LOCAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19
Throughout these challenging times, the British Army has stepped up to serve the local population when it was needed the most.
Two soldiers from the North West were amongst those deployed to assist with the asymptomatic mass testing pilot in Liverpool in November 2020. Lance Sergeant Matt Foley and Guardsman John Bogg, both serving with 1st Battalion Irish Guards were on site helping the public and processing tests.
LSgt Foley was deployed set up and run the quick turnaround COVID-19 lateral flow test centres. This wasn’t the first time Lance Sergeant Foley had been deployed to aid the COVID response effort, during the summer he was involved in running a mobile testing unit.
Guardsman Bogg has been assisting with the staffing and running of a COVID test unit alongside 2000 other soldiers. Although a far cry from two years ago when he was serving in Kenya avoiding buffalo attacks, he says “We are currently manning testing units, so it is a bit different to our normal routine of getting out the door to do training. It has been a positive experience and the people of the city have been very welcoming, as expected due to its reputation for being a very warm hearted and strong city.”
ADVENTUROUS TRAINING
- You can earn qualifications - and even become an instructor, which count both in and out of the Army
- There are loads of different activities available, but the ones that you'll probably find on offer most of the time are: kayaking, caving, parachuting, gliding, mountaineering, mountain biking, sailing, paragliding, skiing and sub-aqua diving.
Ammuntion Technician
Specialists in explosives, bomb disposal and all types of ammunition. Ammunition Technicians test, repair and safely store everything from SA80 ammunition clips to anti-aircraft missile systems.
Port Operator
Port Operators offload containers, vehicles and pallets from ships, small vessels and civilian craft chartered by the Army. They learn how to use heavy-duty vehicles and equipment like cranes and container handlers and they also learn to drive and operate different military vehicles and lifts.
Technical Support Specialist
As a Technical Support Specialist you’re responsible for the security, identification, shipping and stock profiling of a wide variety of kit. As a Trainer you instruct officers and soldiers in the latest military skills.