Bad Lads Army

[Ste Preece]

I do fully appreciate that most guys on this site are keen budding future or former military personnel, however I want to debate the potential for the dross of society which has had the good fortune to take part in Bad Lads Army.

Yes they are dross, criminals to say the least. However, they have now been given something else to believe in. Such as each other in trying times, with 1950's military discipline.

The question is, would this work in reality for these types of people. I've watched the program for two weeks now and can easily see a sense of discipline that didn't exist in the first week. Some of them are starting to believe in themselves in a better sense than being a lowlife criminal. That is positive.

What's your opinion?

Regards


Steve

[Stinky]

I reacon everybody should have to do it for about a year or two after school or something. I would be really keen to do it if i had the chance and wasn't going into the marines to maybe knock some sence into me. All in all I think it's a brilliant idea but I think they only made the 1950's theme to make it more interesting when they could have used more modern techniques which might have worked better. But then theres nothing like a good broomstick up the arse to make you clean faster.

[jimbob]

Yes these people are starting to believe in themselves, but it is only because it is a television program that these people are participating, I think you would face real problems if you tried to bring in a lot of the trouble makers and louts that terrorise our streets into the regular army as they are probably too busy breaking into cars, drinking and taking drugs, if they did actually join up i'm sure they would benefit in more ways than one, but I think initially getting them to sign up would be the real problem, we need more incentives, especially at the moment with all the bad publicity the armed forces are getting......

[Alfa]

National Service for thugs and louts like those on Bad Lads Army is often seen by people to be the answer to the problem.

However it would never work, all the people on Bad Lads have volunteered for the programme so aren't really "rebelling against the system" they're trying to get their faces on TV and most things that happen on it, good or bad, have either been encouraged by the producers or actually staged by them. It's more like a play than a reality show.

The reason it wouldn't work in real life is because real low lifes would simply not do as they were told cause they were shouted at, it would take a far harsher regime to make them conform than would be possible today.

Ask anyone who did national service and they will tell you it was harsh and discipline was incredibly strict. If you used those methods these day's the army would have law suits coming out of their ears!!

Also, think about those who aren't trouble makers and have no wish to join the Army, it's not right to force them to do something they don't want to do espcially if they got sent on operations.

Besides who would want to serve with shite like this anyway, I'd imagine soldiers have a tough enough job as it is without having to worry about these louts being the people backing them up!

[mitch_boxing]

I believe in national service but I do not see why the criminals get to wear the maroon beret at the end of a 4 week course. You should only get to wear something of that high value through HARD WORK.

Mitch

[Alfa]

Are they actually going to be awarded the Maroon Beret?

That's disgusting and I'm suprised any of the ex paras on the show would go along with that.

Are they going to have to do a "mini" P Company to get it or something? still think it's wrong even if they do but at least that way they'd have to actually have done something to get it.

I hate Bad Lads Army, always have done it's a joke and not a very good one.

[xcj]

Yes they'll have a maroon beret but they won't have an official para cap badge.

To them the beret is nothing, once they're out and about being a civilian again it'll purely be a souvenir. Im willing to bet you can probably get para berets on ebay. Outside the armed forces, the beret means nothing, and thats the way it should stay.

The programme itself is a cracker i think. If its the TV that is driving them to change (and they are/will change) then that could be the way forward. If not offering them the chance to be on TV, then offer them something else as a reward for taking part in something that will completely change them.

At the end of the day, if it was cash and every convicted bad lad had to do say two months of hard national service for say £100 then i'd be behind it. The two months would sort them out and the £100 per head would amount to a lot less than the total cost of damages, law suits etc etc against them. If it changed them then £100 per bad lad is money well spent. Obviously this is just a pipe dream and has flaws in it aswell but its an example.

[taffy sapper]

£100 for 2 months work!!! Half the lads on there are probably earning that in a day with their criminal activities.

You will probably find that they are being paid for being on the programme, I know them muppets on Big Brother are being given £30 a day for every day they spend in there.

National service woud never work these days, would cost far to much money. One option I think that would be plausible is that consistent young offenders who land up being sent to youg offenders homes, should be given an option to do some kind of military service instead of time in a young offenders home.

Most of the young offenders that have spent time inside normally land up re-offending, reason being they are mixing with other criminals inside picking up other ideas on ways to make easy money illegally. Courses are run for them to learn a trade such as carpentry, mechanics etc. but only a minority of them go on to get a full time job in their chosen trade when they get released, the others land up re-offending.

So why not give them an option to do some kind of military training in exchange for their sentance? We are already paying for them to be at these young offenders homes. It could help alot of these young offenders to give up their criminal ways as has been proven on bads lads army, and maybe boost recruitment in the forces. If at the end of their training they do not wish to join up full time, maybe some kind of probation board could decide if they have to go back to complete their sentance, or be released into the big bad world.

Just a thought.

Taff

[xcj]

ok £100 for 2 months work is a bit extreme... its the principle i was getting at though

[Spooky]

You can get a maroon beret at any army surplus store. Or Ebay. Or Silvermans. Same places you can get a Winged Dagger capbadge to gon on your nice new sandy beret if you are that much of a nobber. So what.

Its only gonna be a drama if they wear it out... Besides that anyone serving with airborne forces gets a maroon beret.

[mitch_boxing]

So why not give them an option to do some kind of military training in exchange for their sentance?

I wouldnt like to be on a shooting range with criminals next to me that would be farkin dangerous.

Mitch

[Alfa]

You can get a maroon beret at any army surplus store. Or Ebay. Or Silvermans. Same places you can get a Winged Dagger capbadge to gon on your nice new sandy beret if you are that much of a nobber. So what.

Its only gonna be a drama if they wear it out... Besides that anyone serving with airborne forces gets a maroon beret.

Yes but it isn't that they just went out and bought it, they are actually "awarding" it to them as if they've earned it.

But then it's only a TV programme so who really cares.

[mfat_man]

I do fully appreciate that most guys on this site are keen budding future or former military personnel, however I want to debate the potential for the dross of society which has had the good fortune to take part in Bad Lads Army.

Yes they are dross, criminals to say the least. However, they have now been given something else to believe in. Such as each other in trying times, with 1950's military discipline.

The question is, would this work in reality for these types of people. I've watched the program for two weeks now and can easily see a sense of discipline that didn't exist in the first week. Some of them are starting to believe in themselves in a better sense than being a lowlife criminal. That is positive.

What's your opinion?

Regards


Steve

Steve

I think it's an interesting question There have been numerous type motivation shows to try and get people on the straight and narrow, some have been very sucessful and some have not!

Let's face it a lot of it is down to the upbringing of the person and hoe they react to a challenge/authourity, and as some people have said money is not the only motivation as they could be out earning more from nicking etc

Let's face it when you get a group of people there will always be a bonding process and that might help certain people, but we should also remember other people go through life without being challenged to do anything.

Personally I am for anyone in society doing either military or social service, it makes one humble and realise there are other things in life apart from numero uno!

[Ste Preece]

A good response my friend. All the responses have been interesting.

Not all the bad lads are from rough backgrounds. But evidently they lack guidance in their lives and discipline too.

Yes it is only a TV series, but hopefully it gives the opportunity for other young men to see that a path in criminal activities is often a lonely walk in life. A greater sense of pride, achievements and indeed a life time bond of great friendships are there for the taking for those who are willing to make the effort.

All the best guys


Steve

[SiD]

I go along with MFAT man on this one entirely.
nuff said.
Where did you say I could buy myself a cool beret to go with my pixie outfit? I want one do they cost a lot?