Military Gap Years: Youth, Security and Futures

Abstract This paper explores the advent of ‘military gap years’ amidst rising moves in Europe to combat recruitment challenges for armed forces personnel. It situates this debate within the longstanding connections between youth, security and the future as well as charting new political geographies related to young people and militarism. The paper outlines why this agenda is important for a number of reasons and situates this emerging topic within the wider discipline.