I was lucky in that I knew what I career I wanted to enter into well before I left school and so as soon as I received my GCSE grades in Dec 1997 I enlisted into the REME, as an Armourer, at the age of 16. Basic training was completed at the Army Apprentices College, Arborfield followed by Armourer trade training at the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Bordon. This training, the first formal engineering training I had received, was extremely enjoyable and it set the foundation for the passion I now have for the subject. As a Class 3/2 tradesman (apprentice) I developed my skills in the ‘field force’ whilst serving with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment and the 1st Battalion the Staffordshire Regiment where I also had the opportunity to go on exercises in Canada and deployed twice on Operations in Kosovo.

In 2004 I attended a Class 1 Supervisor course where I progressed my skills as an Armourer to the next level, in particular the role as an inspector and manager of repair activity carried out by junior tradesmen. As a Class 1 tradesman I was assigned to the 2nd Battalion the Light Infantry where I was pushed to the limits providing equipment support to numerous high profile live firings of mortors, machine guns and anti-tank missile systems. Deployments during this posting included training in Belize and Operations in Northern Ireland and Iraq. The Iraq deployment was a particular challenge as I was the only REME tradesman to deploy in support of two Companies of Infantry (≈250 personnel).

Following a short posting to 21 Signals Regiment in 2008 I was selected to attend the prestigious Artificer Weapons course. This, mainly academic, course culminated in the award of an HND in Mechanical Engineering and the promotion to SSgt. I was fortunate enough to be awarded the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers prize for outstanding examination scores throughout the course.

June 2010 was my first assignment as an Artificer Weapons and this was to 4 Close Support Battalion REME. My role here was mainly the management of all external engineering work into the Battalion and latterly my sub unit. I also deployed on Exercise to Canada and on Operations to Afghanistan. Afghanistan is most notable as I was able to both manage a large group of varied tradesman deployed in the most demanding of conditions and also go back to ‘hands on’ work, which I sorely missed. It was during this deployment to Afghanistan that I was awarded the Master General REME commendation for “adding significantly to the Equipment Support operational effect” through the design and manufacture of critical components for operational equipment’s.

I have a natural passion for theoretical and practical engineering, especially the design and manufacture of components and assemblies. These skills have been developed both through operational experience and through self-development in my own workshop. I have also continued to develop academically through various studies such as taking an A level in Mathmatics with Mechanics and more recently completing a BSc with the Open University. My near term goal is the completion of the Honours degree followed by an MSc (Eng); again with the OU.