Children Soldiers...

[Marmot1]

children under 18 participate actively in wars from the West and Central Africa to Balkan and Latin America, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan according to UN.
8000 children have been kidnapped by guerrillas in Uganda since 1995, according to UNICEF.
15,000 children fight in Colombia, according to Amnesty International and many more have been recruited in paramilitary groups.
300,000 children are soldiers in 60 countries, according to Amnesty International

http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol15no3/153chil2.htm

http://users.otenet.gr/~tzelepisk/yc/chs2.jpg
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/international/pics/6634-0.jpg
http://users.otenet.gr/~tzelepisk/yc/chs1.jpg
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/images/ul/A/A_20former_20child_20soldier_2001_1_150_237.jpg
http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol15no3/boywarr.jpg
http://www.uthr.org/picutres/childsoldier2.jpg
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wccnews/pictures/child_soldier.jpg
http://www.unicef.org/smallarms/exhibit/html/sa06/gallery/html/images/photo/images/ps1i3.jpg
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~halle019/child_soldier01.jpg
http://www.awn.com/unicef/images/soldier.gif
http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/englishweekly/spotlight/2001/nov/nov30/child.jpg
http://www.odi.org.uk/hpg/images/childsoldier.jpg
http://www.caa.org.au/campaigns/election/globalisation/childsoldier.jpg
http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/childsoldier300c.jpg
http://www.irinnews.org/webspecials/africanchildday/images/former_child_soldier.jpg
http://www.sudan.net/graphic/news/conflict/spla_child_soldier.gif
http://www.cdi.org/atp/childsoldiers/map.gif
http://www.screenwest.com.au/images/child-soldier-2.jpg
http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/31010/DRC-UPC-CHILD-SOLDIER-45.jpg
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2002/575/inter4.jpg
http://www.mft.govt.nz/foreign/dis/disimages/childsoldier.jpg
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030616/w1.jpg
http://www.globaleye.org.uk/secondary_autumn2002/eyeon/images/childsoldier.jpg
http://www.gunsandbayonets.00me.com/images/japboy.jpg
http://www.ashleyb.org/images/child_soldier2.jpg
http://www.amnestyusa.org/children/soldiers/i/chilsol_solislands.jpg
http://www2.wcc-coe.org/photo.nsf/photos/7F50F081D2761BE7C1256D6600349C84/%24FILE/06632-0.jpg
http://emailimages.ctsg.com/ImageLibrary/Amnesty/E2Action/drc_childsoldier2.jpg
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/sinhala/child5.JPG
http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/child/images/sitting.jpg
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/sinhala/child3.JPG
http://www.newint.org/issue326/Images/peacepic2.jpg
http://www.pcusa.org/washington/images/ChildSoldier.jpg
http://www.ginie.org/countries/SierraLeone/sierra-update/Image13.jpg
http://www.km-net.org/graphics/mainpics/girl.jpg
http://www.mca-marines.org/Gazette/2003/graphics/03borchini1.jpg
http://www.worldywca.org/images/childsoldier.jpg
http://www.usefulwork.com/shark/soldarera_6.jpg
http://www.eastandard.net/archives/September/wed03092003/images/current/af030903.jpg

[Lone Predator]

Under 18 doesn't surprise me, but under... say 15 or 14 perhaps. I wonder if that would change their numbers much. I mean, is it not possible to join many western reserve forces at 17? And it was not uncommon in WW1 and 2 (as an example) for guys in High School or younger to try to (attempt) to join up?


Still very sad though. Certainly I'd hate to see the day where any of our forces (any nation of Europe or North America and our allies) are put against nations that would employ soldiers of that age (knowingly).

[Marmot1]

http://www.liberia-leaf.org/reports/trials/childsoldiers/stories.htm
Stories of childeren soldiers very interesting...

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/1998/391/in2.jpg
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/campaigns/liberia/liberia6.jpg
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/images/africa/jan-june03/congr2.jpg
http://www.xaviermissionaries.org/M_Life/NewsArchive/AmericaNews/SL_ChildSold3.jpg
http://www.liberia-leaf.org/images/childsoldier2.jpg
http://www.kleveman.com/photo/africa/big/DSC00022.jpg
http://www.gush-shalom.org/kawther/images/soldiers3.jpg
http://www.amnesty.org.hk/images/childsoldiers1.jpg
http://www.corvalliscommunitypages.com/images_sounds/child01.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/~worldwar1/children/child15.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/~worldwar1/children/jackcornwall1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/~worldwar1/children/jackcornwall2.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/~worldwar1/children/americansailor.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/~worldwar1/children/youngpows.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/~worldwar1/children/surrender.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/~worldwar1/children/brancard.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/~worldwar1/children/child23.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/~worldwar1/children/child22.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/~worldwar1/children/lancasterboys.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/~worldwar1/children/child14.jpg

[Uninen]

This all very sad..

I really think that persons under 20 shouldnt be involved in this ****..

And for most, even that is too young..

:(

[Jack Mehoff]

Under 18 doesn't surprise me, but under... say 15 or 14 perhaps. I wonder if that would change their numbers much. I mean, is it not possible to join many western reserve forces at 17? And it was not uncommon in WW1 and 2 (as an example) for guys in High School or younger to try to (attempt) to join up?


Still very sad though. Certainly I'd hate to see the day where any of our forces (any nation of Europe or North America and our allies) are put against nations that would employ soldiers of that age (knowingly).

I joined when i was 17.

BTW, nice sig

[spoonman]

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~halle019/child_soldier01.jpg

a goddamned shame.






no standardization anywhere, this kid has an M16, that kid has a chicom AK47, another kid has an FNFAL. absolutely terrible, logistics must be a nightmare.



or was that wrong? should i not have said that?

[Jack Mehoff]

Some asian "kids" do look like they are kids. In fact, a lot of them 18-19 year old but they look like they are 13.

[jamesp]

I watched a documentary a few months ago, and some guy was talking about his uncle who died during the battle of the somme when he was only 14 years old. Real sad.

http://www.victoriacross.net/award.asp?vc=414
http://www.victoriacross.net/award.asp?vc=411

[Uninen]

http://www.gush-shalom.org/kawther/images/soldiers3.jpg

:roll:

Kid has toy gun, and man with him is Israeli trooper.. playing with the kid..

I think that this is not a case of 'child soldier'..

(thank god..)

:lol:

[HumanShield]

jesus....these kids cant even shoulder a rifle. And if they could, the recoil would probably knock them flat on there ass.
Its a damn shame... :|

[Dennis G]

The world can be a cruel place. Its sad when children are forced to get involved in this kind of thing.


The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
--Edmund Burke

[thatguy96]

no standardization anywhere, this kid has an M16, that kid has a chicom AK47, another kid has an FNFAL. absolutely terrible, logistics must be a nightmare.
That's a Norinco CQ...ChiCom AR15/M16 clone...

Child soldiers...really is a sad state of affairs...

[Lone Predator]

This all very sad..

I really think that persons under 20 shouldnt be involved in this ****..

And for most, even that is too young..

:(


It is funny though, the people sent to fight the wars didn't start them and don't know what they are about, while the people who do are 'too old' to fight. I'm sure there was some quasi-famous quote by someone regarding such a thing that I'm to lazy to look up right now.

What a funny world.

[ArmedPacifist]

Nothing new, I joined the army when I was 17.

[Uninen]

16 or 17 borders it..

Those are quite usual ages in some nations / places..

But what we see in the pics are children, even under 10 years old..

:(

[Vance]

Sad ****e.

[One?]

Its not sad you dont have to be that dramatic. Instead of spending 20 billion dollars on war with Iraq spend 2 billion on african children.

[MetalBoy]

Man those kids are Bad Ass!! Wouldn't want to tell those rascals they're up past their bed time .
No actually this kind of crap makes me feel like this planet sucks big time. :(

[Marmot1]

http://www.gush-shalom.org/kawther/images/soldiers3.jpg

:roll:

Kid has toy gun, and man with him is Israeli trooper.. playing with the kid..

I think that this is not a case of 'child soldier'..

(thank god..)

:lol:

Actualy description was that it's a palestinian kid and islraeli soldier play with him during patrol but I think that it might be also israeli... but anyway this kid is too young to have contact with weapon... he should have tedy bear not toy m16..

[Tengu]

Its not sad you dont have to be that dramatic. Instead of spending 20 billion dollars on war with Iraq spend 2 billion on african children.I don't think throwing money in their faces will get the job done. They will say "thank you for financing the war". But when you send troops things will be better if you have to stomach to shoot kids (i can hear the hippies now).

[Marmot1]

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ae4811/rufino/rufino3.jpg
1987 Soldier
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ae4811/rufino/rufino2.jpg
1996 Farmer (this kid was lucky and returned to normality but other don't


http://www.coalitionforworldpeace.org/Resources/images/Afghan/images/AfghanSoldiers/NorthAlliSoldierKid.jpg


http://www.questionofhonor.com/questionofhonor/09warsaw_kid_lifted.jpg

Young Home Army soldier lifted from sewer in which he escaped the Germans during the Warsaw Uprising.


http://www.questionofhonor.com/questionofhonor/warsaw_uprising-kid_insurgents.jpg


Young Home Army soldiers during the Warsaw Uprising.

[mustamato]

Sierra Leone

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56276.jpg
A Young fighter from "West Side Boys" militia, a turned-independent
branch of SLA, Sierra Leone Army

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56121.jpg
Teenager working as security guard in Badija Cheefdome diamond mining district

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56136.jpg

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56126.jpg

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56150.jpg

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56131.jpg
Weapons Britain donated coming to good use :roll:

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56698.jpg

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56159.jpg

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56122.jpg

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56275.jpg
Paramilitary groups - here, West Side Boys - still have teenagers in their ranks

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56134.jpg

[fdt]

I always thought, that raising and helping the orphans is the social security job... well if the budget money goes not to Social Security but to Army...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Russia Arms Children to Beef up Military
NewsMax.com
Friday, May 19, 2000
In America kids get a slap on the wrist for toting a handgun to school. But in Russia, the government is arming schoolchildren with assault rifles and grenades.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, formerly of the KGB, has ordered that male students age 15 and up will undergo military training classes. Schoolgirls will study how to aid wounded soldiers in battle, reports the magazine Mother Jones.
Putin's plan revives Soviet-style military training abolished in 1991.
"A man should know what the armed forces are. That's a must," Putin said in February while pushing for a bigger military.
The order has angered some parents and teachers.
Nonna Chernyakova, a lieutenant in the reserves, recalls how at age 14 she learned to toss grenades, assemble Kalashnikov semi-automatic rifles, write propaganda and interrogate prisoners. But she doesn’t want her teen son doing the same.
"He envied me that I had a chance to shoot a rifle or dismantle a Kalashnikov," she told Mother Jones. "He doesn't understand that it is not a game people play for fun. Anything military has ultimate goal to kill people."
Pavel Mikov, a history teacher and activist in the Perm, told The Moscow Times that mandatory military training violated childen’s rights.
"The subject is designed for brainwashing," he said. "It violates the most profound civil right — freedom of beliefs."
Russia's estimated 650,000 orphans and 400,000 homeless children are not exempt.
Military units have long been "adopting" orphans. The state made that practice legal in February.Armed forces may take in boys as young as 14, who may stay until they become adults.
The government will not say how many orphans are in uniform. Education Ministry officials forecast that thousands of boys would join military units in the next few years.

-------------------

excerpt from: http://www.child-soldiers.org/cs/childsoldiers.nsf/0/2952c64bb1feb8ac80256b1e007ba055?OpenDocument

Military Training and Military Schools
There are seven special military schools (the so-called ‘Suvorovskya’) located in Ekaterinberg, Kazan, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ever, Ulyanovsk and Ussurisk, where about 4,900 pupils are currently studying. Children are accepted from the age of 14 and orphans can enter without the need to pass an examination. There is also a specialised navy school in St. Petersburg.[13] There are five special cadet corps in the Russian Federation where children of 11-12 years of age study. Each cadet corps has 30 to 40 pupils and the total number of cadets is not more than 200 in the whole country.[14] It has been claimed that an elite military academy in Novocherkassk admits students at age 11. The cadets are taught military history and how to handle firearms and grenades.[15]
Government funded camps have been created to teach children ages 9 to 17 skills in self-sufficiency, including how to use a grenade launcher or fire Kalashnikovs. In January 2001, 130 children were reported to have attended one such camp at Zhukovsk. It was also reported that government ministers had visited the camp and praised its work, which is partly funded and equipped by the army.[16]
A report in Life Magazine claimed that orphans or street children have been taken in by the armed forces. "Russian Army officers all over the nation have set up units of "youngsters", children between the ages of 11 and 18 who might otherwise live on the streets. No one is sure how many kids are in these units because the programme is not official and gets no financial support". Allegedly, the first unit of youngsters was created in 1997 at the headquarters of the elite Kantemirovskaya Tank Division. Vanya, 12 years old, is one of 16 children who are in the Division’s 202nd Air Defence Battalion. Boys are required to attend school, take training classes, care for the livestock of the base, and participate in drills and shooting exercises.
In February 2000, President Putin issued a decree which provides "approval of the statute on enrolment of under-age citizens of the Russian Federation into military regiments as wards and of their supply with required provisions."

[el_kab0ng]

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56131.jpg

That's an Imbel btw, not British. Brazillian.

[Uncle Sam]

What a won-der-ful world we live in...!

[Jack Mehoff]

Children fighting in war is not something new. The difference is you would see it and hear it more often in this digital communcation age. Honestly, i think children in the world today is more LUCKY than children in the past.

[Seoulstriker]

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56131.jpg

That's an Imbel btw, not British. Brazillian.


it looked like an FN FAL originally to me, but thanks for the clarification. :D :hug:

[thatguy96]

That's an Imbel btw, not British. Brazillian.
Looks like any other FAL 50.63/64 pattern weapon too me...how do you know its an Imbel? If it was an MD-2 then I could see how it would be obvious (the MD-2 is chambered in 5.56x45mm and feeds from AR-15/M16 style magazines), but that's definitly a 7.62x51mm FAL pattern rifle.

[Royal]

Looks like any other FAL 50.63/64 pattern weapon too me...how do you know its an Imbel? If it was an MD-2 then I could see how it would be obvious (the MD-2 is chambered in 5.56x45mm and feeds from AR-15/M16 style magazines), but that's definitly a 7.62x51mm FAL pattern rifle.

http://www.ciriello.com/site/pix/56/56131.jpg

That's an Imbel btw, not British. Brazillian.


it looked like an FN FAL originally to me, but thanks for the clarification. :D :hug:

For the good and simple reason that the UK never issued an L1A1 with a folding stock. If you knew what you were talking about, you'd also note that the fore-grip and flash eliminator are FN rather than L1A1 type.

The UK did however supply surplus L1A1's to the Sierra Leone government.

On the subject of child soldiers, as one who was one (joined up as a 16 year old), but was prevented from serving with my comrades in Northern Ireland until I was 18, I can see both sides.

I don't think I was adversely affected by my service and neither were several older friends who served in the Falklands as 16 and 17 year olds. OTOH 16 is about the limit.

[Steve Andrews]

I was a junior soldier, joined at 16. Looking back, I think 16 is old enough.

[Herrmannek]

In civilised army, under suspecting eye of older soldiers and NCO's and CO's Yes.. but in countrys where children are kept in army by drug additction, without proper trainig and any supervision. I don't think so....

[Hydro]

I'm 17, and I'm an infantry reservist. My dad was one of the youngest to fight in the Falklands, he just scraped past his 18th birthday whilst on Canberra. He did CTCRM whilst 16, and was seconded to USMC BEFORE his 17th birthday! The USMC were doubtful of sending him to Parris Island as they thought he was too young. You can join UK forces at 16, you can actually sign up at 15 and 9 months, but you don't leave for basic until you turn 16.

In World War One, many many British teenagers lied about their age to get in the forces, there were 14 year olds fighting and dying on the Somme.

[mack pl]

Hermannek, in Poland in WWII, childrens fighting against germans. In Warsaw,1944 for example. They havnt any good training, its not regular army, so it was good or not. You know that very good. I think childrens in army is normal thing.Normal doesnt mean good, but standard. When you havent enough of older people you get the childrens. In Europe we dont get childrens to army now, but Africa is different. Ok, i think is not cool, but we have childrens in our army 60 years ago, so we are like africans.Hahha, i dont think so. I think is f**n standard when you have no enough grow people to fight.Peace and love ;)

[Brandon]

All these poor kids know is war. Im assuming if they didnt fight they'd be killed anyways. Totally sickening.

The children spoken of that were fighting the Germans in WWII were fighting for their country and life. The Nazi's were a evil that was fought world-wide and every able-bodied man and child in Poland was expected to fight, just as we would if we were being invaded.

[Ballistic]

This is a stain on humanity. Children should not know such things as war, and actually fighting them is unthinkable, but sadly it's happening. :(

[mack pl]

In WWII they fight of freedom, yeah.It was cool. But they were only childrens. I think using childrens to fight is wrong idea. They should going to school, play soccer etc. etc., not fighting. But in our world, children fight in past, at the moment, and they will be fighting in the future. Its sad, but its f***n true. Why they must fight its not important, they shouldnt fight at all.

[Herrmannek]

In WWII they fight of freedom, yeah.It was cool. But they were only childrens. I think using childrens to fight is wrong idea. They should going to school, play soccer etc. etc., not fighting. But in our world, children fight in past, at the moment, and they will be fighting in the future. Its sad, but its f***n true. Why they must fight its not important, they shouldnt fight at all.

It's true that children Poles fought in WWII esspecialy in Warsaw Uprising, but everyone tried to protect them from combatant roles, they were meesangers, observers, Molotov Coctail Tank Busters, Ammunition Guys etc. ...giving them rifles and pistols was last resort. No one tried to create children combat squads, wich were later sended into worst battles as cannon foder to protect older from sharing their blood...

Combatant children pay ultimate price, so they shouldn't be abused by older's cowardiance, convenience and such...

Ultimate price demands Ultimate conditions...
http://www.ga.com.pl/foto19/08237x.jpg

[mack pl]

I know what they do in Warsaw uprising. everyone trying protect them,ehhh, maybe, but you know when this boys are in middle of fight they cannot be safety. It was very dangerous for them(especcialy Molotov Coctail Tank Busters). I know, they fight for liberty, freedom, independent etc. It was very heroic and patriotic. This pic is very cool,Maly Powstaniec.Small boy in big helmet.Its nice.I understud why they fighting.If i were in this situation i will fight too. But i guess its not good for them.when you are 20 years old, you could fighting, and it dont changed you, like a 10 years boy, i think. In english is hard to explain my point of view .( Mysle ze to zrozumiale ze dzieciaki bily sie za Polske. Kazdy by to zrobil. taka byla sytuacja, ale to nie zmienia faktu ze dzieci nie powinny walczyc. ten pomnik pokazuje jak sie poswiecaly dla ojczyzny. Ale moj punkt widzenia jest taki ze to dorosli powinni brac na swoje barki ciezar walki o ojczyzne. Swoja droga trudno bylo dzieciaki powstrzymac, szczegolnie w powstaniu.Czyli roznie na to mozna patrzec) .Sorry, boys, it was only for my polish friends.I cannot translated it. ;)

[el_kab0ng]

Looks like any other FAL 50.63/64 pattern weapon too me...how do you know its an Imbel? If it was an MD-2 then I could see how it would be obvious (the MD-2 is chambered in 5.56x45mm and feeds from AR-15/M16 style magazines), but that's definitly a 7.62x51mm FAL pattern rifle

As my distinguished colleague mentioned earlier, the Brits never made a side-folder. Also, the handguards and flash-hider are synonymous with Imbel products. If you've ever been to the border towns in Texas/Mexico, you will see the Mexican military carrying the exact same weapon with Imbel markings.

[Bombtrack]

It's a really really sad thing to see and hear about
In a world politics class I saw a documentary on the conflict in Sierra Leone specifically, and some other african wars

These children are abducted when theyre very young, forced to witness the murder of their family (a lot of the time forced to do it themselves), then brainwashed, and fed drugs to keep them under whatever's militia control and they forget about everything else. Some of the reformed kids were being interviewed, im talking 10 year olds talking about how theyve killed, and burned villages and so on.

It's really f'ed up

[FozzieBear]

no child should ever be subjected to war. :(

[Panzer laid]

I always thought, that raising and helping the orphans is the social security job... well if the budget money goes not to Social Security but to Army...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Russia Arms Children to Beef up Military
NewsMax.com
Friday, May 19, 2000
In America kids get a slap on the wrist for toting a handgun to school. But in Russia, the government is arming schoolchildren with assault rifles and grenades.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, formerly of the KGB, has ordered that male students age 15 and up will undergo military training classes. Schoolgirls will study how to aid wounded soldiers in battle, reports the magazine Mother Jones.
Putin's plan revives Soviet-style military training abolished in 1991.
"A man should know what the armed forces are. That's a must," Putin said in February while pushing for a bigger military.
The order has angered some parents and teachers.
Nonna Chernyakova, a lieutenant in the reserves, recalls how at age 14 she learned to toss grenades, assemble Kalashnikov semi-automatic rifles, write propaganda and interrogate prisoners. But she doesn’t want her teen son doing the same.
"He envied me that I had a chance to shoot a rifle or dismantle a Kalashnikov," she told Mother Jones. "He doesn't understand that it is not a game people play for fun. Anything military has ultimate goal to kill people."
Pavel Mikov, a history teacher and activist in the Perm, told The Moscow Times that mandatory military training violated childen’s rights.
"The subject is designed for brainwashing," he said. "It violates the most profound civil right — freedom of beliefs."
Russia's estimated 650,000 orphans and 400,000 homeless children are not exempt.
Military units have long been "adopting" orphans. The state made that practice legal in February.Armed forces may take in boys as young as 14, who may stay until they become adults.
The government will not say how many orphans are in uniform. Education Ministry officials forecast that thousands of boys would join military units in the next few years.

-------------------

excerpt from: http://www.child-soldiers.org/cs/childsoldiers.nsf/0/2952c64bb1feb8ac80256b1e007ba055?OpenDocument

Military Training and Military Schools
There are seven special military schools (the so-called ‘Suvorovskya’) located in Ekaterinberg, Kazan, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ever, Ulyanovsk and Ussurisk, where about 4,900 pupils are currently studying. Children are accepted from the age of 14 and orphans can enter without the need to pass an examination. There is also a specialised navy school in St. Petersburg.[13] There are five special cadet corps in the Russian Federation where children of 11-12 years of age study. Each cadet corps has 30 to 40 pupils and the total number of cadets is not more than 200 in the whole country.[14] It has been claimed that an elite military academy in Novocherkassk admits students at age 11. The cadets are taught military history and how to handle firearms and grenades.[15]
Government funded camps have been created to teach children ages 9 to 17 skills in self-sufficiency, including how to use a grenade launcher or fire Kalashnikovs. In January 2001, 130 children were reported to have attended one such camp at Zhukovsk. It was also reported that government ministers had visited the camp and praised its work, which is partly funded and equipped by the army.[16]
A report in Life Magazine claimed that orphans or street children have been taken in by the armed forces. "Russian Army officers all over the nation have set up units of "youngsters", children between the ages of 11 and 18 who might otherwise live on the streets. No one is sure how many kids are in these units because the programme is not official and gets no financial support". Allegedly, the first unit of youngsters was created in 1997 at the headquarters of the elite Kantemirovskaya Tank Division. Vanya, 12 years old, is one of 16 children who are in the Division’s 202nd Air Defence Battalion. Boys are required to attend school, take training classes, care for the livestock of the base, and participate in drills and shooting exercises.
In February 2000, President Putin issued a decree which provides "approval of the statute on enrolment of under-age citizens of the Russian Federation into military regiments as wards and of their supply with required provisions."


In Taiwan ! high school students have military classes ! Learn how to shoot and operate weapon. My mom taught military lesson in Highschool and College for 20 years.

"Personally" I don' t think learning military knowledge and operate weapons is a bad thing for Students.

Youth learn displine, sports and hush reality of war ( too much TV game for them )

I join reserve when I was 18, many trainies were just turn 16 and they do awsome.

But is another thing to sent kids and youth into battle !

[soma]

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~halle019/child_soldier01.jpg

a goddamned shame.






no standardization anywhere, this kid has an M16, that kid has a chicom AK47, another kid has an FNFAL. absolutely terrible, logistics must be a nightmare.



or was that wrong? should i not have said that?

Exactly what I was thinking :)

[FozzieBear]

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~halle019/child_soldier01.jpg

a goddamned shame.






no standardization anywhere, this kid has an M16, that kid has a chicom AK47, another kid has an FNFAL. absolutely terrible, logistics must be a nightmare.



or was that wrong? should i not have said that?

Exactly what I was thinking :) arent they tamil tigers or something?

[Saranof]

Some people here seem to be comparing these children to their own counties armys and/or reserves, which is a completly different matter.

[Wodan]

not really children, but below of 18:

http://www.n-tv.de/images/200401/5203067__%7B9D02157E-A546-46E3-9F79-614E153A05D2%7D.jpg

in germany, in peace times you have to be in minimum 17 for military service, in war times it can also be down to 14 or 15.

[drGreen]

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~halle019/child_soldier01.jpg

a goddamned shame.






no standardization anywhere, this kid has an M16, that kid has a chicom AK47, another kid has an FNFAL. absolutely terrible, logistics must be a nightmare.



or was that wrong? should i not have said that?

Exactly what I was thinking :) arent they tamil tigers or something?

more like tamil kittens to me..

[Wodan]

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~halle019/child_soldier01.jpg

a goddamned shame.






no standardization anywhere, this kid has an M16, that kid has a chicom AK47, another kid has an FNFAL. absolutely terrible, logistics must be a nightmare.



or was that wrong? should i not have said that?

Exactly what I was thinking :) arent they tamil tigers or something?

more like tamil kittens to me..

lol

[el_kab0ng]

Looks like any other FAL 50.63/64 pattern weapon too me...how do you know its an Imbel? If it was an MD-2 then I could see how it would be obvious (the MD-2 is chambered in 5.56x45mm and feeds from AR-15/M16 style magazines), but that's definitly a 7.62x51mm FAL pattern rifle

As my distinguished colleague mentioned earlier, the Brits never made a side-folder. Also, the handguards and flash-hider are synonymous with Imbel products. If you've ever been to the border towns in Texas/Mexico, you will see the Mexican military carrying the exact same weapon with Imbel markings.

To toot my own horn about the subject, I forgot I managed to snap a pict of a border town soldier at the last Cuervocon.

http://www.reject.org/pr0ject/cc6/images/DSC00058.JPG

[the_janitor]

Some people here seem to be comparing these children to their own counties armys and/or reserves, which is a completly different matter.

Exactly.Some people here definitely miss the point, arguing that they joined at 16-17...first of all most children showed in these pictures are well below that age and did not decide to join but were forced. Besides, what they went through is not running around and shooting cardboard (notice:I don't mean to disrespect any of you out there by saying that) but actual conflicts, and I'm sure I don't need to remind you how barbaric ethnic wars such as the ones fought in Africa usually are. Anyway, the point is this is a well sad and shameful phenomenon and children should not have to go to war, period.

[usarfang]

This all very sad..

I really think that persons under 20 shouldnt be involved in this ****..

And for most, even that is too young..

:(

dawg, i enlisted when i was 17 also man.... under 20 shoudn't be involved in this ****... gimme a ****in break here

[Bombtrack]

Some people here seem to be comparing these children to their own counties armys and/or reserves, which is a completly different matter.

Exactly.Some people here definitely miss the point, arguing that they joined at 16-17...first of all most children showed in these pictures are well below that age and did not decide to join but were forced. Besides, what they went through is not running around and shooting cardboard (notice:I don't mean to disrespect any of you out there by saying that) but actual conflicts, and I'm sure I don't need to remind you how barbaric ethnic wars such as the ones fought in Africa usually are. Anyway, the point is this is a well sad and shameful phenomenon and children should not have to go to war, period.

Well said, a lot of people are missing the point

[Panzer laid]

Some people here seem to be comparing these children to their own counties armys and/or reserves, which is a completly different matter.

Exactly.Some people here definitely miss the point, arguing that they joined at 16-17...first of all most children showed in these pictures are well below that age and did not decide to join but were forced. Besides, what they went through is not running around and shooting cardboard (notice:I don't mean to disrespect any of you out there by saying that) but actual conflicts, and I'm sure I don't need to remind you how barbaric ethnic wars such as the ones fought in Africa usually are. Anyway, the point is this is a well sad and shameful phenomenon and children should not have to go to war, period.


if u mean me ! I don't mean that at all !!
I only mean military training can be good influence on youth.

( I use reserve and military eduction in Taiwan to support my point, not to make a comparism )


I totally don't agree having children on war. It is very wrong.