“I would never want my children to be recruited in the Army,” said a mother of two teenage boys, who requested not to be named as we sat discussing the Army's latest recruitment drive. Upon asking why not she hesitantly whispered-
“There is no stable future, no safety...who knows if the day after they are dispatched, I never get to see them?” One of her sons is an IT wizard and a number genius always coding away his hours but on asking about a role in the Army, he can't seem to imagine one.
“In what capacity would I join the Army? I'm not built for the Army!” he immediately dismissed the conversation.
At a time when the Army is getting smaller, Major Naveed Muhammad MBE, an Army National Liaison Officer with a background in royal signals talks to me about the perceptions among the ethnic minorities that need to be broken with regards to serving in the Armed Forces.
Provision of humanitarian relief to intercepting signals
“You don't have to be a superman. Any individual with determination and dedication can achieve the required physical strength to serve in the Army,” explained Major Muhammad.
As a British Muslim Commandment who recently turned 50 he spoke about the need of having not just young blood on the battleground but the difference that sharp young minds could bring to the country's safety units. From working in the communications department, interception of signals or to as simple as translating messages, the younger generation can contribute their technological expertise in diverse fields.
“It can vary from providing humanitarian & disaster relief packages and aid in Indonesia, or intercepting narcotics shipments in the Royal Navy in the Atlantic or policing and training in Malawi,” he said.
But what about the perceptions of the Army in the South Asian diaspora? As of April 2018, people from ethnic minorities made up only 2.9% of officers in the British Army which saw a marginal increase from 2.7% in 2009, according to the UK armed forces bi-annual diversity statistics report.
“It is important, to be honest with the parents and ensure that their children will be safe. It is not possible to ensure them of absolute safety in a hostile environment. But the message needs to be conveyed that the training and equipment provided by the British Army is one of the best in the world,” Major Muhammad explained.
But more than the parents and community, the actual challenge remains to get the youth curious and engaged in an evolving world of “work-from-home” atmosphere. The Ministry of Defence said 72% of young people see themselves as ambitious yet feel under-valued and seek a job for a purpose. The Army today is struggling to meet its manning levels after the most recent official statistics put soldier numbers at 79,640 short of the required level of 83,500.
“What is important is asking about their concerns and by constantly engaging with them by visiting schools, and talking with your audience in community groups.”
“Over the years, I have found that sharing my personal experience is of immense value. I joined the Army when I was 19 years old and I tell them about the stories of the times when I was deployed in different foreign countries. And I have realised that on the whole people are willing to sit down and have that conversation.”
At a time when “hard borders” are being drawn to demarcate territories and divisive campaigns of hate, intolerance, and terrorism are invading the peace and co-operation among countries, the Armed Forces need as much of your skill-set and knowledge to serve them as much as you rely on them to keep you safe.
