When Noah Van Zyl told his parents he wanted to join the army it prompted surprise and worry.
Fears of their then teenage son being sent to the frontline of a warzone were paramount.
But now Laura and Gerhard Van Zyl are bursting with pride to see their son embark on his first overseas mission in Poland. That is part of the biggest NATO exercise since the Cold War.
Craftsman Van Zyl, 21, from Cupar, in Fife, is a recovery mechanic with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). He is attached to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
When your child joins the army
He is currently deployed on Steadfast Defender 24. That sees 90,000 troops from across the NATO allies testing and demonstrating new tactics for defending Europe.
So what’s it like for parents to see their child grow up, enlist and forge a career in the armed services?
“We’re very proud,” said Laura, a bid manager.
Worries over Noah’s career choice quickly subsided when she and Gerhard, an operations manager with a contracts firm, learned more about army life.
Laura said: “You worry as a mum because the first thing that comes to your mind is combat or where are you going to go, what are the risks, etc.
“But when we sat down and talked to him about what he wanted to do in the army, the prospects and what it meant to him we were quite excited for him.”
Noah, who was a boarding pupil at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, had tried further education.
But in his second year studying graphic design at Dundee and Angus College Covid struck, leaving him to learn alone at home and scuppering the practical elements of his course.
That was not for him. He began exploring the many career options within the armed forces.
Military life was a natural progression for Noah
Noah grew up near what is now Leuchars Station army base but was then RAF Leuchars. He loved to watch the military jets roar overhead as a boy.
He would also spend time outdoors with his grandfather Peter Jerome, a Merchant Navy veteran and keen hunter, shooter and fisher.
So military life was a natural progression.
Noah’s love of cars, engines and racing led him towards REME. That is the maintenance arm and ‘driving force’ of the British Army. He is now a qualified mechanic.
The training and qualifications he has gained, pointed out Gerhard, would be extremely costly in the civilian world. They make Noah very employable if he decides to leave the armed forces.
Gerhard said: “The discipline, the routines and the good habits, team work, these are really good things you can’t teach.
“The experience he is gaining is priceless.”
And Laura said the army’s hands-on approach to teaching had helped their son to thrive.
Training and passing out
She said: “We have seen a huge difference in how the army has developed him as a person and academically.”
Noah passed fitness and academy tests at Assessment Centre Glencorse, in Penicuik. He then embarked on 14 weeks of basic training at Army Training Regiment Winchester.
The next phase of training was at MOD Lyneham, the regimental headquarters of REME and home of the Defence School of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering.
Laura and Gerhard and one of Noah’s two sisters, Amber and Jasmine, then proudly watched his passing out parade at ATR Winchester.
Since then Noah has done adventure training. He’s also been able to pursue his love of mountain biking and golf.
He has had his mettle tested too.
Noah told us one of the toughest challenges was “probably the first time they shove you out in the field”.
“You’re having to sleep under a tarp. That’s a real culture shock.
“Especially at the first level of training some of the fitness can be a real push.
“There’s a lot of running and I’ve never really liked running!
Being on time and ironing
“When you are out on exercises or out in the field they’ll put 25kg on your back and tell you to get going. You slowly get used to it and how to do it properly.”
Noah feels he has matured and become a better communicator since joining the army. And, of course, his time management skills have improved.
He said: “Before, I was like ‘I’ll be there when I’m there!'”
His parents see a big difference in their son.
Laura said: “His self-confidence has really grown because he knows he can do what he is doing and he’s good at what he does because he has applied himself.
“That comes over in his whole way of being.”
And, she added: “He now irons!”
Noah could have been posted anywhere. So Laura and Gerhard were pleased his first posting was to Leuchars Station, allowing him to return to the family home just a few miles away.
But when he is deployed overseas – including on his current exercise – they will take comfort that he is well-prepared and with his military family.
Army colleagues ‘have each others’ backs’
REME has played a vital role in all army operations over the last few decades. Those include Afghanistan and the Gulf wars, with soldiers sometimes on or close to the front line.
It’s REME’s job to repair army equipment when it breaks down and maintain the kit soldiers rely on. Wherever the army goes a REME detachment goes too.
Laura said: “We look on it as anywhere [Noah] goes, being part of the army, they’ve all got each others’ backs, they’re all well trained.
“Whereas you could go out at the weekend, as many young people do, and anything could happen.
They are so well trained… you just have to sit back and wait for him to come home.”
Mum Laura Van Zyl
“I think he’s safe in the army in many respects, but it doesn’t stop you worrying.
“That’s what we do as parents, worry.”
Having a son in the army has made Laura and Gerhard more attuned to world affairs.
“I think we’re more aware of the news now, knowing what’s happening and you begin to realise ‘ok this has an impact on us’,” said Laura.
“Again, I think they are so well trained and it’s what they want to do so you just have to sit back and wait for him to come home.”
Think of opportunities not war
Laura encouraged other parents to see the armed forces as a positive career option for their children, rather than fretting about them being sent to war.
“You can go to university and gain a lot of debt, come out with a degree but no work experience,” she said.
“Noah has gone into the army and he’s sat exams, got his licences and he’s working at the same time, and that’s huge.”
Gerhard said: “Hopefully he will decide to stay in the army and develop his career. But if he comes out any employer would snap him up.”
The army said it is committed to ensuring the welfare of serving personnel and their families.
A spokesperson said: “The army works hard to ensure provision, in particular welfare and pastoral care are at the forefront of families of serving personnel and their integration into communities”.
To join the army as a soldier applicants must be 16 years old and have parental consent if they are under 18.
Is your family a little bit different or do you have a story to tell? Maybe it’s who you are, what you do or how you got there that sets you apart. If you have a tale to tell we’d love to hear it.
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