Evaluating the Ethical Concerns of Military Recruitment in the UK

General Sir Patrick Sanders, the head of the British Army, has recently raised issues regarding the declining recruitment rates in the military.

However, beneath the surface discussions of recruitment numbers lie deeper ethical concerns that have largely been overlooked.

Reflecting on the ethical implications of how armed forces are built is critical, as military service involves extensive moral risks for its participants.

Military personnel are often required to engage in actions that pose significant moral challenges, such as killing others or sacrificing their lives for the nation.

An understanding of how recruitment practices magnify, concentrate, and distribute moral risk within society is essential.

One key ethical issue is the age at which individuals are recruited into the military.

The UK allows individuals to join the military from the age of sixteen, making it an international outlier in this regard.

This young recruitment age, particularly when recruits are directed into combat roles, exposes them to higher moral risks.

Socioeconomic factors also play a role in exacerbating moral risk among recruits.

Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to face childhood adversity, economic deprivation, and educational disadvantages, all of which increase their vulnerability to moral risks.

Military recruitment practices in the UK have been criticised for targeting young people in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage, further raising concerns about moral risk distribution.

The involvement of the military in educational settings, such as through cadet forces and school visits, presents a one-sided view of military service that downplays the moral challenges involved.

There is a need for greater transparency in recruitment materials to acknowledge the moral seriousness of a military career.

Raising the recruitment age and providing better support and compensation for military personnel are suggested reforms to address the moral risks associated with recruitment practices.

A critical examination of military recruitment practices is essential to mitigate moral risks and ensure ethical considerations are prioritised.