Army major says the best way for young recruits to learn is to fail
ARMY recruits are being taught how to fail – to identify strengths and weaknesses, a documentary is to show.
Raw Recruits, which begins its second six-part series on Monday, is filmed at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, Yorks. Anyone joining at 16 has to attend the college, which mixes schooling with basic military training.
Major John Cartwright-Terry, the Officer Commanding of Cambrai Company, said: “The college is about teaching young people how to fail. One of the best ways of facilitating growth and development is by exposing someone to their own weaknesses. If they don’t know that weakness is there, they don’t have the opportunity to develop.” The series follows the recruits on a sixmonth course.
Maj Cartwright-Terry said: “For a lot of young people this is the first time they will have realised they are not that good at everything. Boys arrive here full of bravado and gusto [thinking] they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. But they suddenly realise they’re not that good.”
Corporal Joe Nevitt, the Army’s 2018 instructor of the year, was a recruit at Harrogate 10 years ago. “It was a bit more shouty back then,” he said. “But if all you do is shout, you’re going to lose them straight away.”
Clear differences between male and female recruits were identified. Maj Cartwright-Terry said: “The girls build and form relationships exponentially quicker. The males will argue and have tantrums, while the girls quickly form teams.”
Raw Recruits