Neil Hinchliffe, the Institution’s Defence Liaison Officer (part of the Business Development Management team) and Kathryn Bellamy, Creative Services Editor, were recently invited to Combermere Barracks in Windsor, to meet 18 members of a REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) Light Aid Detachment (LAD). The LAD provides mechanical support to the armoured vehicles used by the Household Cavalry Regiment, based at Combermere.
Among them were WO2 (AQMS) Simon Oldrid IEng; three Artificers who are looking to become Incorporated Engineers with the Institution; and more junior tradesmen from a variety of disciplines (armourers, technical storemen, vehicle mechanics and recovery mechanics), all of whom are keen to work towards professional registration either as EngTechs or IEngs. Si Oldrid, in particular, illustrated some vital justifications for his professional registration, as he has been called upon to give evidence as an expert witness in the coroner’s court.
Neil, who is keen to lay the foundations of membership and professional registration with those who work in engineer and technician roles, said: “Everybody leaves the service one day. Getting professional registration with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers is about building a portfolio of skills, experience and expertise, not just to help enhance your career whilst you are serving, but also for when you leave the armed forces.”
Neil was delighted to respond to many enquiries from the group, offering his expertise on professional registration and career support. There were questions about gaining training and support from the Institution to help transfer between industry sectors; and whether the experience gained in military work counts towards the requirements for EngTech qualifications, for example in non-destructive testing. In both of these cases, Neil was able to answer in the affirmative.
Dave Burton, a Class 1 mechanic, is already an EngTech MIMechE. He was inspired to become professionally registered after attending his Class 1 course last year, which was led by an IMechE Fellow who spoke about the benefits of professional registration and IMechE membership.
Dave said: “I would recommend getting EngTech. I receive a few emails from the Institution each week with information about various activities and seminars which I can get involved in or attend. The Institution offers you the opportunity to access a lot of useful knowledge, if you have the time to get along to events.”
Si Oldrid, an Incorporated Engineer with a long military career, will soon become a Captain in the British Army.
He and his LAD have recently returned to the UK from overseas operations and training, and are now based at Household Cavalry. Last year, Si went over to Afghanistan as Artificer Sergeant Major (ASM), where he took over the Household Cavalry’s Equipment. This entailed overseeing an extraordinary range of vehicles, from Jackals to Coyotes; Warthogs and UAV batteries (unmanned aerial vehicles), with a complicated command and control structure. He said:
“It proved difficult sometimes, but it’s almost endemic of what we do. You meet different people and you have to make it work.”
He said that their last tour of Afghanistan – with the withdrawal of a multitude of vehicles and kit in mind, as well as training requirements and logistics; DEFRA standards to meet; and the unenviable task of cleaning vehicles as well as maintaining them prior to their shipment back to the UK – was the most challenging they have endured.
Kathryn Bellamy interviewed Si to learn more about his many responsibilities, as well as current operational demands. She also discovered how Si’s professional registration has been fundamental in the demands of his role.
What is the scale of the role you have?
"In the LAD at the moment there is one commander and 38 soldiers, with the officer having direct responsibility for all the soldiers in his command. Part of my job is training, so if I identify a need for training, I will push that out to all the section heads and it gets filtered down – a bit like mission command. I explain what is needed, the effects I want, and how we should deliver it to get the desired outcome – part and parcel of good management technique."
How many vehicles do you look after?
"We look after all the vehicles in the regiment, which is over 200. On top of that we’ve got the armourers, plus 400-500 weapons, which all need inspecting every six-to-twelve months, and all the ancillaries: binoculars, watches, compasses. There’s quite a lot going on!"
What different kinds of trades are in your remit?
"There are four trade groups: armourers, recovery mechanics, vehicle mechanics and technicians, including technical storemen. If there is anything we can’t repair here, we send it away to REME battalions to get fixed."
What does an average day look like here, away from an operational environment?
"In essence, every day is a learning day. The brigade commanding officer will have a training plan for this year and the next year, and a forecast of events for what’s going on. That can be anything from B3 Gunnery, down in Castlemartin, where they take the Scimitars down and then they’ll need an armourer and a couple of vehicles to go down with the vehicle."
"It could be firing on the ranges, low level platoon and section attacks. Or we could focus on the regiment deployment in BATUS (The regiment is soon being sent to the British Army Training Unit Suffield, in Alberta, Canada). This will mean playing enemy for the exercising troops out there, so that will be a good learning curve. Prior to 2012, the regiment had not deployed to BATUS for eight years so there are quite a few in the LAD who have no experience there yet."
Tell us how you got into the army.
"At 17, I had an engineering diploma from college, but no idea what I wanted to do. The careers officer gave me a list of jobs that might be open to me in the army. Because of my engineering background and sporting ability, I was advised to go into Engineer Corps or REME. I’ve toured in Iraq and Bosnia, worked with the Royal Fusiliers, an armoured infantry battalion in Germany and I’ve passed the artificer (tiffy) course."
What made you aim for Incorporated Engineer status?
"I became IEng when I was with the Serious Equipment Failure Investigation Team (SEFIT). I did my first tour of Afghanistan in 2010. When there were IEDs (improvised explosive devices), mine blasts, and when any of the vehicles were damaged and there were fatalities, we got involved in writing reports. Those reports went up the chain to the integrated production team (IPT) to enhance the ability of the platform to improve the capability from the destruction that it was encountering."
"I chose to do the IEng for legal reasons. My predecessor told me that I would be required to go to the coroner’s courts at some point. That turned out to be true: I went three times. The training I did really equipped me for that, as I was put in front of a barrister and had a ‘mock’ cross-examination in the dock. I also received training in evidence-gathering to back up my reports."
"My first coroner’s court was quite tough. I’d never been there before and the family were very angry, had clearly done their homework about how their relative had died. Some of the medics there were a bit timid, and weren’t prepared for that. I volunteered an explanation for the circumstances of the equipment relating to the death. I confirmed that my experience was 17 years in the army, and then the coroner asked what qualified me to answer. I was able to say, “I’m an Incorporated Engineer, registered with the Engineering Council.” To be an artificer wouldn’t have held so much weight: whether military or civilian, people think, an IEng knows his stuff."
Is professional registration mandated for that role, or is it just advisable?
"Although there isn’t exactly pressure from the army to become professionally registered, I did it out of personal choice, a bit of personal development. I wanted to gain a commission anyway, and that shows personal progression and development on my behalf. Why did I do professional registration as a staff sergeant? Ultimately, I did it because I could potentially have to go into a coroner’s court. It certainly held me in good stead."
Now that that specific aspect of your role has passed, do you still see the benefit of your IEng, and do you like to tell your colleagues about the importance of it?
"If their role might have a specific requirement for professional registration, or it would be useful, then I am more than happy to advise a colleague to take it up. I tell them that I got mine for personal development, and because I knew I was going to Afghanistan and potentially going to the coroner’s court."
"Many of our guys won’t know about professional registration because they are not thinking about coming out of the military yet, but for those who are thinking ahead, hearing about professional registration is a good eye-opener. Opportunities to raise a few questions could get them to think about becoming members of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers."
What rank will you go to now you’ve been commissioned?
"I’ll be a Captain from 26 August. It will be a change: I won’t be engineering, as such. I will go for regimental careers management officer. It’ll be my job to investigate what’s good for them: if they have come from an armoured background I’ll think, is it good to send them back to an armoured background or down a different route to broaden their horizons? I take comfort in the fact that I will do the right thing for them!"
In the recent floods in and around Windsor, the Household Cavalry and REME guys helped out – what have you been doing to support communities?
"The guys were out running one morning, and the local residents in Datchett were all out in force, waving their hands, saying what time are you coming to help us? It lit a spark in our minds: soon we were advised that we were all on duty filling sandbags. Then, every squadron was stood up to assist. We couldn’t stop the water but we helped with the aftermath. We were a deterrent to opportunist looting from houses, which had had to be evacuated at very short notice. We were doing roving patrols on foot, helping people in need."
"The guys did a really good job. Prince Harry and Prince William came down, unannounced, and joined in. The Household Cavalry is good at mucking in. Because it’s a busy regiment, all the time, it is used to being moved at even just two hours’ notice – it’s just par for the course for the regiment. Some people like it, some do not, but it was reflected quite nicely by the Brigade Commander, who said: “How we conducted ourselves should be an example for everyone else.”
A member of the Armed Forces and interested in professional registration? Visit: www.imeche.org/armedforces