Artificers vehicles back on track – with short stop for Jubilee and REME Corps weekend event

Sgt Veal

I am Sergeant Ryan Veal. I joined the Army in December 1999 and completed basic training at ATR Pirbright. This was followed by phase 2 of my training during which I was taught my primary trade as a Vehicle Mechanic B at SEME Bordon

Resistance testing

The pace of the Artificer course has regained its momentum after the Easter leave period and completed Level 3 of the course; this level consisted of mainly Maths, Science and Statistics.  The Statistics element of the course involved testing the resistance of 100 resistors, analysing the results and completing an assignment.

Level 4 marked the start of in-class assignment exams for Science on: Belts, Clutches and Epicyclic gears. As much as it being a welcome change to the usual 3 hour fight; with the exam paper and trying to remember important mathematical and engineering science formulae, it proved to some members of the course to be almost as challenging as the memory game. Level 4 of the course also consisted of 2 weeks of Vehicle Electrics and Electronics at 11 Training Battalion REME in Arborfield, and provided a change of scenery for the course as well as a change to the usual Maths and Science overload.  This element of the course involved AC (Alternating Current) and DC (Direct Current) theory and 3 exams.

REME Corps Weekend – June 16th

The course has now returned to Bordon and they are looking forward to taking part in the activities planned for the Queens Diamond Jubilee Celebrations and assisting in the REME Corps Weekend activities on June the 16^thin Arborfield.

Jubilee – REME corps weekend 16th June 1012

The upcoming months are already looking a very busy period for the course, members of the course within 2 Platoon, Quebec Company are preparing to deploy on Exercise NEXT STEP at the end of June. 3 Platoon, Quebec Company are due to Deploy on Exercise STALLION SPIRIT in July. Weekend Exercises are part of the mandated training for all soldiers at 10 Training Battalion.  Twelve months is spent at the School learning a trade and not touching weapons, for the youngest soldiers the Exercises provide progression training from the time spent in basic training and acts as a measure to prevent skill fade.

For the more experienced it is the opportunity to act as Platoon Commanders in a benign environment where mistakes will not cost lives.

The wider experience

I joined the Army in December 1999 and completed basic training at ATR Pirbright, after which I was able to begin my Vehicle Mechanic B course at SEME Bordon. Having completed basic trade training in Oct 2001, I was posted to 3 Battalion REME (3BN REME) in Paderborn; where I was next deployed with 2 Royal Ghurkha Rifles (2RGR) straight to Mrkonjic Grad in Bosnia for 6 months. Whilst posted with 3 BN REME I was deployed on OP TELIC 1 and based at a Kuwait army Base close to the Iraq border.

I was promoted to Lance Corporal in 2003 and posted to 3 Logistic Support Regiment RLC (3 LSR) based in Abingdon. In 2005 I deployed to Iraq – Shaibah Logistic base, and returned to SEME Bordon in February 2006 to complete my Vehicle upgrading course, followed with a posting to 7 Transport Regiment RLC (7Tpt Regt RLC) in November 2006 as a Class 1.

I deployed in 2007 as an acting Corporal to the Contingency Operating Base (COB) in Iraq with 1 Battalion REME (1Bn REME), where I was attached to 16 Squadron Tank Transporters. I was promoted to Substantive Corporal in Oct 2007. I returned to Bordon in 2009 where I completed and passed my PAAB and went onto pass the Artificer maths course at Worthy Down.

In May 2010 I was posted to 104 Force Support Battalion REME (104 FS BN REME) in Bordon, and then immediately to Tidworth. I was promoted to Sergeant in February 2011 and selected for Artificer training; to be course loaded in October 2011.

Major Phase

Two months in to the Major Project phase of the course which consists of all elements taught including: Engineering Materials, Engineering Science, Electrics and the use of AUTO CAD.  A requirement of the course is for all members to complete, as a group, a project on any type of fault/problem and provide a Solution to a known problem on any Vehicle/Equipment currently in service use. The culmination of this part of the course is to present the solution to theCampCommandant, The head of the Engineering Science Department, and SME (Subject Matter Experts) from DE&S (Defence Equipment & Support) in Oct/Nov 2012.