertile recruiting grounds. Locally there are two Churches that regularly had forces funerals during the Afghanistan war. Indicating that the tradition of recruitment from quite specific areas was still going on till quite recently. Admittedly these are “white van man” districts too, so not beloved of PC warriors. And in our staff teams there are families with father, son, cousin, uncle (and daughter) links suggesting that its the sort of thing considered when you know other people are have been in the services. I suppose the recruiters know better but I can’t see the “tradition” in the area has died, three of my colleagues have sons on the first stages of trying to get in to the Army/Marines.
    And for the record I do agree that 18 should be the very youngest. And that Forces personnel should get good mental as well as physical health services.

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    • “To be honest I hope this is simply a bit of PR rather than something serious.”

      Sadly, no. On the BBC news this lunchtime a Tory MP, an ex-soldier, said it was important that the Army’s diversity reflected that in the nation as a whole. Of course he had no explanation for why that might be, so I guess it was simple political expediency.

      As for white, male, Caucasian 16-25 year olds, I’d be surprised if there weren’t more in the UK today than there have ever been. As you say, vastly more than the Army needs. No problems with BME men, obviously, but a problem if they’re female (as far as active action goes, anyway). In profession after profession after there’s been a certain level of female intake, men are disinclined to enter the profession (teaching being an obvious example).

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      • “Army’s diversity reflected that in the nation as a whole” So what about older people? Disabled People? “baby boomers” and there’s plenty of them? Pacifists? Are Orkney Islanders properly represented? and some counties (like my own) are dreadfully over represented should we simply stop recruiting there to get a “balanced” representation. I’m pretty sure Graduates are underrepresented too. As you say its a sort of meaningless mantra like saying “how are you” not expecting an actual health report.
        It strikes me something should be done to get the House of Lords to be representative of something. But beyond that it is completely meaningless as anything other than code for more women and (increasingly less often)ethnicity.

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  3. Pfft. What a bunch of amateurs. You should go all-in like we have in Australia. The Australian Defence Force has stopped recruiting men into combat roles and will only process applications from women to meet its ‘diversity’ targets. This is across all three services.

    https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/australian-army-bans-male-recruits-to-get-female-numbers-up/news-story/69ee9dc1d4f8836e9cca7ca2e3e5680a

    In other empowering moves, women only have to commit to half the service obligation of men, the airforce has removed some physical flight tests so women can pass and women now get extra coaching across the board to help them meet the, already lowered, standards. They can also choose where they get posted.

    With respect to ‘what if I get emotional in the army?’ We’ve already got that covered. Two women can roll up to the ADF recruiter and say “we’re BFFs and want to join up together”. They will then be paired up so they go through recruit training together and then get posted together. Because doing things on your own is scary. I wonder if women on deployment go to the latrine in groups?

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