Excellence in REME
WO1 (Comd SM) Marion ‘Maz’ Hoer Divisional Command Sergeant Major, 6th (UK) Division Recent successes – Commissioned as a Late Entry Officer in the REME. Selected to be Command Sergeant Major for 6 (UK) Div. Received the Meritorious Service Medal. What made you join the Army? My parents took me to the Royal Tournament in London when I was 6. From that point on, all I ever wanted to do was join the Army. I joined the Army Cadets as early as possible, a fantastic experience through which I was introduced to what the REME could offer through a visit to a regular unit. As I went through secondary school; I really enjoyed sports, design technology and all the sciences, so discovering that I could join the Army Apprentices College at 16, REME offered me the perfect opportunity and I joined as an Armourer.
Are you happy you made the right decision? I absolutely love being in the Army, the REME and the diverse challenges and opportunities that are available to me every day. I don’t think any other job allows you to serve with such a wide range of units in a variety of roles. Add the ability to be professionally accredited as an engineer and some excellent training that is provided; the opportunity for personal development is immense. I’ve also been able to qualify as a Leader, delivering adventurous training activities such as skiing, climbing, klettersteig and hill walking.
How does WO1 (ASM) Hoer differ from the Miss Hoer who first came to the Army and the Corps? Miss Hesketh joined the REME straight from school into her dream job; in that respect, nothing has changed! I wasn’t particularly academic when I joined, but my time spent in the Corps has shown me the opportunities available to improve myself at every level across multiple disciplines such as engineering, AT and sport. I’m
much more self-confident when taking on tasks that sit outside my core skill set and happier to put forward ideas, even when the subject may not be in my lane.
Over your career, what have been the key experiences that led to you becoming the soldier you are today? By virtue of how the Corps operates, I learned very early that teamwork and listening to those around you was key to success. Deploying to Iraq on Op TELIC really forced me to mature; I was still quite young and naive, so it really brought home to me the realities of what we do as our core business. I’ve not always succeeded in what I set out to do; I failed the advanced phase of Op SAMSON which really made me look at myself, learn and accept I am not infallible. That experience also taught me to look for the opportunities to improve yourself, but also that it’s OK not to succeed at everything you do; learn and develop from them and come out stronger on the other side. I attended the Combat Estimate phase of JCSC(L), an opportunity that really opened my mind, challenged my abilities and made me more comfortable working out of lane. That acceptance of working in an unknown field, coupled with the teamwork and the amazing people I have worked with was something I really reflected on before applying to be a Comd SM.
You were awarded a Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) in the New Year’s Honours. Can you tell us more about the award? I have been extremely fortunate over the full span of my career to work for and with exceptional people. I have been always given the opportunity to show my best self where I have been able to safely fail and develop, to do better the next time. The MSM was awarded to me for continual excellence across my 20 year career, but this is not something that can be 32 craftsmaneditor@reme-rhq.org.uk
