Post‐service careers for ex‐servicemen :1. Introduction

Many young people joining the Armed Forces find it difficult to pin‐point the precise reasons for their choice. Various specialist groups, such as officer recruits with an engineering degree or short‐service commission joiners, have positive reasons which are in some way connected with their career plans; but general entrants produce a variety of reasons for opting for this kind of employment. These vary from being crossed in love, or prompted by a death or some disruption in the family, to being depressed at poor local employment prospects. Frequently men and women have just drifted into an easy way out of a personal dilemma which they find difficult to resolve.