NEWLY-WEDS Jack and Tammy Pinkney may have only tied the knot a week ago but they are already facing months apart from each other.

The couple are going to have to say their goodbyes days after saying their "I dos," as Jack embarks on his Army career.

The couple, both 18, from Pinehurst married at Swindon Register Office last Saturday.

On Monday Jack, will leave Swindon for Catterick to start 25 weeks of basic Army training.

He will be joining the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment and, after the initial training, he could be posted abroad or will go on to further training.

Jack and Tammy both went to Hreod Parkway School, in Swindon, and first met in Year 9.

He admits Tammy was apprehensive about his decision to go into the Army at first, but "now she's fully behind me," he said.

"At the end of the day, it's a great job. You are doing something for your country and you get to travel the world.

"I understand the risks totally but I don't want to be one of these people who says 'I wish I joined the Army when I had the chance.' I am looking forward to getting going."

Jack was one of seven young men who signed up this week.

The others were Gareth Lewis, 18, Peter Fisher, 22, Daniel Jones, 18, James Stalker, 17 and James Corcoran, 19, who are all from the Swindon area, and Robert Merritt, 20, from Calne.

James Corcoran, from Stratton will be joining the Household Cavalry and will be working on tanks, at first as a driver and then later he hopes as a gunner.

He said: "I am extremely excited about joining up.

"This is a life-changing experience, something I wanted to do since I was a little boy.

"For my last job I was working for a supermarket, so this is going to be a very big change for me."

But, in spite of recent casualties in war zones such as Iraq, he said that he accepted the risks involved.

"It's always sad when a fellow soldier dies in conflict, but that's the risk you take when you sign up to fight for your country," he said.

His sentiments were shared by Peter, of Greenmeadow , who was also a Hreod Parkway student.

He said: "This is going to be a big change for me.

"I worked at Allied Dunbar and then I had a few ware-house jobs but I am eager to get going. I am planning the future."

Several of the trainees had applied before but couldn't join because their level of fitness was not deemed high enough,

But since then the Army has paid for them to attend a special recruitment course at Wiltshire College, Lackham, where they have learned basic life skills and built up their fitness.

Major Dennis Stone, the Army careers officer for Swindon and Bristol, said that the number of men joining up this week showed there was still great interest in careers in the Armed Forces in the Swindon area.