RECRUITS to the Territorial Army have sworn an oath of allegiance to Queen and country as they officially began their time in the military.
Five new recruits were attested at the Territorial Army (TA) Centre in Hilsea last night.
They will now join the Hilsea-based third battalion of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, which is nicknamed the Tigers.
Major Ian Stott said to the new recruits: ‘What we want to do is make sure that everybody is committed and motivated to being part of the army.
‘Well done for taking your first steps in the military careers, albeit part-time.
‘I do hope that you achieve everything that you want from it and that the army provides everything you want from it, so best of luck.’
Lance Corporal Kevin Morrison, said: ‘These candidates are now British soldiers in the reserve forces.
‘This is the culmination of all the hard work they have put in to go through selection.
‘It can take weeks or months.
‘Now they get presented with their military numbers and they can start their recruitment training.
‘It’s giving something back to the community. They are joining the army on a reserve basis.’
He added: ‘I am proud that these guys have joined us because we are the last of the Hampshire Tigers.
‘These guys have done the hardest thing by coming through the gate and joining us.’
Family and friends turned out last night to support their loved ones. And L/Cpl Morrison said it’s vital that they have that support.
‘We can’t do it without the support of our friends and family,’ he said.
‘We realise that the reserve forces can’t work without the support of the families so we want to involve them as much as possible.’
The new recruits will now start their training which takes between 24 and 26 weeks.
The first stage will see the new recruits training in Aldershot every other weekend.
After that, they will move to Catterick in North Yorkshire for their infantry assessment, where they will be training alongside regular soldiers.
As reported in The News, the Territorial Army has recently started a new recruitment drive with live adverts being broadcast from Afghanistan to show the work that soldiers in the TA do.
To find out more visit army.mod.uk/join.
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