The british army

[Aspergers kid]

I am thinking of joining the british army next september [I am thinking of going to harrogate] (harrogate is an army collage) but what concerns me is my parents because with the british army in afghanistan at the moment they are worried for my safety and when they told me that they were worried i thought to myself "what am i going to do?"

But the interesting thing is i went on an army course last week and on my comment card i recieved at the end of the week, it had written on it "Best potential soldier" [and this couurse was out of 80]

so what i am asking is what am i going to do? be cus i want my parents to feel proud of me, but i dont want them to feel scared for me at the same time.

Thx 4 helping!

[Jaden]

Well, i take it from your sig you're soon to only be 16, in which case they needn't worry about you going to Afghan for another two years, as you have to be 18+ before the army ships you out there.

Also depending what you do in the army/which regiment you join you may never go out there at all/never end up on frontline patrols etc, and you never know by the time you're 18 British operations may be winding down in the country (one can live in hope).

Remember we've sent something like 90,000 troops out there and okay 200 odd have died, but that's still some very low odds.

Not to mention lately all the insurgants have been leaving Helmand and going up to the U.S. controlled northern territories.

The important thing though is that you do whatever you do (join/don't join) for you, at the end of the day, it's your life, your career, and you have to do what you think is right for you.

[Joker]

News flash, your parents will ALWAYS be worried about you. My mum gets worried about me and im only 35 miles north of her.

Sure they are going to be worried but you can't live your life worrying about worrying your worried parents. They will understand that its what you want to do and will be proud of you for doing what makes you happy.

If Afghanistan worries you than that might be a problem, there could be a bigger war whilst you're enlisted. You will be a soldier, you're going to be shot at and potentially blown to pieces for pretty terrible pay.

Its not a job you should wonder into.

There is alot of information for applicants, like that course, just look into it alot, you're young and things can change in the next few years, you might find a calling in something else.

As for the army college I would say aslong as you get the standard A levels at the end so you can go to university (i imagine they do at the army like graduates) than if you want to do it go for it.