New troops on parade after successful recruitment drive

Published on Wednesday 9 December 2009 09:24

ARMY chiefs today unveiled their newest soldiers at Edinburgh's Dreghorn barracks as they announced they had enlisted more than 1,000 new recruits in less than a year.

The figure represents a 25 per cent increase year-on-year.

Brigadier David Allfrey, Commander 51 (Scottish) Brigade, said: "It is phenomenal that at a time when the army is so busy on operations, particularly in Afghanistan, that we have attracted over 1,000 talented men and women into the profession since April this year.

"I am hugely proud of them and our team of recruiters. The numbers of enlistments from Scotland has grown steadily over the last couple of years and we have been enjoying an increase in manning in all the units that recruit from Scotland."

Brigadier Allfrey acknowledged the boost in recruitment was partly due to the current economic situation but he claimed more of it was down to "young people, their parents, guardians and career advisers making informed and positive choices in respect of what the army has to offer".