THE Traitors winner Harry Clark has backed controversial calls for National Service to return for youngsters.
Harry – who won the second series of – was a British engineer and during an appearance on the Storm & Alexis show on on Wednesday, he shared his views on National Service.
The Traitors winner Harry Clark has backed controversial calls for National Service to return for youngsters Credit: Channel 5
Harry won series two of The Traitors Credit: BBC
National Service is a mandatory or voluntary government programme requiring citizens to spend a set period in the armed forces or civic organisations.
It would require young people aged 18-26 to undergo basic training and serve a designated period in the armed forces.
Harry said: “I was in the military for six years, I don’t see any negative with bringing back the National Service.
“I think it’s a great idea. Firstly, just because there’s a massive misconception with the army, the army doesn’t mean we’re going to take our kids, send them away to war, and they’re going to shoot guns and be shot at and maybe die, that’s not the case at all.
Harry was in the army for six years before his TV victory Credit: Instagram / harryclarky
Harry said it could teach a young person lots of skills and give someone a sense of purpose Credit: Instagram / harryclarky
“The army teaches you so many things. You could be a driver, a chef. I was an aeronautical engineer on helicopters. I can’t even spell the word aeronautical, so it’s a trade I get for my life forever.”
He continued: “I think what we have today, especially in London, is young teenagers getting into crime because they feel like they have no purpose, and the military can give them that purpose.
“On the wider aspects of things, National Service can be so much broader. It doesn’t mean just going to the military, it could be community service, because what you’re doing is installing discipline into these young kids, and they can take that on for their life forever.
“When I was in the military the main thing I realised was that people were lost, or they had no one else outside the military.
“The military then became their family, and I can promise you, if these kids go to the military and just spend a year there, and they learn how to make their bed, firstly, they’re going to be better off as young adults when they’re coming out.”
He concluded: “But secondly, I can promise you, probably 50 to 60 per cent of them will want to stay on in the military and learn more, because you can get multiple trades, you can travel the world.”
Currently, conscription is in place in nine of Europe’s states; Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Turkey.
Meanwhile Croatia reintroduced mandatory military service in March this year, for the first time since 2008.
It is mandatory for male citizens turning 18 and the basic military training lasts for two months.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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