Army: Recruitment

(asked on 16th March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that army recruits enlisted under the age of 18 do not have to serve for a longer minimum period than recruits enlisted as adults.


Answered by
James Heappey Portrait
James Heappey
This question was answered on 22nd March 2021

Army recruits enlisted before their 18th birthday have Discharge As Of Right (DAOR) conferred upon them by The Armed Forces Terms of Service Regs 2007. This enables them to leave the Army before the age of 18.

At 18, they are able to make an informed choice to serve for four years in the same manner as any other joiner who is 18 or over.

Under The Armed Forces Terms of Service Regulations 2007 (as amended), a soldier has the right to terminate their Regular service either four years from their date of enlistment, or four years from the point at which they turn 18, whichever is later.

This means that soldiers who enlist before the age of 18 may serve longer than their counterparts who join as adults, should they choose not to exercise their right to apply for discharge prior to reaching 18.

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