Is joining up foolhardy or honourable?
JOINING the Armed Forces used to be an honourable move – but some people advise against it in modern times. In the Second World War ‘joining up’ was encouraged as a way of ‘doing one’s bit’. But, in today’s world, joining the forces and going to war in places such as Afghanistan is seen by many as more foolhardy than honourable. Torpoint has had strong associations with the British Armed Forces for a long time — most notably the Royal Navy. With HMS Raleigh, a training base for new entrants of the Navy in Torpoint, and Plymouth’s naval establishments such as Devonport Dockyard just over the water, many young people in the area see joining the forces as a natural progression from school into a career. But is it honourable or foolhardy? The School’s Herald spoke to young and old alike — and found that ‘joining up’ is still encouraged. Richard Simpson, 19, is a pupil in Torpoint Community College’s sixth form. He has wanted to pursue a job in the Navy since he was seven years old after se
