Army

Special Day For Army's Graduating Junior Soldiers

Junior soldiers have graduated from the Army Foundation College (AFC) Harrogate in the first parade to have families and friends present since 2019.

The parades have been subject to COVID restrictions during the pandemic.

However, roughly 640 soldiers, aged 16 and 17, had the chance to pass out in front of their loved ones at the Graduation Parade on Thursday.

A parachute display was performed before proceedings began, with the parade starting at 10:10, followed by a brief sighting of a Typhoon flypast.

Family and friends watching the passing out parade of Junior Soldiers graduating from Army Foundation College Harrogate, the first time loved ones have been able to attend since 2019 — It was the first time loved ones have been able to attend a passing out parade since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The AFC conducts one of Europe's largest passing out parades and saw a crowd of a few thousand attend following the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

The parade marks more than just graduation, but also the end of a tough year of training as the soldiers tackled life in a pandemic while miles away from their families.

Now, the junior soldiers begin their Army careers and take on their next challenge as they go into their specialist regiments.