ON SUNDAY

DEANO Does the Army really need snowflakes?

“WE sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.”

It’s a quote variously attributed to writer George Orwell or former Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Whoever said it, the quote pretty well sums up what our armed services are there for.

Someone threatens Britain or British interests and they’ll come face- to- face with flinty men – and, increasingly women – whose job it is to kill them.

It’s a job I doubt I will ever have the bravery, discipline or inclination to do.

That’s why I – and so many millions of people in this country – owe a vast debt to the men and women who stand ready to defend us.

And they have stood ready for generations.

However, it’s an ethos that jars ever- so- slightly with the Army’s latest recruitment drive.

Posters revealed last week aim to encourage “snowflakes”, “binge gamers”, “phone zombies” and “selfie addicts” to join up. Really? How many of us would sleep soundly knowing our homeland is defended by people who telephone the police if they see something they don’t like on Twitter?

Or that our skies are patrolled by a person who has a fit of the vapours if they hear the expression “men have penises”?

Have our armed forces really come to this? Asking those least suited to military life to join the Army?

And who is this campaign actually aimed at? Would a “snowflake” consider joining up?

Swearing allegiance to the Queen, selflessness, duty and discipline.

Not qualities that overburden most “woke” keyboard warriors, I’d hazard. even

It’s clear from the roll- call of carnage after each weekend that there are plenty of young men – and, again, women – in Britain who have lots of pent- up aggression.

The sort of people who Wellington had in mind when he said: “I don’t know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they frighten me.”

Better that aggression was channelled at our potential enemies, rather than spilling out on the High Street.

My guess is that some suit at the MoD was sold this new campaign by a smoothie PR sort.

It comes almost exactly a year after another Army recruitment campaign encouraged members of various minorities to take the Queen’s Shilling.

When our Army starts asking snowflakes and phone zombies to join the ranks we should be worried about the security of our nation – and the state of our society.