On environment
Honestly, this has been tough – the ground conditions and lots of tabbing. But I love being in the reserve – we get opportunities thrown at us all the time. I’ve been in just under a year and joined spontaneously.
Kgn Leah Pickett, Lancs (above)
On life and death
When soldiers are physically and mentally exhausted, what keeps them fighting? The spiritual edge, as we call it, helps them to endure the realities of soldiering. How do we help them to get through that? Help them live with themselves afterwards? Our role is all about retaining the humanity in our soldiers.
Rev Tim Close, RAChD
On second chances
I remember watching the ground invasion of Iraq on TV during my first day at Pirbright when I joined the regulars. A lot’s happened since then, but since returning as a reservist I’ve done my junior and senior Brecon, the skill at arms course and the range management qualification. Soldiers are a bit like professional footballers – you don’t stop kicking a ball about just because you retire. I still want to kick that ball about.
Sjt Matt Winn, Rifles
On leadership
This has been very different to weekend training at platoon level, and I’m learning a lot. In particular, having the fire support teams attached to us was great. We were a forward platoon on a delay action, and I think the troops appreciated being tested like that. They have risen to the challenge.
Lt William Jones, Lancs
There's easier hobbies
I joined the reserve to do something different and there were transferable skills from my day job as a firefighter. But these last few days have been hard – the lack of sleep, the running, the tabbing. But I’ve learned a lot. When you join the reserve it feels like a hobby to start with, but this realism brings it home that there is stuff going on in the world.
Kgn Lucy Whelan, Lancs
On keeping hold of troops
Here we’ve been able to provide an experience for people to do the breadth of roles they wouldn’t normally do, and to see the wider picture of how they fit into the battle. That’s empowering, and we must empower soldiers – and use them – in order to retain. People want to do interesting things. And when they do, they start to engage and encourage others to turn up.
Lt Col Alex Nancolas, Lancs
