They told us they are going to pay us a month in advance & that’s about £750 for recruits but there will be some deductions. First accommodation, food, tax, national insurance & some other bits & pieces after which you will have £250. Then we have to buy our regimental tracksuits £50, then they said we have to pay for laundry & recreational facilities for the entire 6 month training period £170. Leaving us with £70. Wooo!
Letter from trainee recruit to his mother

 It is hard for me as I am against this war in Iraq & Afghanistan, with every bone in my body. Many many innocent Iraqi men women & children have died. Their crime. Living in a country that has oil.
This is a fact. A proven fact.

The Iraq war has produced  the biggest number of military deaths since Vietnam for American soldiers & our British death toll is rising higher & higher. Afghanistan will serve to see a huge impact on that death toll. My son could so easily be one of them.

 Today I received my first letter from my baby boy. He is tired & sore but in high spirits. There was a down moment though & this in his words is it.

"So far I have had lessons in law, hygiene, infantry structure, basic weapon skills, drill, admin & my favourite money. Mum listen to this…
 

They told us they are going to pay us a month in advance & that’s about £750 for recruits but there will be some deductions. First accommodation, food, tax, national insurance & some other bits & pieces after which you will have £250. Then we have to buy our regimental tracksuits £50, then they said we have to pay for laundry & recreational facilities for the entire 6 month training period £170. Leaving us with £70. Wooo! I lent a mate £20 to send home to his family, he has 2 small children & this is their only income. I have a whopping £40 to last till the end of October. In October I will get £500. Don’t ask me where the other £250 goes, I don’t know. £50 out of that has to come out for specialised running trainers, (even though I already brought specialised running trainers at £85. We are not allowed any other trainer other than this.[my son spent £400 on materials he had to buy for training prior to this, from a long list the army sent him out, one item of which was running trainers].
The month after that we get another £500. I don’t know where the other £250 goes. Finally after that we get full pay of £750.
After training it will go up to £12000 pa, after completing the minimum service it goes up to £15000 and up every rank. So I am not to happy with the money situation….Oh and to top it all off at some point the food is going to a pay as you dine system, which will make it more expensive for us as well. (Sigh) Oh well."

He then goes on to talk about things in high spirits again.

My husband works for a company that requires uniforms. The cost of the uniforms FREE. The cost of his food, FREE the cost of his laundry, FREE. The risk to his life. ZERO.

In my opinion, the fact that my son was not pre told this before joining up should send alarm bells ringing in his head. Sadly it won't.
£500 a month in exchange for training to be a killing machine. Well it could be worse eh. He could get £870 a month (less deductions) for taking a life & risking his own.

Please tell me that I am not the only one that is appalled by this.

I have been asking myself a question for several months now. That question is, can a mother, who has a son in the military, a son who will be fighting, killing & risking his life for whatever our government deems fit, can I as that mother, also be opposed, body & soul to the war in which he will be a major part of. The answer is YES! YES YES YES!

My baby has his own opinions, they do not have to be mine. He is classed as an adult. His politics, reasons & intentions do not have to match mine.
I remain as always proud to be his mum, & proud of HIS reasons for joining the army

Regards

a.mum