Portsmouth SAS legend Phil Campion defends UK’s military recruitment of teen soldiers – and slams ‘soft British’ education system

BRITAIN needs to toughen up and stop being ‘so soft’ on children, a former special forces veteran has demanded.
Phil Campion, who served in the SAS and grew up in Portsmouth, has defended the nation's military recruiting teen soldiers after health experts warned it was 'dangerous'.Phil Campion, who served in the SAS and grew up in Portsmouth, has defended the nation's military recruiting teen soldiers after health experts warned it was 'dangerous'.
Phil Campion, who served in the SAS and grew up in Portsmouth, has defended the nation's military recruiting teen soldiers after health experts warned it was 'dangerous'.

Phil Campion, who served with the famed SAS and Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment – Hampshire’s local army unit – said the nation has ‘lost its way’ when it came to disciplining its youths and instilling them with ‘proper values’.

His comments came as veterans rallied to defend the UK recruiting 16 and 17-year-olds into the military after a health experts warned against it, saying it was putting young people ‘at risk’.

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A report in medical journal BMJ Paediatrics Open said the practice was dangerous and called for the UK to raise the age of military recruiting to 18.

Jordan Wylie now lives in Hampshire and is among the soldiers defending the UK's recruitment of teen soldiers.  Photo: Tom CotterillJordan Wylie now lives in Hampshire and is among the soldiers defending the UK's recruitment of teen soldiers.  Photo: Tom Cotterill
Jordan Wylie now lives in Hampshire and is among the soldiers defending the UK's recruitment of teen soldiers. Photo: Tom Cotterill

Reem Abu-Hayyeh, co-author of the editorial from the public health charity Medact, said: ‘Recruiting 16-year-olds does put them at harm and, for us, it is an irresponsible government policy.

‘Government policy should look to prioritising the health of the British public and in particular that of children, and we believe that this policy and this practice does go against that.

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‘The UK does stand out as one of the very few countries across the world who continues this practice of recruiting 16-year-olds.’

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However, Mr Campion brushed aside the comments and instead took aim at the UK’s teaching profession, which he said was not instilling proper discipline into the nation’s young people – something he felt the military was perfect at doing.

He said he was disgusted by the rising levels of young people being involved in knife crime.

‘As a nation, we’ve lost our way,’ said Mr Campion, who grew up in Portsmouth. ‘We have become too lovey-dovey and soft with children.

‘The problem begins in school. We’re pussyfooting too much and not giving youngsters a realistic view of the hardships of real life.

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‘Most of these teachers are pretty liberal – they have spent their whole life in school and education. They don’t understand the pain and hardships of real life.’

Mr Campion, who has two children in the military, said joining the forces straight after school can help children build key values.

‘I have seen countless youngsters who have turned their lives around by joining the military,’ he added. ‘Both my sons are in the military and I have seen massive changes in them.

‘The downside is that there are risks and some less pleasant things you have to deal with. But you’re given world-class training to cope with this.’

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People can join the military at 16. However, they cannot serve in active war zones until they are 18.

Jordan Wylie was a soldier for more than a decade, joining at 16 years and nine months, and serving with the King’s Royal Hussars. He disagreed with the claims in the medical journal.

The 35-year-old, who lives in Hampshire, is now a best-selling author and chases fugitive contestants on Channel 4’s reality show Hunted.

‘Serving in the army made me the man I am today,’ he said. ‘I joined at 16. I had no qualifications, I had been in trouble with the police being a nuisance in Blackpool.

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‘I left the army with a foundation degree, bachelor's degree and master's degree.

‘It would have been very easy for me to have gone down the wrong track but the army helped enormously.

‘So I believe there are so many positives to joining the army after school.’