The government today accepted recommendations from a report about improving public-military relations which included the appointment of a "cadet ambassador" for London to do "everything possible" to urge schools to start Combined Cadet Forces and get their pupils to join them and enjoy "a taste of the military".
Currently, there are 253 CCFs in England and Wales but only about 60 are in state schools. They provide extra-curricular "military-orientated and adventurous training" with the Ministry of Defence equipping them with uniforms, weapons and ammunition. Cripes.
In the week that Boris Johnson has put more uniformed police staff into our transport system, it seems Gordon Brown's keen to see more uniform on the streets too. Not only does he want the kids into khaki but service personnel are to be encouraged to wear their uniform off-duty and it will be made a criminal offence to discriminate against them because of their Service dress or combat fatigues (remember that guy who got turned away from Harrods in his uniform because he might upset other shoppers on Remembrance Day?).
Excitingly, there is also talk of a new bank holiday and a Jeremy Clarkson led revival of the Royal Tournament in some form, to help us civvies appreciate our armed forces more.
As long as we get to see Clarkson and Ross 'Grant' Kemp jousting in full knightly armour, their trusty steeds a pair of pimped up 2CVs on our extra day off, we'll give the military all the love they need.
Image courtesy of RJ&DTP's Flickrstream under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
