Junior soldier from Renhold graduates at military parade

Scott Smith, 18, was among hundreds of junior soldiers who celebrated their graduation in the pass off parade at the Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate.

The pass off parade marks the completion of the soldiers’ British Army Junior Entry training at Uniacke Barracks, where they are all paid to train while they learn new skills such as the qualities of a soldier, battlefield casualty drills, fitness training and skills at arms.

The prestigious ceremony in full British Army uniform is the culmination of many months of hard work. Their final training exercise is an intense, seven-day battle camp taking place in various training areas across the UK encompassing all the training they have received during their time at AFC Harrogate.

Scott will go on to serve with the Parachute Regiment for the next part of his training. He said: “Graduating from AFC Harrogate in front of my friends and family is something that I am very proud of doing. As a junior soldier you learn core life skills such as leadership, teamwork and determination. I have made loads of friends and met new people and have become much more confident in my own ability. I’ve been paid really well for someone of my age and I’ve gained useful qualifications. I’m now looking forward to the next stage of my Army career.”

Junior soldiers go on to become engineers, IT specialists, infantry soldiers, as well as more technical specialists.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hall, Commanding Officer AFC Harrogate, said: “All the Junior Soldiers who have graduated should be proud of all that they have achieved during their time at AFC Harrogate. The training these Junior Soldiers go through leads to excellent opportunities for personal and professional development. By choosing an Army career, they now belong to one of the most respected organisations in the world.”

For more information about the job opportunities with the Army visit http://www.army.mod.uk/belong