Excellence in REME
WO1(ASM) Craig Patterson WO1(ASM) Craig Patterson’s career in REME reads like an A-Z of Corps Sport. From Rugby through to Triathlon, there doesn’t seem to be many sports he hasn’t tried. Most recently, he has been awarded both Corps Colours for Triathlon and the REME Lifetime Achievement Award for his role in sport. This is alongside a career that led to him becoming an Artificer, gaining an engineering degree, being selected for a Commission into REME in 2021 and receiving the Meritorious Service Medal. In this month’s Excellence in REME interview, WO1(ASM) Patterson talks about teamwork, consistency and keeping your CoC on side. What made you join the Army? I wanted to join the Army from my mid-teens. Some advice I was given by my Dad always stuck: “having a trade will help you throughout life and something, if necessary, you can fall back on.” When I went to the Careers Office and stated what I wanted out of the Army – a trade and the opportunity to play rugby – my Recruiter said I needed to join REME as it would give me the best opportunity to combine engineering and sport. My Dad was in REME in the 60s so when the Recruiter mentioned REME it flicked a switch.
“having a trade will help you throughout life and something, if necessary, you can fall back on.” Why was this the right decision for you? If I could write a letter to an 18-year-old Craig telling him what I would achieve if I joined REME he would have laughed. A friend from school left university with an engineering degree and student loans, whereas REME offers a qualification pathway up to degree level. We both have Honours Degrees in Engineering, but I combined mine with practical experience on that journey. I think the opportunities for different jobs and assignments has improved over the years, which has allowed me to develop a rounded career. This may not be to everyone’s preference, but I like the challenge of changing jobs with each different
assignment. From being a ‘Tiffy’ at 5 Bn REME to then being assigned to DE&S, bringing Exactor 2 into core equipment, was a big challenge and a steep learning curve.
What have been the highlights of your career so far? I could fill the entire interview with highlights. Looking back, I have many from each assignment but three that really stick out are: 1. Being an Artificer at 1 Fd Coy, 5 Bn REME, delivering ECM repair for operations. The team was critical to support operations at that time as there was no support solution for the ECM kit except for Elec Pl 1 Fd Coy. The equipment availability targets set simply had to be met or the troops in theatre would not have had the required equipment. The team stepped up to the plate and delivered on all fronts; it is something I am very proud off. 2. The three years I spent in BATUS changed the trajectory of my career and gave me the opportunity for many more experiences. I have always wanted to travel and it was one of the reasons I joined the Army. BATUS gave my family the opportunity to see parts of North America that would have been unavailable, such as being able to jump in your car on a Saturday morning and be in the Rockies four hours later. At that stage of my career, I was at a crossroads but I was given
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