Brown wants more school cadet forces

From the Scotsman:

"PRIVATE firms should help state schools pay to set up their own military cadet forces, Gordon Brown said yesterday.

Continuing to extend his reach across the full range of government business, the Chancellor called for state schools across the UK to establish branches of the Combined Cadet Force, which gives pupils a chance to learn from the disciplines and training of the armed forces.

Mr Brown made his suggestion in a wider speech on security and community relations, part of what many view as an attempt to broaden his appeal in a stage-managed process that will see him replace Tony Blair as Prime Minister as early as next year.

At present, most of the 42,000 cadets in forces based in schools are in private-sector education, something the Chancellor wants to change.

'To involve young people more in celebrating the contribution of our armed forces, I would like to pilot an expansion of our cadet forces, especially in state schools,' Mr Brown said in a speech in London."

Hmmm, five-mile runs at ungodly hours of the morning in the freezing cold and lots of press-ups sounds like a plan to me but can anyone let me what actually happens in school cadet forces? If it involves teaching adolescents how to shoot guns and kill people with their bare hands and stuff, I'm not sure that would be wise.