Madam,

Our MP’s comments regarding the Army’s TV recruiting seem to me to demonstrate a slight lack of understanding and thought.

I would consider the taking of societally underprivileged young men and giving them a sense of purpose coupled with appropriate skills and a feeling of no longer being unwanted by the world, is to be commended.

I am old enough to have undergone National Service. In those days young men had no option - we were conscripted.

And, do you know, I have not met one solitary ex-national servicemen who didn’t comment that, while his experience might not have been totally enjoyable, it nevertheless made a better man of him.

Are our young men today different, somehow?

Anyway, the recruiting advertisement doesn’t emphasize that the Army wants the type of unfortunates specified by Mrs Saville Roberts - the Army wants young men, certainly, but older men too, all who can meet its fairly strict standards of mental and physical ability and then to build on that.

Personally, I would welcome a return of National Service, but expanded to also include work in the police, ambulance service, nursing, coastguard, fire and rescue, and even a resurrected “land army”.

It would take otherwise unemployed young people off the streets and give them not only something worthwhile to do, but also a sense of “belonging” to society and at least a good job when these are pretty scarce.

Yours etc,

Hugh M Jones, Lon Fêl, Criccieth.

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