A nine-mile march and shoot was among the tests awaiting personnel from the Adjutant General’s Corps (AGC) in the latest staging of the Triple Crown Challenge.

Almost 500 personnel from across the formation descended on Worthy Down for the flagship competition, which also included a three-mile military skills event comprised of an obstacle course, battlefield casualty drills, artillery fires and a bayonet lane.

While green soldiering was a key focus for the day, its primary purpose was to unite troops from the various branches – many of whom are posted far and wide across the army.

“Our people practise these skills regularly in their day jobs,” said Lt Col Bernie Labushagne (AGC (SPS)), chief of staff at AGC Headquarters.

“We are so spread out across defence, meaning it is hard to build an ethos and identity, so the main aim of this is to bring our personnel together.

“When you are attached to other units it can be quite easy to become disenfranchised, but when we come back together as the AGC it instils a sense of pride and an understanding of what we are as a corps.

“Standards were very high, particularly in the female competitions. They were coming in at just over two hours for the march and shoot, which hasn’t happened for a number of years.

“The bayonet range also stood out, and it reminded us all that we are soldiers first.

“We encouraged Commanding Officers from outside units to come and see what the Triple Crown provides, who we are and what we do. 

We had military police, administrators and educators competing side by side – it was a real celebration of our unique corps.” The competition was organised by Staff and Personnel Support branch secretary Hannah Mckeown – marking the first time it had been run by a civil servant.

Outside of the military tests, the day showcased the array of sports available to those within the formation, with 28 disciplines present, including strongman and strongwoman, clay target shooting, esports and triathlon.

Efforts were also made to incorporate veterans, with 65 former personnel – aged 48 to 91 – present, many of whom served in the AGC’s antecedent corps.