The Times - UK (2020-09-15)

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14 1GM Tuesday September 15 2020 | the times


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the pain he had caused his family. Sell-
ing drugs by 15, he was jailed at the age
of 19 for possession of Class A substan-
ces with intent to supply. After serving
half his 16-month sentence, his life
began to spiral out of control.
He went back to taking and dealing

drugs within hours of his release,
because he felt he “wasn’t needed in
society” and considered himself unem-
ployable. He plunged into £15,000 of
drug debts and at his lowest ebb con-
templated suicide. “If I had continued
doing what I was doing, we probably

wouldn’t be having this conversation
now. I’d either be back behind bars or
six feet under,” he said.
The army, which took a chance on
him after he visited a recruitment office
in desperation in 2009, helped him turn
his life around. Training broke him
down and rebuilt him, he said, while
service life offered structure and rou-
tine. He has since deployed to Afghan-
istan, the Falklands, Kenya, Romania,
Germany and Belize, and has taken
part in ceremonial duties in London, in-
cluding guarding the Queen.
His ambition is to join forces with
other reformed soldiers with former
convictions and offer the course for up
to 40 teenagers at a time who hail from
deprived and vulnerable areas across
the country.
During the coronavirus pandemic,
which has limited the ability to host res-
idential courses, he has been visiting
pupil referral units and prisons to tell
his story.
“I would say 80 per cent of the audi-
ence I deliver a briefing to in various dif-
ferent prisons would give their right
arm to be where I am now. Due to their
minor mistake — enough to end them
up behind bars — they realise that, yes,
they have messed up but I feel that indi-
viduals just continue to get punished.”
He hopes his story can inspire teen-
agers and prisoners not to give up.
“Because I’m stood there in uniform,
I give them the light at the end of the
tunnel, that it is not all over.
“When I get asked, would you trust
an ex-convict with a weapon system in
the British army, the answer to that is:
yes, look at me. I’m a platoon sergeant,
I’m in charge of 20-plus blokes, running
the platoon, orchestrating it and look-
ing after every individual in that pla-
toon. I’d like to think they look at me as
inspiration and as a role model.”

A rehabilitated former child drug deal-


er who became a platoon sergeant in


the British army has launched a mili-


tary scheme to save teenagers from


gang life and crime.


Sergeant Rhys Rutledge, 35, is the


architect of a five-day residential pro-


gramme for troubled youths aged 15 to


18 that he is aiming to roll out across the


country.


An ex-cocaine addict, who served


time in prison for dealing, the Welsh


Guards soldier believes that first-per-


son testimony from reformed person-


nel like him can help to show wayward


teenagers that another path is possible.


He piloted his scheme, “Defeat Don’t


Repeat”, for 13 teenagers selected from


London schools at Longmoor Training


Area in Hampshire earlier this year. It


entailed low-level military training and


challenges that promote teamwork and


discipline, such as assault courses,


casualty evacuation exercises and


marching drills.


The syllabus also included emer-


gency first aid skills, from tourniquets


to field dressings, which could come in


useful in the aftermath of gangland


battles on the streets of the UK.


In addition to learning new skills, the


Reformed dealer


who joined army


leads by example


teenagers were offered a forum in
which to discuss racism, religion and
gang culture. Supported by the Minis-
try of Defence, police and prison ser-
vices, the scheme is funded by the army.
Explaining why the pilot was a
success with the participants, Sergeant
Rutledge told The Times: “They were
given a second opportunity, they were
believed in.”
At the end of the week they took part
in a presentation in which they re-
ceived a certificate for passing the
course. “For anybody else, a certificate
is just a bit of paper, thanks very much,
but it meant a lot to these individuals
because they’d never been rewarded or
praised for anything,” he said.
While the scheme is not intended as
a recruitment exercise, the soldier said
it nonetheless showed that the army “is
prepared to work very closely with
youngsters and steer them in the right
direction”. Three participants in the
pilot have since sought his advice about
enlisting.
Sergeant Rutledge first came up with
the idea for the programme while sit-
ting on his cot, which reminded him of
his old prison bed, in Afghanistan. He
decided he wanted to help young
people who found themselves in a simi-
lar situation to him, in part to atone for

Lucy Fisher Defence Editor


Sergeant Rutledge at the pilot of his training scheme at Longmoor training area

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