Inspire and lead technical soldiers
"The thing that attracted me to the REME was the people - soldiers and officers alike. The Corps was really welcoming and I felt that I would be able to use my engineering background to greatest effect with them. I'm really able to add value here."
As a REME Officer you will lead highly skilled and qualified tradesmen both on operations and in barracks. They could be repairing Light Guns, recovering Challenger 2 Tanks, maintaining Apache helicopters or supporting the Special Forces. Every unit in the British Army needs REME personnel to repair, recover and maintain its vehicles and equipment. With 8 Regular Battalions, 2 Reserve Battalions and 42 Light Aid Detachments there are varied and frequent opportunities working anywhere in the world. You could also be trained to work alongside the Parachute or Commando Regiments.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead and motivate high calibre, highly motivated soldiers
- Work with all units of the Army, all over the world
- Become a highly skilled, professional engineer
- Work with technical leaders
- Become a chartered engineer
TRAINING FOR THE ROLE
Step 1
Once you've passed the Army Officer Selection Board, you will start your career on the 44-week Commissioning Course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. This is for all officer cadets, regardless of the Corps that they’re hoping to join.
Step 2
Following a short introduction to the Corps, and some time with your first unit, you will begin the Military Systems Engineering Course (LAND) at MOD Lyneham. This challenging 18 week in-depth course gives you a basic understanding of REME soldiers and good military engineering practice to allow you to command technical soldiers both on operations and in barracks.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Age: 17 years 9 months - 28 years 11 months
QUALIFICATIONS: 72 UCAS points and 35 ALIS points at GCSE (including minimum grade C in English Language, Maths and a Science or Foreign Language)
Graduates should ideally hold a technically focussed degree; including engineering, maths, science or computer systems. This list is not exhaustive and many others would be considered. Non-graduates must be prepared to study for an In-Service Degree in a technical subject.
QUALIFICATIONS YOU COULD GET AFTER TRAINING
- Chartered Engineer with Society of Operational Engineers (SOE), Institute of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE), Institute of Engineering Technology (IET or the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS))
- Chartered Manager with Chartered Management Institute
- MSc in Engineering and Management
- Association of Project Managers Practitioner
- PRINCE2 Practitioner
- Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership
RANK PROGRESSION
Learn about rank progression here.
PAY & BENEFITS
REGULAR
You'll earn £26,504 during your year of training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, before commissioning and becoming a Second Lieutenant, on £31,857 a year.
RESERVE
You’ll get paid a day rate according to your rank, starting from £65.24 once you have passed Army Officer Selection and rising to £78.41 per day once you’ve commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. This includes being paid for weekly drill nights. Plus, if you complete all of your annual training days, you’re entitled to a tax-free lump sum called a bounty.
FROM THE FIELD
"In my first two years as a REME Officer I've been part of REME's Summer Repair Programme for the British Army Training Unit in Kenya, and part of the REME Weapons Maintenance Training Team on Op SHADER in Iraq. The breadth of opportunity here is unrivalled. One of the reasons I wanted to join the REME was because I knew our soldiers are amongst the most talented in the Army - and they continue to exceed my expectations."
TRAINING FOR THE ROLE
Throughout the training period you will be part of your local REME Reserve unit meaning that you will make friends, do military training and enjoy the challenge and adventure from day one.
Step 1
Officer training is modular (4 modules of 2 weeks each) which allows it to be tackled at your own pace. you can complete the first two modules at your nearest University Officer's Training Corps and the final two at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, or do the whole commissioning course in one go.
Step 2
You will study for 2 weeks alongside regular REME engineers at MOD Lyneham and will be given a workbook to complete while you gain experience in your platoon commander role.
Once you and your commanders are content that you have sufficient knowledge and experience you will be awarded the 'Engineering Officer' (EngO) competence, that qualifies you to make independent battle winning decisions and take responsibility for engineering operations.
Operational tours, full-time contracts and project work will also be available to you if you are between jobs or have the time to take on an additional challenge.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Age: 18 years - 49 years
QUALIFICATIONS: 72 UCAS points ideally from technical subjects (Engineering, Maths, Physics etc.)
35 ALIS points at GCSE (including minimum grade C in English, Maths and a science or foreign language).
A degree accredited by the engineering council is desirable but not essential.
If you are an undergraduate, talk to us about doing a Lead First REME placement as your Engineering Year-in-Industry.
QUALIFICATIONS YOU COULD GET AFTER TRAINING
The experience you gain will enhance your own professional development; for example, you will be confident to cite your military leadership and communication evidence in support of Chartered engineering competencies C and D.
You will be rewarded with a management diploma (at no cost to you) when you study at the Defence Academy on promotion to the rank of Major.
You can also take advantage of the MOD 'Standard Learning Credit' scheme that gives you financial assistance towards courses and learning activities.
RANK PROGRESSION
Learn about rank progression here.
PAY & BENEFITS
REGULAR
You'll earn £26,504 during your year of training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, before commissioning and becoming a Second Lieutenant, on £31,857 a year.
RESERVE
You’ll get paid a day rate according to your rank, starting from £65.24 once you have passed Army Officer Selection and rising to £78.41 per day once you’ve commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. This includes being paid for weekly drill nights. Plus, if you complete all of your annual training days, you’re entitled to a tax-free lump sum called a bounty.
FROM THE FIELD
"As a Reserve Engineering Platoon Officer you are given a huge amount of responsibility at your unit, with up to 20 soldiers under your command. The challenges I face are very different to in my civilian job, but my officer training has prepared me well. On operations my platoon recovers the Army's battle-winning vehicles and logistics transporters. The skills that I have learnt in the Army Reserve have helped me gain promotion in my civilian job."
HOW TO APPLY?
Once your online application has been approved, you'll have an interview with a recruiter, who will talk to you about the corps that you would like to join. You'll have the chance to learn more about your chosen corps, although you won't make your final decision until you're in training at Sandhurst.