Teenagers keep up family tradition by joining Army (From York Press)
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Teenagers keep up family tradition by joining Army
6:14pm Thursday 3rd January 2008 in News
New Army recruits Benjamin Leach, 19, left, and David Riley, 16, complete their Oath Of Allegiance at a ceremony at the York Army Careers office in Micklegate
A CAREER in the army beckons for two North Yorkshire teenagers who are following in the footsteps of family members.
Benjamin Leach, 19, of Nawton, near Malton, and 16-year-old David Riley, from Linton-on-Ouse, are starting 2008 with a new career in the armed forces.
David is looking to begin his career with the Rifles after being inspired by his father to join up.
Meanwhile, Benjamin has enlisted into the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and will attend the Army Training Regiment in Pirbright and will eventually become an aircraft technician.
David will begin his military training at the Army Foundation College at Harrogate next week for 42 weeks.
He will go on to carry out specialist training at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire.
Both Benjamin's grandfathers served in the army - one granddad, Jack Rowley, was a captain in the Royal Logistics Corps and his other grandfather, William Leach, was an aircraft technician.
Benjamin, a former Ryedale School and York College student, said he had been inspired by their example.
He said: "I have always wanted to join the army. It is just something of a different career, it's an active job and I am really looking forward to the challenge of it. I already have a few friends in the army."
David, a former Easingwold School pupil, is following in the footsteps of his father, also called David Riley, by joining the armed forces. David senior is now in the RAF.
He said: "It's something I have wanted to do since I was little.
"I did not necessarily want to join the army, but I wanted to be in the forces and for the last five years or so it has been the army.
"I am looking forward to getting the opportunity to travel all over the world and see different places.
"It's a great lifestyle in the army and there are loads of benefits associated with that."
Both lads were sworn in to the army by Captain Andy Adair, at York Army Careers Information Office in Micklegate, just before Christmas.
