He announced his resignation on Facebook
A Scots Guardsman has said he plans to resign from the armed forces after his portrait was used on a controversial recruitment poster aimed at ‘snowflakes’ – a term used to describe typically young people deemed to be oversensitive.
Stephen McWhirter, 28, was unaware of the fact his face was going to be used on a poster stating “snowflakes – the army needs you and your compassion”, according to the Mail on Sunday.
McWhirter took to Facebook to express his frustrations, and received numerous sarcastic remarks from colleagues. He has complained that the army left him open to ridicule.
One wrote: “Imagine the army taking a photo of you and writing ‘snowflake’ in massive bold letters above your head. I’d be signed straight off.”
Guardsman McWhirter then replied: “Don’t f****** worry, mate, I am.”
He later confirmed in another post that he would resign at the next opportunity, which will reportedly be in five months’ time.
The recruitment campaign has been widely criticised since its release, but some politicians have passionately defended it.
Based on the World War One recruitment posters, using the same ‘your country needs you’ rhetoric, the posters call upon “class clowns”, “binge gamers”, “phone zombies”, “snowflakes” and “selfie addicts”, telling them that the army needs their potential.
Conservative MP James Cleverly came out in defence of the campaign, claiming critics had missed the point entirely.
People criticising the @BritishArmy’s new #snowflake recruitment campaign are missing the point.
The army has always recruited from the society it serves and often from those who some describe as “not up to the mark”.
It then turns those recruits into world class soldiers pic.twitter.com/RgeFSHGvHN
— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) January 4, 2019
Defence secretary Gavin Williamson said the campaign is “a powerful call to action that appeals to those seeking to make a difference as part of an innovative and inclusive team”.
“It shows that time spent in the Army equips people with skills for life and provides comradeship, adventure and opportunity like no other job does,” he said.
“Now all jobs in the Army are open to men and women. The best just got better.”
