The Royal Engineers are involved in many projects, from teaching Afghan Army Engineers how to build bridges and patrol bases, to demolishing the patrol bases the army is closing down as part of the handover to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). The redeployment of UK forces back to Camp Bastion is a phased operation that will involve removing semi-permanent features while still leaving patrol bases protected and functioning. This also includes engaging with local contractors to carry out works to restore land and buildings to the same condition as when the army leased them from the landowner.
On a recent trip to Afghanistan’s Helmand Province I met a number of TA soldiers from the UK’s construction industry, supporting 21 Engineer Regiment. Not that you can spot the difference between the regulars and the reservists, it’s only when you are chatting over a brew that you learn about their dual lives as soldiers and civilians. It has been a real eye opener to see just how well the reservists have integrated and what different skills they bring to the corps, with their variety of experiences and backgrounds.
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One of the most sought after soldiers is sapper “Paddy” O’Connor, 28, part of 7 Headquarters and Support Squadron, who seems to be the go-to man for his plant operating skills. But he makes a serious point – that regular soldiers in the Royal Engineers are asked to be jack of all trades, while a reservist like O’Connor, working in his day job as a plant operator for Flannery in Wembley on the M25 and the East London Line, is able to perfect his plant operating skills.
“I have a lot more experience on the equipment than a lot of my military counterparts. I have been able to bring my knowledge and advise the lads on some of the best practice I have learnt in civvy life,” he says. O’Connor’s ambition is clear though, he wants to get on in the army and in the UK construction industry. “I would love to be a construction manager or project manager. I hope that my experience in both worlds will help me get on in the future.”
In his civilian job Lance Corporal Daz Fairclough, 38, of 4 Armoured Engineer Squadron, has worked as a construction site manager for Dandara, in Manchester, and more recently with Charles Topham Group, and he has found his civilian skills have really complemented the work he has been doing in Afghanistan.
Lance Corporal Daz Fairclough
“Since deploying I have been involved in an array of different tasks, digging out the ‘desert roses’ [improvised urinals], and improving the force protection measures within the camps and bases. We have also carried out extensive ‘winterisation’ tasks to prepare the bases for the harsh winter conditions and then there are the repairs to bases and routes used by our troops which have been damaged. I also get to use the mini digger as I have a civvy ticket for most machines, wheeled or tracked.”
Captain Harry Smedley, 52, is based in Lashkar Gah as the Infrastructure Operations Officer. His job is to oversee all of the engineering tasks being carried out across Helmand by the corps. As he explains, much of this work has been completed by the Royal Engineers’ Military Construction Force (MCF). However, ANSF are taking more of a lead in Afghanistan and there is less need for troops to do the work.
The role he describes will sound familiar to any commercial manager in the industry. “A large part of my work is liaising with the various stakeholders during this process and, like any project; it has to be paid for. Permission from the financial department has to be obtained, it has to be resourced, materials have to be bought and paid for, local contractors have to be sourced, engaged with and briefed on the work we require them to carry out and contracts have to be drawn up.
“As a Territorial Army officer with a civilian background in project and contract management with NTL, I could not be better suited for this role. It’s not a very glamorous job but I do have the satisfaction of seeing all of the tasks through from inception to conclusion. With my understanding of complex contracts I was able save hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money on one contract alone and many more savings on others.”
As the MOD sets out the future for our armed forces with more private contractor support and more reservists, maybe the time is right for our industry to see what talent it has to offer and how it may benefit in return.
Anyone serving in the military is a soldier, sailor or airman first and that can involve fighting, but they are also builders, stakeholder managers, engineers, logisticians and many other things besides. Modern warfare is more than just fighting, today’s soldiers have to understand how to win and maintain the peace, how to operate in alien cultures and that infrastructure and construction are at the core of nation building.
