Memorandum from ***, Deepcut recruit
DUTY OF CARE
I am writing to you with reference to the posters
that have been recently put around the barracks at Deepcut.
I am currently a Phase 2 soldier at Deepcut
(let's face facts, the name doesn't really instil confidence does
it!) and have been here now for nearly eight months, this is due
to the fact that I am awaiting medical treatment before I can
further my career within the army.
During my time here I have built good relationships
with the Corporals and Sergeants within my Squadron (***) and
honestly believe that they wish this was possible with all of
the recruits.
Coming from a different regiment before joining
the RLC and being older than most recruits, I can see how many
of the young, less mature "soldiers" would sometimes
deem themselves to be "picked on" and "bullied"
as it were. At the end of the day parades and strangely timed
phys sessions employed as punishment will be used if it prevents
17-19 year old "boys and girls" behaving in a way that
is not becoming of a British soldier . . . and believe me, spitting
at Sergeants, underage drinking, theft, fighting and genuine levels
of unhygienic conduct (to name a few) are all acts that deserve
a punishment. In the eight months I have been here I have seen
no beatings, public downgradings, assaults (sexual, physical or
otherwise) or anything from the permanent staff towards the recriuts.
If there is any, the recruits do that to each other.
It is not the staff who are in the wrong at
this time, it is the British Army for letting such obnoxious,
rude, immature youths complete Phase 1 training and progress to
trade training while they should still be in bed for 10 pm on
week nights and asking parents to support their paper round wages
with pocket money.
Deepcut is not a nice place. Accommodation poor,
food indifferent, but it would be a damn nicer place with people
here that actually want to be in the Army rather than people who
either can't get jobs in civvy street or who's parents have thrown
them out.
I can only speak for my Squadron here and am
sure some "incidents" do occur.
December 2004
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