Month: December 2025

My idea of a gap year is when school leavers fill the time between school and university (usually 14 months) with “no-commitment” growing-up activities, such as travel, adventure, art, sport and short-term, money-earning jobs. Of course, it can also mean post university and career gaps, but by then people are more fixed in their minds in terms of values and attitude.

The British Military Gap Year Scheme which was announced yesterday is not quite like this. For a start, it requires a two-year commitment and entails a three month basic military training course. All it seems to be doing, is reducing the normal three-year commitment to two. The under-25s who enrol in this scheme will not deploy on active operations, which seems strange to me because these are the best bits – barrack life can be pretty dull and monotonous.

I completely support the sentiments of encouraging families to consider the military as worthwhile careers and the so-called “whole-of-society” approach to defence and deterrence, but this announcement provides no detail about what skills will be offered and unfortunately will not fill the real Armed Forces Gap.

Recruit Training 25 Years Ago

I cannot believe the Libya is still using Colonel Gaddafi’s private jet aircraft for their military chiefs’ flights. In 2012, I was flown from Mitiga Air Base to El Adem in one of Gaddafi’s Falcon 50 jets. Even to my layman’s eyes it was clear that maintenance schedules were not being completed because the tradesmen had sold their tools during the civil war to buy food for their families. The fleet of MiGs, Sukhois and Falcons needed to be replaced and the infrastructure renovated. The Chief of the Libyan Air Force invited me to bring out British contractors to bid for the work, which I managed to do before the end of my tour.

The tragic crash of the Libyan Falcon 50 that caused the death of their Army Chief, General Haddad and other military officials in Turkey has put this aircraft in the spotlight again. Between the three possible causes of a terrorist attack, pilot error or bad-maintenance, my guess is the third. Given the amount of oil and gas money in Libya it seems extraordinary that the government has not upgraded their VIP aircraft since the overthrow of Gadhaffi.

Maintenance Hangar At The Libyan Airbase in El Adem

Following the tragic death of Corporal George Hooley last week, the Media has highlighted the case of an ex-British soldier captured on the front line soon after joining the Ukrainian Foreign Legion last year. The UK’s Foreign Office statement demanding that Russia “stop using prisoners of war for political and propaganda purposes” reminds me that not much has changed since 1920, when the British soldiers in my book, Churchill’s Abandoned Prisoners, were deceived by Bolshevik Commissars and incarcerated in political prisons in Moscow.

However, this was not the main event this week. The news that the EU is providing more financial support for Ukraine is very welcome, but the Russian President’s end-of-year address catches the eye as the centrepiece. The fact that Putin no longer portrays the USA as his biggest threat even though the US Commander-in-Chief is now attacking Russia’s most important trading and military ally in Latin America makes me think something dramatic has changed this year. Have Putin and Trump agreed an undeclared deal behind the scenes – Ukraine for Venezuela?

My first thoughts this week are for the family of the brave paratrooper, who became the first confirmed death of a serving member of the British armed forces in Ukraine.

Corporal Hooley’s sad demise raises many questions about the undeclared use of troops on military operations. In 2011, I was one of many such soldiers who were deployed in a war zone with limited political authority. We were given a military mission, but knew that our activities would be denied officially, if we were caught.

I can understand why the British government does not wish to reveal the full extent of the British military mission in Ukraine. Ever since Parliament voted not to intervene in Syria when Assad used chemical weapons against his own people, there has been a reluctance to engage in high-end fighting. However, if the head of NATO is correct about Russia’s capability and plans to launch further attacks against European countries, then we really must shake people out of their complacency and educate them about casualties in war.

What also needs to change is PJHQ’s medallic recognition for our soldiers in Ukraine. These courageous men and women should be awarded the General Service Medal 2008, rather than the less prestigious Tier 4, Wider Service Medal, which is what they receive now.

Readiness has been in the news again this week, with Putin stating on Tuesday that “Russia did not want to fight Europe, but was “ready” for war if necessary”. This news played a part in the German government’s vote on Friday to reintroduce military conscription, albeit on a voluntary basis.

Together with France, which announced similar plans last month, Germany will join the NATO Flank countries (Scandinavia, Greece and Turkey) and Baltic Three (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) to visibly increase their readiness for war with Russia. But what about Britain?

When I toured the United Kingdom, speaking to large audiences in towns and cities 25 years ago, I was often asked about the reintroduction of national service. At that time, the British Army did not wish to waste precious resources on solving society’s perceived problem of a lack of self discipline among young people. We had more than enough volunteers to sustain the “Best Small Army in the World” at over 100,000 professional soldiers.

Today we face a different challenge. Young people are accused of self-entitlement and the British Army is no longer capable of deploying an armoured division at short notice to fight high-intensity armoured warfare, as we did in 2003. Realising this situation, I have changed my tune and I am now fully behind the movement to reintroduce National Service for all school leavers. It doesn’t have to be military, but it does have to be a contribution to society and a commitment to the community – perhaps medical or mucking-out. As in World War II, certain employments should be classed as reserved occupations e.g. mining, manufacturing and munitions. The aim should be clear: to be ready to fulfil Article 5 commitments to our Allies, if Russia invades a NATO nation.

Para Musicians – Courtesy of MoD