Rsme Matters
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G N I R E E N I G N E Y R A T I L I M rsme F O L O O H C S L A Y matters O R E ISSUE 3 : NOVEMBER 2009 H T M O R F S W E N Inside: Learning Lessons in Afghanistan Working together to train our soldiers for operations NOVEMBER 2009 03 rsme matters Contents Features Introduction ............................................4 6 8 New CO for 1 RSME ...............................4 Safety Update .........................................5 Open Day ................................................6 The Class of 2009 – Sapper Volunteers ..................................8 OPEN DAY THE CLASS OF 2009 – Thousands of people crowded into SAPPER VOLUNTEERS Army Show and Trade Village ...............10 Brompton Barracks for the RSME RSME Matters has enlisted the help Open Day. The afternoon was a of 6 willing volunteer sappers and Look at Life ...........................................11 great success with both the arena will follow them from the basic B3 events and the display areas Combat Engineering training through Medway Recce .....................................11 proving equally popular... their trade training and on into the Read more on page 6 field army... Read more on page 8 Construction Update: ...........................12 Eco Greenhouse ...................................13 Learning Lessons in Afghanistan .........14 11 Padre Pat Aldred ..................................16 Veterans at Chatham and Memorial Service ...........................16 Top Bucket 2009 ..................................17 Sky High for Charity .............................18 LOOK AT LIFE Army recruitment team visit Upnor and give the potential recruits the ride of Award ...................................................18 their lives!... Read more on page 11 The Big Brew ........................................18 16 Founding Father ...................................19 12 17 Dragon Boat Racing ............................19 Minley Party in the Park ........................19 Main picture: Corps RSM, WO1 M (Geordie) PADRE PAT ALDRED Callender MInstRE inspecting the standard bearers CONSTRUCTION TOP BUCKET 2009 The new Chaplin for 1 RSME and during the national competition at the RSME UPDATE: Excavator penalty kicks, Bobcat HQ RSME is still finding his way Progress continues at the Minley slalom and tyre balancing were just around the RSME but has already Photography: All images except where stated and Medway sites... some of the challenges of Top Bucket made his mark... by Ian Clowes www.goldysolutions.co.uk Read more on page 12 2009... Read more on page 17 Design and Production: Plain Design Read more on page 16 www.plaindesign.co.uk Cover image: Graeme Hannington 04 NOVEMBER 2009 NOVEMBER 2009 05 rsme matters rsme matters Introduction New CO for 1 RSME Safety Update The Royal School of Military Engineering nucleus of the newly formed 23 Engineer t r o is all about training; it is about delivering F Regiment (Air Assault), deploying Don’t Accidents Industry e n soldiers with the right mix of skills, i immediately to the second Gulf War on a r r competencies and o Op TELIC 1 as part of 16 (Air Assault) L Walk By and Injuries News : e qualifications to g Brigade. In addition, over the period the a m undertake specialist I Squadron exercised for a month in UNSAFE LADDER USE AT tasks, often in a Cyprus, provided civil fire-fighter cover for A COMPANY IN PRESTON. highly dangerous parts of Essex on Op FRESCO, and took environment. In this part in the first Brigade level exercises Two employees were lifting a metal issue we have determining how to fight AH-64. After a ladder into a water pump shaft when it focussed on training thoroughly rewarding time as OC it was made contact with an 11,000 volt overhead and particularly the back to the staff; as a Grade 2 staff officer power lines. One of the men fell Class of 2009. Six he was SO2 Programme & Plans for the unconscious and suffered electrical burns young Sappers who Lieutenant Colonel Paul Fountaine BOWMAN Integrated Project Team, to a hand and both his feet, while the other we will follow from the B3 Combat was commissioned into the Royal followed by Chief of Staff 29 Engineer man's feet were also badly burned. Engineering course at Minley, through Engineers in May 1992, aged 23. On Group, 8 Force Engineer Brigade, subsequent trade training at Chatham completion of the RE Young Officers’ responsible for all Army EOD force Use of the Don’t Walk By campaign is The number of injuries is still too high, Never let your guard down, danger and Station and (hopefully) on into the Field Course and Parachute Selection he was elements. His time as COS was cut short still growing, though not at a fast enough with far too many people being affected. hazards can be anywhere, including Army. We hope to offer a personal view on posted as a Troop Commander in 9 due to promotion, where upon he found pace. Better news is that we are finishing While there has been a reducing number of overhead, always undertake safety checks life as a Royal Engineer; thank you to these Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers. himself serving in Germany for the first two-thirds of the works identified on Don’t lost-time injuries, there is also a marked before starting work. 6 willing volunteers - you will be seeing Over the next three years he saw service time. As Chief J5 Plans United Kingdom Walk By cards within the month that they increase in minor injuries, resulting in no more of them in future editions. in Canada, across Europe, the Falkland Support Command, the period was are received. lost-time, though this may be linked to the Islands, with the UN in Central Africa, the dominated by the impending move of HQ launch of the Don’t Walk By scheme and BREAKFAST – THE MOST As ever, if there is stuff that you want to see UN in Cyprus, and finally, Northern Ireland Allied Rapid Reaction Corps to the UK Other jobs are taking longer than expected, the resulting increase in reporting. RSME IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY in RSME Matters, please let the editorial (NI). For operations in Rwanda, he was and the subsequent re–shaping of British mostly because they need to be well planned aspires to be leading the Corps on safe team know; we can't write it without your awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Forces Germany, which saw the out, such as re-designing traffic layouts. working practices, use of the most effective One of the more unusual links that has support. Valuable Service (QCVS). On leaving 9 headquarters transform from being purely PPE, and the safest tools for the task. We been found is the link between sports/PT Parachute Squadron he was posted to Land Forces focussed, to going ‘joint’ in We have had a very wide range of issues should be drilling safe practice into every injuries by soldiers who have skipped Tim Redfern the Counter Terrorist Search Wing as nature and taking on wider European reported, including: student until it is second nature, to make breakfast! There may of course be other Assistant Instructor High Risk Search, responsibilities. In October 2009 he • pallet moved from blocking walkway to a every soldier operationally more effective. underlying reasons but breakfast is well before taking up post as Adjutant 3 RSME returned to the UK to take up his current safe location To succeed in this requires a conscious and known as the most important meal of the Regiment. A short, but fascinating spell on post as Commanding Officer 1 Royal • excavation fencing barriers linked constant effort from every leader and every day, so make sure you take time to have a the staff of The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor School of Military Engineering Regiment. together to prevent unauthorised access instructor. Make it your business. good breakfast to set up your day. of London followed, before coming down • job stopped until correct PPE obtained to earth with a bump as the Grade 3 staff A Member of the Institute of Engineering and used We have already identified and tackled and officer Operations (Org & Deployments) and Technology, Lieutenant Colonel • fire doors re-hung to open in direct of travel some injuries resulting from the use of Headquarters 8th Infantry Brigade in Fountaine is married to Jo and they have • windows protruding into walkway knives in the training environment, and are Londonderry. Returning from NI to read a two young sons that keep him on his • gas cylinders found stored indoors looking at the best way of reducing the technical Masters at the Defence toes, Sam (4), and Isaac (2). A keen • non-slip floor paint peeling off number of sports/PT injuries which continue Academy, in summer 2002 he went back rugby player in his day he remains a fan, • unfenced area where plant operates to be a regular occurrence. to 9 Parachute Squadron as the Officer in addition to enjoying all forms of motor Commanding. Whilst OC, the Squadron sport, social skiing, scuba diving, and the The benefits from the Don’t Walk By was re-subordinated to provide the perennial problem of trying to stay fit! campaign are helping everybody by making the sites safer. A Sapper, an MGS guard and a Workshop operative have each received a cheque for £50. Give yourself a chance of winning by joining in the Editor campaign, and in the process make your working environment safer. Ian Clowes In the next issue of RSME Matters Holdfast Training Services we'll be taking a look back at 2009, CSO4 Wiggins the first year of the Public Private being 07930 982 661 Partnership. We'd like to hear about presented with ian.clowes@holdfasttraining.co.uk your year; the challenges and his £50 DWB award by Tim successes of 2009. Drop me an email Redfern or give me a call.