How hard is army training?

Most soldiers get through training but a lot leave or are thrown out.

1 in 3 of the youngest recruits drops out during training – you’ve a better chance of getting through it if you join when you’re over 18.

Here are some of the main reasons that new recruits leave during training:

• The army isn’t as good as they thought it would be.
• They miss their family or their mates from home.
• They don’t like losing control of how they live.
• They break the rules and are thrown out.
• They get injured or have a medical problem, so they can’t carry on.

For these and other reasons, 1 in 3 younger recruits and 1 in 4 adult recruits don’t get through training. Some recruits love the army though and enjoy how tough it is.

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If you leave school at 16 to join the army but then drop out during training, it can be hard to get back into school/college or to get another job, which is another reason why it’s a good idea to wait until you’re 18 before signing up.