Gen Z soldiers reveal they will only join the Army if they are given better wifi and ensuite bathrooms

Your Army needs you! Unless you’re Gen Z, in which case you need better wifi and bathroom ensuites more.

For these were among young troops’ top requirements, according to a report into Armed Forces accommodation. Having a double bed and a proper kitchen to cook their own meals were also in the top-four criteria for Gen Z soldiers, defined as under the age of 27.

The findings, from a Ministry of Defence survey, listed 19 requirements young, single service members now expect to receive while serving. Troops living in newer barracks usually have a room to themselves and the most modern have ensuite facilities. 

But on older bases, many troops have communal rooms, showers and toilets – with as many as six soldiers sharing one area.

The report also suggested that thousands of troops are leaving the Armed Forces every year because of sub-standard housing and the poor quality of food being served in canteens.

The report suggested that thousands of troops are leaving the Armed Forces every year because of sub-standard housing and the poor quality of food being served in canteens

A third of all soldiers believe they pay too much for their accommodation, with more than 20,000 military personnel making formal complaints about accommodation in the last two years

Up to 40 per cent of troops said concerns with accommodation and food were major factors in their decision to seek alternative careers. Last year 15,710 troops quit the Armed Forces, of which more than 6,000 would have had complaints with food and accommodation, according to the survey.

It also showed that a third of all soldiers believe they pay too much for their accommodation, with more than 20,000 military personnel making formal complaints about accommodation in the last two years, according to MoD figures. 

A separate report published earlier this year found service accommodation was plagued by persistent problems including damp, mould, gas and electrical faults, and pest infestations.

Colonel Phil Ingram, a former Army intelligence officer, said: ‘Too many facilities are shared, where heating often doesn’t work and where roofs leak. There are often problems with vermin and – worst of all – there is little privacy.

‘I am not surprised so many cite accommodation as a reason for leaving as on the whole it is generally atrocious.’ 

An MoD spokesman said it is ‘determined to tackle the dire state of service accommodation’ and will appoint an Armed Forces Commissioner ‘to act as a strong, independent champion for personnel and their families to improve service life’.