UK army accused of glamorizing war to get recruits

By Avril Ormsby

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.