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

The Army Triathlon team in Estonia

some fantastic guidance and responsibility that has led me to being sat here today as an ASM. 3. Winning the Lawson Cup in 2018 with REME Rugby League. I stopped playing back in 2010 but have been involved since 2011 in an admin role. The journey to winning the Cup back has been a long one and the roller-coaster of emotions through the years made 2018 special. I only played a small part in getting the boys onto the field of play, but I will never forget that day in Aldershot.

How does WO1(ASM) Patterson differ from the Mr Patterson who first came to the Army and the Corps?

I was a bit lazy when I joined the Army. What I mean by this is that I would just do enough, probably sit in the background and be content to scrape by. I barely passed my Technician Course and didn’t push myself as hard as I could have on the rugby pitch, such as the extra gym work needed. I would say I was naive and had a lack of confidence.

The guidance I have received throughout my time in REME has enabled me, with hard work, to have a highly successful career. Mr Patterson tried to survive on his own growing up; I have found that teamwork and buying into the collective goal brings greater success. We have the moto ‘One Team’ with REME Rugby and I try to apply that across everything I do. Even when suffering during a triathlon, it is teamwork that has got me to the start line.

Currently you are involved with Triathlon, both competing at Corps level and as a member of your local civilian club, but your sporting history includes multiple different sports. What motivated you to stay involved with sport overall?

I played rugby up until an injury meant I had to stop but I missed the challenge and the team spirit. I got involved again with REME Rugby League as Team Manager but still missed the competitive side of sport. All the sports I have tried or have taken part in, from ice hockey and cycling to Nordic skiing, have that team element that results in the ethos of not wanting to let your team mates down. It is great to achieve something as an individual, but the feeling is so much better when you achieve it as a group.

I continue to push myself with triathlon and set my own personal targets but, even after 24 years, it still means something special to pull on that Corps or Army vest. I am getting older and, at some point, it will be for the last time.

2019 was your most successful triathlon season so far, with no finishes outside the Top Ten, and in 2020 you were selected for the 40-44 Great Britain Long Distance Triathlon team. What is the secret to your success?

It was as simple as consistency with training and staying injury free. I was able to be put in a great block of training over the winter but there are so many elements that allowed me to have a great season.

My race bike snapped mid-season which looked like it would end my season before it started, but SSgt Tim Davies, a REME triathlete, loaned me his race bike for the season as he was not going to use it. Without that support there would be no GB qualification and no AG Top 10 at Ironman Estonia. Having a group of friends to train with and bounce issues/ideas off has certainly helped me with achieving success in Triathlon. The bike loan was the extreme but a conversation about the cycling leg with another REME athlete before Ironman Estonia set me up for my strongest Ironman Marathon by listening to his advice to not go out like a rocket on the leg.

I think it is important to share your goals. That doesn’t mean

post all over social media but with people you trust and who can hold you to account. I make sure I share mine with my wife so she can buy into what I want to achieve but also my peer group at Corps, Army and Civilian level. These goals need to be realistic; we have not swum much in the last 12 months, so there is no point setting a goal to set a swim PB in April this year, but I have spent some serious time on the indoor bike trainer, so a better goal for early 2021 would be to PB my 25-mile TT time.

You have had a varied career, moving between Field Army and DE&S regularly. How have you found the right balance between being a sportsperson and a military engineer?

I haven’t always made them work together, especially in my earlier career when I just wanted to play sport. A bit of realism from my ‘Tiffy’ at the time opened my eyes, when I had to put equipment prep before Army Rugby. From there I have tried to keep my CoC informed with the fixtures/events when they were released. It is so much easier to get the buy-in from your boss and, importantly, your peer group on the shop-floor if you give as much notice as possible. While at DE&S, I gave everyone 18 months’ notice about racing Ironman New Zealand. It was in their calendars from an early stage, so they were happy to support me taking the time away from work.

Sometimes a new assignment hasn’t always aligned itself to competing for the Corps or Army but it has given a different opportunity. The rugby season in BATUS was very short during

At the Ironman 70.3 World Championships

the summer months so I had about seven months with no Rugby, but this gave me the chance to play Ice Hockey. This change of focus was the start of the journey from 105kg Rugby Union prop forward to an Army Triathlete.

Sport is an important part of Esprit de Corps and being in REME. What advice would you give others chasing similar success to yours?

I believe it is important to have balance. Most of us do this for fun, often in our spare time, so to go chasing success can often lead to burn out. Do your sport with a smile on your face and enjoy the process. Do not get too hung up if you must miss a session due to work commitments and enjoy that piece of cake; life is for living. If Alistair Brownlee turns up to a local race, then the likelihood of me winning is zero even if he does puncture.

We have so many opportunities in REME to maybe do something different from your usual sport. I feel that the different sporting experiences during my career have helped me become the triathlete I am now. There was no rugby played during my six months at BATUK but we did play golf – some may ask what golf has got to do with triathlon, but it requires patience, focus and lots of practice. I have been fortunate to try snowboarding, Nordic skiing and ice hockey to name a few. My advice is if you are offered the opportunity give it a go – it might just be your thing. I fully believe there is a sport out there for everyone. We just have to discover it and the Army is a great place to try different sports.

I can find it easy to see the glass as half full, but try and spin that around. During 2020 and now 2021 swimming training has been limited. There is no arguing that my swimming form is being affected but I do not need to get up at 0530hrs to get to the pool so I am now up every morning for a yoga session with the aim to improve my flexibility, helping all three sports.

At the time of writing, we’re entering a third national lockdown. Having made it through a 2020 none of us expected, what are your goals for 2021?

There is so much uncertainty with 2021 but hopefully there will be some return to normality. I will be commissioned into REME during 2021 and move to 2 Bn REME, which is going to bring new and exciting challenges. During the early part of the year, I plan to work towards CEng and start an MSc while still at HQ 6 Brigade. I am also a mentor for the IET and am looking to get more involved with the organisation in line with applying for CEng.

With the hope that we can soon return to sport, the intention is to build on the work done with REME Triathlon over the last 18 months. A REME Triathlon race series focused on novice athletes, hold Triathlon/Duathlon introduction training days and get some athletes out to Cyprus for some international competitions. We had that planned but COVID has postponed that.

If you could sum up your life now how would you do it?

Life is great! I’m happily married to Lyndsay, a Canadian lass from Flin Flon, Manitoba (Google it, it does exist), and have Barney our rescue dog from Bosnia. Gaining a BSc (Hons), becoming an ASM and now commissioning into REME has surpassed everything I thought I would ever achieve when I walked through those gates at SEAE back in May 1997. Someone early on in my career said the friends you make in REME will be friends throughout your life and they were certainly not wrong. If I were ever in need of them, even though we have not spoken in years, I know they would be there if required.