Editing British Armed Forces (section)

==Recruitment==
{{Further|Recruitment in the British Army}}
[[File:Royal Marine During Passing Out Parade MOD 45154046.jpg|thumb|A newly qualified [[Royal Marine]] of 122 Troop Kings Squad is pictured during a [[Passing out (military)|passing out parade]] in 2011, having undergone the recruitment process and selection and training]]
All three services of the British Armed Forces recruit primarily from within the United Kingdom, although citizens from the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] and the [[Republic of Ireland]] are equally eligible to join.<ref name="Times">Evans (2005), [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article589974.ece How British Army is fast becoming foreign legion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529145600/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article589974.ece |date=29 May 2010 }}, timesonline.co.uk</ref> The minimum recruitment age is 16 years (although personnel may not serve on armed operations below 18 years, and if under 18 must also have parental consent to join); the maximum recruitment age depends whether the application is for a regular or reserve role; there are further variations in age limit for different corps/regiments. The normal term of engagement is 22 years; however, the minimum service required before resignation is 4 years, plus, in the case of the Army, any service person below the age of 18. A note to add is that in the United Kingdom, people may join the "Cadet Forces" such as the army cadets, Royal Air Force Air Cadets or the sea and Royal Marine Cadets. Young people may join these organisations which are either funded or affiliated with the MOD from the age of 13-18, there is no obligation to then join the armed forces however it teaches key skills in both civilian and military life and is a key recruitment drive for the armed forces.<ref>BBC News (6 January 2007), "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6236345.stm Recruitment Age for Army Raised]". {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208183807/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6236345.stm |date=8 February 2012 }}.</ref> At present, the yearly intake into the armed forces is 11,880 (per the 12 months to 31 March 2014).<ref name="PersonnelGOV">[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/310468/quarterly_personnel_report_apr14.pdf UK Armed Forces Quarterly Personnel Report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714204554/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/310468/quarterly_personnel_report_apr14.pdf |date=14 July 2014 }}, gov.uk, 1 April 2014</ref>

Excluding the [[Brigade of Gurkhas]] and the [[Royal Irish Regiment (1992)|Royal Irish Regiment]], as of 1 April 2014 there are approximately 11,200 Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) persons serving as Regulars across the three service branches; of those, 6,610 were recruited from outside the United Kingdom. In total, Black and Minority Ethnic persons represent 7.1% of all service personnel, an increase from 6.6% in 2010.<ref name="PersonnelGOV" />

Since the year 2000, [[Sexual orientation and the military of the United Kingdom|sexual orientation has not been a factor considered in recruitment]], and homosexuals can serve openly in the armed forces. All branches of the forces have actively recruited at [[Gay Pride]] events.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4189634.stm|title=Army marches with Pride parade|work=BBC News|date=27 August 2005|access-date=6 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060218115212/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4189634.stm|archive-date=18 February 2006|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pridelondon.org/blog.php?b=1216 |title=The LGBT community in the Armed Forces |date=11 June 2008 |publisher=London Gay Pride official website |access-date=6 November 2009 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227165621/http://www.pridelondon.org/blog.php?b=1216 |archive-date=27 February 2014 }}</ref> The forces keep no formal figures concerning the number of gay and lesbian serving soldiers, saying that the sexual orientation of personnel is considered irrelevant and not monitored.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article559936.ece|title=Army on parade for gay recruits|first=Jonathan|last=Leake|author2=Philip Cardy|newspaper=[[The Times]]|access-date=6 November 2009|date=28 August 2005|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529145528/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article559936.ece|archive-date=29 May 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Role of women===
{{Further|Women in the military by country#United Kingdom}}
[[File:Hrh Princess Elizabeth in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, April 1945 TR2832.jpg|thumb|right|[[Elizabeth II|Princess Elizabeth]] (later Queen Elizabeth II) in the [[Auxiliary Territorial Service]], April 1945]]
[[Women]] have been part of the armed forces, on and off, for centuries, more fully integrated since the early 1990s, including flying fast jets and commanding warships or artillery batteries. As of 1 April 2014, there were approximately 15,840 women serving in the armed forces, representing 9.9% of all service personnel.<ref name="PersonnelGOV"/> The first female military pilot was [[Flight Lieutenant]] [[Julie Ann Gibson]] while Flight Lieutenant [[Jo Salter]] was the first fast-jet pilot, the latter flying a Tornado GR1 on missions patrolling the then [[Iraqi no-fly zones|Northern Iraqi No-Fly Zone]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Haynes|first=Deborah|author-link=Deborah Haynes|date=23 May 2009|title=The Top Gun girl and the Tornado fast jet|work=[[The Times]]|location=London|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/article/the-top-gun-girl-and-the-tornado-fast-jet-svdtwdzbm8b|url-status=live|url-access=subscription|access-date=31 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512175444/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article6344981.ece|archive-date=12 May 2011}}</ref> Flight Lieutenant Juliette Fleming and [[Squadron Leader]] Nikki Thomas recently{{when|date=February 2024}} were the first Tornado GR4 crew.<ref>[http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/Tornados-Taliban-day-s-work-Nikki-navigator/article-1652922-detail/article.html Tornados and Taliban are all in a day's work] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513182051/http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/Tornados-Taliban-day-s-work-Nikki-navigator/article-1652922-detail/article.html |date=13 May 2011 }}. This is Devon (29 December 2009). Retrieved on 24 August 2013.</ref> While enforcing the Libyan No-Fly Zone, Flight Lieutenant Helen Seymour was identified as the first female Eurofighter Typhoon pilot.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8402845/First-woman-to-fly-Typhoon-enforces-no-fly-zone.html|location=London|work=The Daily Telegraph|first=Nick|last=Collins|title=First woman to fly Typhoon enforces no-fly-zone|date=24 March 2011|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211152403/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8402845/First-woman-to-fly-Typhoon-enforces-no-fly-zone.html|archive-date=11 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

In August 2011, it was announced that a female lieutenant commander, [[Sarah West]], was to command the [[frigate]] {{HMS|Portland|F79|6}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14444808|work=BBC News|title=Royal Navy appoints first female warship commander|date=8 August 2011|access-date=21 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112195203/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14444808|archive-date=12 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2016, it was announced that women would be allowed to serve in close combat, starting with the Royal Armoured Corps.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ban-on-women-in-ground-close-combat-roles-lifted|work=UK Ministry of Defence|title=Ban on women in ground close combat roles lifted|date=8 July 2016|access-date=15 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160709150054/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ban-on-women-in-ground-close-combat-roles-lifted|archive-date=9 July 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2017, the Secretary of Defence announced that women would be allowed to enlist in the [[RAF Regiment]] from September 2017, a year ahead of schedule.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/raf-opens-close-combat-role-to-women-ahead-of-schedule|work=UK Ministry of Defence|title=RAF opens close combat role to women ahead of schedule|date=13 July 2017|access-date=13 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728225958/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/raf-opens-close-combat-role-to-women-ahead-of-schedule|archive-date=28 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018, women were allowed to apply for all roles in the British military, including the [[United Kingdom Special Forces|special forces]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Lizzie Dearden Home Affairs Correspondent @lizziedearden |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/women-soldiers-army-military-sas-defence-government-infantry-frontline-gavin-williamson-female-a8601371.html |title=Women now allowed to apply for Royal Marines and all other frontline military roles, defence secretary announces |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=25 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025225835/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/women-soldiers-army-military-sas-defence-government-infantry-frontline-gavin-williamson-female-a8601371.html |archive-date=25 October 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> {{as of|2024|June|10}}, the [[List of senior female officers of the British Armed Forces|most senior serving woman]] is [[Four star rank|four-star]] General [[Sharon Nesmith|Dame Sharon Nesmith]].