Guest Editorial – Festive Living

New Year’s Message from the Corps Colonel, Colonel Jason Phillips ADC

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you are reading this editorial having had a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas and festive period wherever you were in the world, and that, your friends and families are all well. 2022 was a year we will never forget. It was the year we celebrated Her Majesty’s historic and unparalleled Platinum Jubilee with a series of spectacular national events in London; supported by community events across the country. Just three months later we had to say a final goodbye to the only sovereign most of us have ever known; the moving services in Edinburgh then London and Windsor were a perfect tribute to her grace, constancy and commitment and all were impeccably supported by our Armed Forces. May she Rest in Peace. I take some solace from knowing Her Majesty was able to see how much she was admired and cherished during those Platinum Jubilee celebrations before she passed away. Moreover, from a Corps perspective, we can all be proud that in her final year, Her Majesty approved the appointment of HRH The Countess of Wessex as our Colonel-in-Chief. I know that Her Majesty was determined to see HRH The Prince Philip’s legacy with our Corps honoured and I am in no doubt that HRH The Countess of Wessex will do that in her own wonderful style. 2022 was also the year of the Russian invasion of Ukraine which unleashed destruction and deep distress across much of this great country and caused a global shock that continues to reverberate. In response we saw the United Kingdom and other NATO countries rise immediately, as one, to support Ukraine politically, economically, socially and militarily. As the year ends, Ukraine appears to have turned the tide of this devastating War.

With all that in mind, my thoughts turn to what the world has in store for us in 2023? Firstly, it is widely anticipated that the war in Ukraine will endure. The Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue to fight tooth and nail for their country and the United Kingdom and NATO will continue to support them. Secondly, the Army will continue to exercise and operate across many parts of the globe in general and Europe in particular. As a Corps therefore, we can expect to be needed and we can expect to be busy. If the War in Ukraine has taught us one thing, it is that the era of armoured warfare is not over. We must continue to train for high intensity combined arms operations requiring the full breadth and depth of our engineering competence, delivering Forward Repair to provide our operational and tactical Commanders’ freedom of manoeuvre – keeping the punch in the Army’s fist.

Looking further into the future, I hope you have all now seen, in part or in full, the REME Strategy. The REME Strategy articulates how the Corps will follow four Lines of Operation to adapt to deliver Equipment Support in the battlespace of the future. If you haven’t heard about the REME Strategy, then please look back at the centre spread in the December Craftsman and use the links to familiarise yourself with it so that you are able to play your part. Everyone from Craftsman to General has a role to play in delivering this Strategy, whether that be specified or not, and it is important we all work collectively wherever we are based to progress the plans and tasks identified.

For my part, in addition to supporting many other workstreams within the Regimental Headquarters team, there are three very specific ‘REME people-related’ goals that I am determined to achieve. The first is to see accreditation to VM and Armourer Class 1 courses restored by the training community in accordance with the recently published REME Whole Life Development Plan. The second is to generate and implement policy for the overdue REME Regimental Roster and the third is to establish a plan to implement the Land Artificer Course (both of the latter two being mentioned in the REME Promotion Quotas presentation issued in late November 2022). Much to do for my team and I, which I hope you all see as improvements to the REME Offer.

My final comment is one about you and all members of the REME Family. January is often a difficult month and the Cost-ofLiving challenges that we all face will not make it any easier. Please look out for one another and your families and also know that there is support available to you should you need it. If you are worried, struggling, feeling pressured or anxious, then please reach out to your friends, your Welfare staff, your Chain of Command and/or the REME Charity. One Team, One REME Family.

I hope 2023 brings you everything you hope for, and I look forward to seeing some of you at the Corps Conferences in March.

Arte et Marte