MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Foreign nationals eligible to join UK armed forces; Military shortfall of 5.7%
Foreign nationals will be eligible to join the UK armed forces in greater numbers, ministers will announce, as British residency requirements for service are set to be scrapped. The Ministry of Defense will remove the need for Commonwealth citizens to have lived in the UK for five years before applying for service. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesMercenaries.
Nov 06th, 2018 - 12:24 pm - Link - Report abuse -1Britain has always used Mercenaries…
Nov 06th, 2018 - 02:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The US allows foreign nationals to enlist, too.
Nov 06th, 2018 - 04:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0DT, where were.you and your ancestors born?
Nov 06th, 2018 - 05:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0This has been going on for decades. Anyone from any Commonwealth country has the right to apply to join the British Armed Forces, however someone at sometime decided to cap the numbers who could join.
Nov 06th, 2018 - 05:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Members of the Commonwealth aren't considered foreign in the UK, hence why it's called the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Foreigners are those outside of the Commonwealth, and since the Queen is Head of the Commonwealth, those Commonwealth citizens serving in HM's Armed Forces cannot be considered foreigners, and therefore cannot be mercenaries.
However there are other nationals who aren't in the Commonwealth who also have the right to join the British military. Although they can be considered mercenaries if you use the pure definition mercenary, they aren't considered mercenaries by the UK. Those are citizens of the Republic of Ireland, the USA and Nepal. All Irish people have the right to serve in HM's Armed Forces if they wish as Irish people are also technically (and purely geographically) British and the ROI being a former part of the UK, and many of them do join the British forces. US citizens can join as well as the US was formally part of the British Empire but they tend to require a sponsor. I've served with a former US Marine who left the USA to work in the UK after he retired from the USMC, then joined the British Army and trained as a Registered Nurse.
The Nepalese are a special case. They are not part of the Commonwealth, nor are were they part of the British Empire, but because they are the most loyal and brave allies we have ever had they are considered part of 'us' and we are considered part of 'them'.
No one in the UK would consider the Nepalese mercenaries. They don't fight for monetary gain, they serve with honour and courage.
Yes, I agree about their loyalty and incredible bravery. The Gurkhas scared the death of the Argentine soldiers who fully expected to be brutally slaughtered by the kukri knives they famously carry.
Nov 06th, 2018 - 08:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Their motto, “better to die than be a coward,” says it all. The reverse seemed to be the Argentine motto...
Why do the brits need an army? They'd rather talk someone to death than shoot them.
Nov 06th, 2018 - 08:53 pm - Link - Report abuse -2“Why do the brits need an army?”
Nov 06th, 2018 - 09:05 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Margaret Thatcher tried talking with the Argentines, but in the end she had to convince the kleptomaniacs with brute force. The UK is essential to NATO.
Never ever underestimate the UK military.
Poor ol' Trump Rednecks, lost the house, gradually being emasculated… Trump is doomed ;-)))
Nov 07th, 2018 - 04:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Brits couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. They're lucky that they aren't speaking German.
Nov 07th, 2018 - 05:56 pm - Link - Report abuse -2The resident redneck is obviously smarting, chucking out insults from the cab of his monster truck. Those Trump tatoos are so last year… As for the US Army, werent they chased out of Asia by little guys in pyjamas?
Nov 07th, 2018 - 07:41 pm - Link - Report abuse +1@TV
Nov 07th, 2018 - 09:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Lost a war to half of Vietnam” was the phrase I heard...
The Indochina and Vietnam disasters I studied as a young officer in war college. The roots of the conflict start in the 1930's in Paris and ends with the “Fall of Saigon”. The Japanese, French and North Americans all greatly misjudged their adversary. History repeats itself today somewhat in the Middle East.
Nov 07th, 2018 - 11:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Chronic is now speechless, an alternative to grunting for him perhaps?
Nov 08th, 2018 - 02:40 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Southeast Asia is indeed a stain on the honor of America.
Nov 08th, 2018 - 07:17 pm - Link - Report abuse -1Perhaps at some date uncertain it will be advantageous to make it glow.
...and Chronic proposes genocide. Can I call him a Nazi now, or is that too mild?
Nov 09th, 2018 - 12:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0Lol. Where were you and your ancestors born, dt?
Nov 09th, 2018 - 02:42 am - Link - Report abuse -1Careful, when you enrage these gunned up nutjobs they tend to rush off and massacre innocent schoolkids etc.
Nov 09th, 2018 - 05:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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