UK army accused of glamorizing war to get recruits

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - The British army is targeting children as young as seven with a glamorous portrayal of warfare, a report said on Monday.

The army, strapped for new recruits partly as a result of the negative publicity from its participation in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, is promoting the "action man" side of a military career rather than the realities, said the report funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Britain is the only European Union country which allows its armed forces to admit recruits as young as 16, the Trust noted.

"Marketing to children below recruitment age commonly glamorizes warfare," the report said.

"Minors are especially vulnerable to joining the armed forces without due consideration of the risks."

The report, "Informed Choice? Armed Forces and Recruitment Practice in the UK", calls for a more balanced depiction of army life to be given and for the minimum age of recruitment to be raised to 17.

Britain's Ministry of Defense said it does not target under-16s but goes into schools to promote its work in an increasingly competitive job market.

"Armed forces careers must compete against other potential employers in a competitive environment and it is right that they have the opportunity to recruit people when they are legally able to leave school," an MoD spokesman said.

"The single-service schools teams visit about 1,000 schools a year between them -- only at the invitation of the school -- with the aim of raising the general awareness of their armed forces in society, not to recruit."

The Rowntree Trust is a policy research charity that searches out the cause of social problems and lobbies those it thinks can make changes.

Its report, written by David Gee, said recruitment literature and videos aimed at all recruits sometimes failed to point out the risks and responsibilities associated with a career in the forces and omitted vital information.

Some neglected to mention words such as "kill". Instead they used phrases including "decisive strikes" and "engage the enemy".

But the MoD spokesman denied the recruitment process glamorized war and refuted the accusation that it depicted warfare as game-like.

Gee said some recruits were unaware that unless they quit within six months of enlisting, minors do not have the legal right to leave for four years.

But the MoD spokesman said: "Anyone considering a career in the armed forces is presented with clear information and all aspects of service life are discussed in detail, following a sensitive recruitment process."

The report pointed to low retention as a result of failed promises, bullying, sexual harassment and other factors.

For every two soldiers aged between 16 and 22 who join the army, one leaves, it said.

The report, while recognizing the opportunities a career in the army can provide, called for a review of recruitment literature and new rights for recruits to leave the service.

(Reporting by Avril Ormsby, editing by Paul Casciato)