Asked about Army, Minister says he’d ‘join the Marines’

Armed Forces Minister Al Carns drew a brief moment of levity in the House of Commons this week after answering a question on recruitment with a characteristically clear response.

During a debate on veterans’ welfare and the impact of Northern Ireland legacy legislation, Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin asked whether concerns about future prosecutions for service personnel might deter the minister himself from joining the British Army if he were making the decision today. Carns replied: “No, I would join the Royal Marines.”

Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin asked whether concerns about future prosecutions for service personnel might deter the minister himself from joining the British Army if he were making the decision today. @AlistairCarns replied: “No, I would join the Royal Marines”. pic.twitter.com/RxoJHJpBIg

— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) January 11, 2026

The exchange appeared to catch some attention in the chamber, not least because Carns is a former Royal Marines colonel and currently serves as a reservist, a detail that appeared to have been overlooked in the question. The remark came shortly after the minister had set out what he described as the government’s record on veterans’ support, citing increased funding and expanded programmes across housing, healthcare and transition into civilian life.

Carns told MPs the government had put £50 million into the Valour initiative, expanded Op Restore, and rolled out Op Courage with £21 million for veterans’ mental health support. He said more than 4,100 referrals had been made under Op Fortitude, with over 1,000 veterans supported into housing. He added that the Career Transition Partnership was “second-to-none” and argued that veterans were being better supported than at any point in the past decade.

The debate then moved onto more serious ground, with Conservative MP Charlie Dewhirst raising concerns about the government’s Troubles Bill and whether former members of paramilitary organisations could sit on a proposed legacy commission. Dewhirst said Northern Ireland veterans and victims were outraged and asked for assurances that terrorists would not sit alongside families of victims. Carns said he had worked closely with the Northern Ireland Office and argued the legacy commission would have the strongest powers yet to examine evidence, adding that it was the best route to “truth, reconciliation and justice.”

Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord later questioned whether the service justice system could command confidence among potential recruits, citing past debates over court martial versus civilian trials. Carns responded that the system had undergone significant reform since 2021, pointing to the establishment of the Defence Serious Crime Command and improved victim support units. He said the system was “fully fit for purpose” and had his “utter confidence.”