7 minute read
Gap Year Commission
My Year as a Gap Year Commissioned Officer
Second Lieutenant Will Barker details his experience serving with the REME during his Gap Year Commission. Getting a chance to see what military life is like and the variety of employment opportunities, this is undoubtably more exciting than your typical placement job. The scheme aims to attract the best Graduates to the Army, bringing us in line with our civilian counterparts and ensuring that we maintain the quality needed when recruiting future leaders.
Advertisement
Second Lieutenant Will Barker
Foreword – Maj Owen McNamee, RHQ REME, SO2 Officer Recruiting
The Gap Year Commission (GYC) scheme has been rebranded and will be known as the Army Internship Scheme from 2021 onwards. The only significant difference between the two schemes is that the Internship is open to recent Graduates, up to the age of 28, as well as those who are between school and university and have a firm offer to study. The scheme remains funded for 30 places per annum, across the Army and the REME normally takes 2 cadets per year. All cadets will complete Mod A-E of the Commissioning Course Short (CCS).
The application process for the Army Internship Scheme remains the same as the GYC scheme. Candidates apply by visiting the Army Officer Internship page on the Army Jobs site (googling ‘Army Internship’ will also bring the link straight up). They will undergo eligibility and medical checks before attending Briefing and Main Board assessment events at Army Officer Selection Board. Candidates must select three choices of capbadge with whom they wish to complete their Internship. The National Recruiting Centre (NRC) will supply candidates with a list of placement opportunities which includes contact details for Regtl reps. Once candidates have completed Briefing events they may arrange interviews with RHQs to discuss their placement. Once through the Commissioning Course and on promotion to 2Lt the Officer now moves onto their unit to begin their one year adventure with the REME.
Scribe: Second Lieutenant Will Barker 2 Close Support Battalion REME
My name is Will Barker and in September 2020 I attended The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) to undertake the Professionally Qualified Officer (PQO), or Short Commissioning Course, number 203. This would mark my first experience with
the Army, evolving from civvie to soldier and the following year proved to be most memorable.
Two-days prior to the course starting proper, myself and the rest of the Gap Year Commission (GYC) officers arrived for the briefing stage. Here we got to start learning about each other’s backgrounds and make strong friendships before then starting with the wider course intake. The commissioning course was eventful from start to finish, whether it was non-stop days of PT, lectures, or whatever else they could throw at us. It gave all of us a taste of what the full, 11-months commissioning course would be like by skimming the surface of all the modules, including social events to give us a taste of officer life. As the GYC officers join the PQO course we were able to gain a fascinating insight into a number of professions represented in the Army, including Doctors, Nurses and Padres, as well as training with Reservist officers. I will always remember the nine-weeks I spent at Sandhurst in the autumn of 2020, it has given me a good preparation for the full commissioning course if I am given a place in the future. Overall, the experience left me excited and prepared for the year ahead, despite COVID-19 restrictions.
I arrived at 2 Close Support Battalion REME (2 REME), Leuchars, Scotland in mid-December 2020 to have a two-week stint to settle into the surroundings and get used to what would become a large part of my life for the near future, before breaking for Christmas leave. There was a range of understanding of what a GYC officer was throughout the Battalion, with some having heard of it and others not having a clue. The other junior officers were helpful during this time and made sure that I wasn’t left in the dark; it was a particularly busy time with the Headquarters and a Company deploying to Preston on Op RESCRIPT. After the Christmas break I joined 7 Close Support Company on their Collective Training (CT) A/B exercise out to Cyprus for five-weeks (Ex LION SUN). This was an amazing experience as it allowed me to see how a company training for operational readiness actually conducted an exercise, instead of how a Sandhurst exercise works; I was able to see the similarities and differences. There was a well struck balance between hard-work and free time set by the headquarters, which was complemented by a well thought-out training timetable and plan, something that had had a lot of attention due to the pandemic restrictions. Overall, the exercise gave me some great new experiences – among them shooting a GPMG – and more memories for my early adult life, plus great dits for university!
After returning from leave, I got to experience a Battalion level orders process on Ex ANGUS STALLION. From this I was able to
2Lt Will Barker (Ex LION SUN)
GPMG firing
draw parallels from what I knew from Platoon or Company level and see it put into practice at the next level up. It also showed me all the extra detail required, including all of the golden thread products and how they are used. Subsequently, I was attached to the Echelon Company, which included all of the Quartermaster’s domains, the Adjutant General’s Corps personnel and Royal Logistic Corps Stores Troop. Initially, I spent time learning about the wide number of trades and roles in the Company, how they operate in and out of barracks and how they support the two deployable Close Support Companies. Having deployed with 7 Close Support Company to Cyprus, I then deployed with the Echelon to Barry Buddon Training Area, just outside Dundee for their CT A training package; Barry Buddon is not Cyprus! I found this short stint with the Echelon really eye opening to see how vital a strong and cohesive supply line was to any military operation. At the start of July I attended the Military Systems Engineering Course (Land), the REME officer Phase 2 training course in Lyneham for a two-weeks period; this is all we as GYC officers are required to complete for Phase 2. Although not at the start of the course, the two-weeks were well timed as I was able to fill gaps in
my knowledge about the Corps and its trades. It also gave the opportunity to learn about parts of the Corps I had no, or little exposure to in a Close Support Battalion, including armoured vehicles, the Medical and Dental Technicians, hydraulics and electronics. I was also able to get hands-on with some unfamiliar kit and equipment and see how platforms like the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank work. Consequently, I came away with a greater insight into the REME Armoured Battalions and was able to see the differences from what I had already experienced in Leuchars.
On returning to the Battalion I was aligned to 11 Close Support Company, joining their CT A/B exercise and lessons; I now started to finally feel like I was at the stage of fully understanding what was being taught, assimilating all of the information and seeing it all come together. Around this time, I shadowed a Platoon Commander quite closely, which was very useful to me personally and practically as not only did it show me how a Platoon runs and what the officer does, but also all the background activity. Across my time with the Battalion, getting my coveralls on and my hands dirty with the Vehicle Mechanics, Recovery Mechanics and Metalsmiths in particular were memorable experiences. The VMs showed me how some of the vehicles are repaired in practice, while the Recy Mechs took me through basic recovery principles and I was taught how to make some souvenir nut and bolt men by the Metalsmiths.
At the end of my GYC, I can say wholeheartedly that I have enjoyed my experiences and have gained a really valuable insight into how the Army and specifically the REME operates. I am now off to Brighton University to complete a degree in Mechanical Engineering, but I will return to the Army and I know the experiences I have had will stand me in good stead to become a full commissioned officer in the future.
Lastly, I would just like to say a big thank you to all at 2 Close Support Battalion REME, the Corps Headquarters and the RMAS team for allowing me to have such a good experience; being ‘at’ university, or rather sat at home on Zoom would have been rubbish, I had a much better pandemic year in the Army!
84 Sqn Helicopter
