Logistics and maintenance troops take aim
From chefs to mechanics, troops who support the British Army’s rapid reaction force have polished their soldiering skills.
The logistic and maintenance troops of 16 Air Assault Brigade provide the power behind the punch delivered by the Brigade’s Apache attack helicopters and airborne infantry and artillery. Exercise Eagles Prey has put the supporting soldiers through their paces to ensure they are ready to deploy as part of the Air Assault Task Force (AATF).
The week-long training at the Stanford Training Area in Norfolk has seen troops from 13 Air Assault Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps and 8 Field Company (Para), 7 Air Assault Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers build up from testing their marksmanship with the SA80-A2 assault rifle to practising live fire attacks by day and night.
Vehicle mechanic Lance Corporal Jason Copley, of 8 Fd Coy (Para), said: “This has been a very thorough package of training and it’s great to keep the infantry skills that we all learn in basic training up to date. When we deploy on operations we would go as mechanics or armourers, but would still be out on the ground and need these skills.”
The 30-year-old from Canterbury served in Afghanistan in 2012. He said: “I deployed as both a mechanic and driver for an infantry fire support group. I was outside the wire every day and used these fire and manoeuvre skills on a regular basis.”
Private Jake Boardman is a driver with 13 AA Sp Regt RLC. The 19-year-old from Warrington said: “In training we all start off with the basic soldiering skills like this and then you specialise in a trade. As a driver my day to day work is about ensuring vehicles and equipment are ready to deploy, and I’ve recently done a lot of training to be able to drive the Jackal armoured vehicle. It’s different to come out on the ranges and practise with our weapons, but it’s vital that if we deploy on an operation we are all trained to be able to defend ourselves.”
Both 13 AA Sp Regt RLC and 8 Fd Coy (Para) provide soldiers for the AATF, which is ready to deploy anywhere in the world at short notice to conduct the full spectrum of military operations, from non-combatant evacuation operations to warfighting.
Brigade training officer Captain Gary Palmer said:
“Regardless of their role it is important that soldiers have the skills to operate effectively in the complex environment of contemporary military operations. This is particularly important for 16 Air Assault Brigade, which is a lean and fast-moving formation that needs adaptable and self-reliant soldiers who are able to do whatever is asked of them on operations, in addition to their specialist roles.”
