THE army boots positively shine as Lieutenant Colonel Guy Deacon inspects junior soldiers at their first parade at the Army Foundation College, near Harrogate.
The junior soldiers marked the occasion by swapping their college berets for their new regimental headdress.
The parade also marked the completion of the first six weeks of their training at the Army Foundation College, not far from Harrogate.
More than 400 of them marched on to their first parade yesterday, in front of relatives and friends.
The 16-year-olds began their mix of military, educational and vocational training at the college in January, and will finish the 42-week course in December.
They will then undertake the more specialist phase two training elsewhere in the UK before joining their regiments.
The college's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Guy Deacon, inspected the junior soldiers and took the salute.
He said: "Changing their college beret for their regimental headdress marks the start of their Army career and will be a day they will always remember.
"They have made a lot of progress in their first six weeks at the college, and it was a proud day not only for the junior soldiers and their parents, but for the college staff."
More than 1,300 16-year-old male and female junior soldiers graduate from the college each year and supply the Army with the potential senior non-commissioned officers of the future.
Updated: 10:14 Saturday, February 19, 2005
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