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North East Annual Review

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North East Annual Review www.rfca-ne.org.uk We’re on Twitter – @NERFCA … and Facebook – @North-of-England-RFCA North East RCE FO S & E C V A VolunteerD R Annual Review E E S T E The Reserve Forces and Cadets Association S R A S D S N (RFCA) for the North of England O LEG VI VIC PF A C L IA G 2018 T N IO E N O F FO H R T H E N O RT Thanking employers in the region /28 News from Reserve Forces units /10 Events to mark the RAF’s centenary /6 Six desert marathons in six days /16 CADET NEWS: About us and Sea, Army and Air Cadets our region /2 plus CCF units /34 2 North East Volunteer 2018 Our region he North of England Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (RFCA) is one of 13 TAssociations covering the United Kingdom. We provide a link between the military forces and the local community. Funded through the Ministry of Defence, we are responsible for the property and facilities management for the Reserve Forces, Army Cadet Force (ACF) and the Royal Air Force Air Cadets premises, NORTHUMBERLAND and for administering the ACF. In addition, we support the employers of Reservists, support the recruiting of the Reserves and engage closely with local communities. TYNE & WEAR The Association has a voluntary membership of 130 people coming from a wide cross- section of society with an interest in Defence matters, an executive staff of 19 based COUNTY DURHAM in Durham, and a further 27 staff in the 3 ACF Counties based in Middlesbrough, TEESSIDE Chester-le-Street and Cramlington. North East Volunteer is produced by Act PR Ltd www.actpr.co.uk Design: Integral Design and Media www.integraldesign media.co.uk Who are Reservists There are around 40,000 Volunteer Reservists in the UK. Coming from all backgrounds, regions and jobs, these are ordinary men and women who give up their time to train and serve alongside the Regular Forces. What do they do? Volunteer Reservists are called out to supplement the Regular Forces whenever operational demands require it. If they’re mobilised they’ll carry out the same roles to the same high standards as their Regular counterparts. They also receive the same world-class training and develop the same skills. Why they’re so important Reservists make up around 14% of the nation’s total defence capacity which in turn makes them an essential part of our defence strategy. They are called upon as individuals for their specific skills or as ready- formed units to serve alongside the Regular Forces whenever required. Regular Reservists Regular Reservists are former full-time members of the Armed Forces. They may still be liable for call out for a number of years after their military service has ended, depending on their age, length of original service and the skills they have. Contact us For more information and details of Reserve and Cadet units, please visit: www.rfca-ne.org.uk Follow us on Twitter @nerfca and Facebook @North-of-England-RFCA North of England RFCA, 53 Old Elvet, Durham, DH1 3JJ Tel: 0191 383 6256 3 North of England RFCA Welcome s we come to terms with the arrival superbly: with dignity, panache and, where wish to serve their Country as well as holding of 2019, I invite you to delve into appropriate, celebration. down a civilian job. A this, the latest edition of the North We were delighted to continue to support Finally, the North East Volunteer is the East Volunteer. It captures the great depth the steady growth of the Reserves and only magazine that we print. All our other and breadth of activity and achievement of Cadet numbers and you will, once again, see products are on digital media in line with the Reserve Forces, Cadets and Supportive how both organisations continue to offer a Government policy. So I urge you to have Employers in 2018. wide range of exciting exercises, camps and a good read through your copy and then I forecast last year that there would be adventurous training opportunities as well pass it on to your friends and colleagues – a strong commemorative theme, with the as developing core Reserve and Cadet skills. even leave it in the Dentist’s waiting room centenaries of the First World War armistice We have had a bumper year of awards so others can be informed of and amazed and the formation of the world’s first at Silver and Gold level in the national by the achievements of their local Defence independent air force – the Royal Air Force. Employer Recognition Scheme, punching community. Even better, send us an article Not to be outdone, the Royal Regiment well above average for our size – 21 for the next issue about how doing so led to of Fusiliers celebrated their ‘50th’ and the Employers achieved Silver and six Gold someone you know ‘joining up! Queen’s Own Yeomanry received only – each Employer being prepared to, or is their second guidon in 47 years. All these already giving, substantial real support to Paul Baker landmark celebrations were carried out the Defence community and to those who Chief Executive Reserve Units p4-27 The region’s employers p28-33 Welcome & Contents & Welcome Cadets p34-44 4 North East Volunteer 2018 Meet the new Chairman Gordon Straughan was appointed that the RFCA stands for. chairman of the RFCA in April I believe that with Brig Paul 2018, after many years of service Baker, our chief executive, at the in the Reserve Forces. We asked helm and the excellent team him about his career and what we have, we have the people he hopes to achieve in the role. with the necessary skills and abilities to deliver the support Tell us a little about agenda to all three Services. your background? I joined the Territorial Army in How do you see the RFCA April 1985 as a Fusilier with 6RRF evolving in the next few years? and was commissioned in 1988, different people and organisations I think the future looks bright, but holding a variety of posts. In which I hope I will be able to then I am an optimist. The RFCA 1997, I was appointed to Training emulate. It is very important to add has managed to survive because Major at Northumbria Universities though that I will be a member of of its ability to be objective and Officers Training Corps. the national Council and will be adaptable, and the fact that we In 2004, I was retained on adopting a more localised focus help shoulder the responsibility the Unposted List A (UPL A) in ensuring that the RFCA fulfils in supporting the three Services, attached to 15 (NE) Brigade until its commitment to supporting in managing the Reserves' and appointed as the SO1 Military the Navy, Army and Royal Air Cadets' estates and facilities Secretariat and Officer Training. Force, including the following: management, and will continue I was promoted to the rank of l Maintaining training centres to do so well into the future. Colonel in January 2007 as Deputy and facilities and undertaking Commander 15 (NE) Brigade. Then, all aspects of estate and What would you say to in January 2011, I was appointed facilities management for the anyone who is thinking of as Col Career Management Reserve Forces, Army Cadet joining the Reserve Forces? Reserves at the Army Personnel Force and Air Training Corps Of course, the choice is theirs. Centre (APC) in Glasgow. l Promoting the Reserve Anecdotally, my son joined the In civilian life, I qualified as a Forces’ and Cadets’ activities, Territorial Army as a Fusilier when he registered mental health nurse successes and contributions was 17 and, after a period of basic in 1980. Having worked in the within the community training, he was deployed to Iraq on professional care sector as a l Supporting veteran Op TELIC where he served for a full clinician and aspiring to the organisations within our area deployment in Basra. I have to say position of director of nursing, a l Engaging with employers he went out to Iraq as a boy and he very senior management role, I in support of the Employer came back a man, fully focussed on decided after 15 years working as a Recognition Scheme and what he wanted to do with the rest clinician, to move into mainstream promoting the Reserve Forces of his life. Consequently, he enrolled general management. Until to local employers through at a local university to study retirement in 2010, I was employed active engagement building surveying and now he in several director-level posts in the l Providing advice to the Defence runs his own company. I doubt very NHS in the North East spanning 22 Council on all matters to do much if he would have been able to years. I am currently a director of a with Reserves and Cadets. achieve all this had he not had the property development company. experiences he had while serving Why did you accept the role? as a Reserve soldier. Furthermore, What are your aims as chairman? Quite simply, with my many having served in excess of 30 years I have nothing but admiration years’ experience as a Reserve myself as a Reservist I would not for the way my predecessor, Gen Officer and operating at director have been able to achieve what I Brims, set about the task. Gen level within the local NHS achieved in my life and career had Robin was unique both in terms economy, I felt I had the skills it not been for the training and of his experience and his ability to make a positive contribution experience that I gained through to engage with a vast range of in promoting everything serving in the reserve forces.
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