16 minute read
Op PITTING
The British operation to repatriate British and entitled Afghan nationals from Kabul, Operation PITTING, saw a significant contribution by The RLC. 13 Air Assault Support Regiment RLC provided support to 16 Air Assault Brigade who were focused on ensuring as many entitled people got the safe passage they needed to the UK, despite an incredibly challenging security situation.
RLC Movement Controllers from 29 Regiment RLC deployed at a rapid rate to logistic support nodes across the Middle East and at Kabul International Airport. They enabled the technical process to move 15,000 people on 70 flights across international borders and at pace. They contributed significantly working expertly with specialists from the RAF, 16 Air Assault Brigade and partnering Government agencies. Also deployed were personnel from 11 EOD&S Regt, 9 Regt and 821 Sqn.
Lt Col Jim Beere, CO 13 AASR said in a message to his regiment: “Our people in Afghanistan worked around the clock to make sure that both our military and civilian personnel had what they needed, whilst also providing what they could to those seeking refuge. 63 Air Assault Support Squadron in particular, but all of our people displayed exactly the kind of ingenuity, compassion and professionalism that we all expect.
“In addition to those in Kabul, 13 AASR deployed a logistic and equipment support network, through the air mounting centre, RAF Brize Norton and the Middle East, commanded by OC 47 Air Despatch Squadron, in support of this operation. This contribution was equally valuable and has ensured that those deployed forward have never wanted for what they needed. That 24/7 support and ingenious ability to get what we needed, also made sure that the thousands of evacuees we processed also had access to the basics whilst they waited to board their planes. I could not be prouder of what the Regiment achieved.
“Of arguably greater importance, are those who stayed behind and supported from Colchester, RAF Brize Norton and elsewhere. The regimental rear party, the families of those deployed and the friends of the unit, contributed in an immeasurable way and without them, we would have floundered.
“I know you will join me in being completely humbled by the endless hard work, good humour and empathy that our troops have displayed. They are a credit to the regiment and to all of you who support them back home. Thank you.”
The 2021 RLC Photographic Competition - entries close 8 October
Open to regular and reserve RLC soldiers and officers and RLC affiliated army cadets, the competition offers the opportunity for personnel to capture the wide variety of job roles and environments that The RLC currently operates and trains in.
With some changes to last year, entries for 2021 close on 8 October and can be submitted into the following six categories: The New Normal, RLC Equipment and Trades in action, Soldiering, Interoperability, Sport/AT and Person or People (portraiture and selfies).
The judges will select two amateur-taken ‘best' images in each subject category. The RLC’s Professional Army Photographers are invited to submit portrait images for any category, with the winning entry being selected for the front cover of the 2022 RLC calendar. The best two images (shot in landscape) from each category will also be selected for publication in the 2022 RLC Calendar and will be published in a future edition of The Sustainer. There will also be cash prizes for each category winner and runner up.
Closing date for entries is 8 October 2021.
For more information and details of how to enter, visit The RLC Defence Connect page: https://jive.defencegateway.mod.uk/ docs/DOC-574123
The RLC MUSEUM MAKES ITS MARK
The RLC Museum has been busy hosting several noteworthy events over the last two months.
On 29 July, the museum held a celebration for Royal Army Service Corps World War Two veteran, Mr Fred Miller, in advance of his 100th Birthday on 21 August 2021.
Fred served as a driver with 432 Company RASC, which formed part of the 7th Armoured Division (the famous Desert Rats) in North Africa. He also took part in the Normandy landings arriving on the beaches five days after D-Day. In the days that followed, he moved supplies and troops off the beaches and deeper into France, in support of the allied advance. He then served throughout the campaign in Northwest Europe finishing in Germany and eventually returning home in 1946. During the campaign, Fred even very briefly drove Field Marshal Montgomery.
Fred visited the museum accompanied by his wife of six years, Joan, both of whom were given a guided tour by Museum Director Maj (Retd) Simon Walmsley. Fred was presented with a centenary birthday cake decorated with a George the Fifth RASC cap badge, followed by a surprise drive in Monty’s Rolls Royce Wraith around Worthy Down Camp. The Field Marshal was driven onto the Normandy beaches on D-Day plus four in this staff car and he used the vehicle throughout the campaign in Northern Europe. The RLC Corps Sergeant Major, WO1 Chris Sutherland, also presented Fred with a new beret, complete with an RASC cap badge; a touching gesture that brought a tear to Fred’s eye.
The proceedings finished with Colonel Nigel Gilbert, Chairman of the RASC & RCT Association, presenting Fred with a framed birthday certificate to celebrate the momentous occasion.
Between 12 – 14 August, the museum also successfully held a First World War living history event.
The free event drew in over 1,000 visitors from across the country who were able to see a selection of magnificent First World War horse-drawn vehicles, including GS (general service) Wagons and Mark I and Mark II Horse Ambulances. Highlights of the three-day event included interactions with Willy and Wiggie, the trusted RLC HorseDrawn Heritage horses, as well as soldiers dressed in First World War uniforms. Other attractions on display comprised wheelwright equipment, WW1 weapons and bell tents. Younger visitors also enjoyed medal making amongst other activities, allowing the event to provide a fun and educational day for many families during the school holidays. The event was the first of its kind to be held at the recently-opened museum and its popularity will hopefully lead the way for similar events in the future. The RLC Museum at Worthy Down is home to a vast array of exhibits and the world-class RCT medal collection. It tells the story of British military logistics from Agincourt to present day. For more information, visit: https://www.royallogisticcorps.co.uk/ museum/
The Colonel RLC
Welcome to the autumn edition of The Sustainer. As I reflect, looking back over the last few weeks, the Corps has once again been at the forefront of Army and Defence activity. I could not be prouder of the soldiers and officers of the Corps for the outstanding contribution to Op PITTING, the evacuation of 15,000 people from Kabul during August. Our people were involved at every stage in the process, from the forward elements in Kabul, to those at the processing nodes in UAE, Cyprus, Brize and the JAMC; the J4 teams at PJHQ, Fd Army, 16 Bde, DSCOM and UKStratCom staff and those in the Rear Ops Gps. It has been a real team effort across the Corps.
Special mention must go the teams from 13 Regiment, 29 Regiment, 11 Regiment, 9 Regiment and HQ 104 Brigade as well as many RLC soldiers at 1st Line across 16 Brigade. Under significant time constraints, these units and formations deployed personnel and support at pace and displayed professionalism, adaptability, courage and sensitivity in the toughest of situations, in many ways unique in tempo, scale and complexity.
These extraordinary achievements over the past weeks, however, must be seen in the context of the Corps’ contribution to operations over the past 20 years in Afghanistan and the very real sacrifice that so many of our people and their loved ones have given. The way the campaign has concluded will understandably cause feelings of anger, bitterness and despair. The Corps is fully committed to supporting our people, both serving and retired, through the Corps Benevolence Team and will continue to provide advice to access mental health support.
In wider operations the Corps has continued commitments to a range of tasks supporting the UK Ambulance Service Regions, with 7 Regiment soldiers deploying to the North East and East over summer leave. They have been conducting patient transfer services and support to paramedic crews which has proved, once again, to be a rewarding and empowering task for our junior soldiers. Over the next month, 6 Regiment is redeploying from Op TOSCA after a very successful tour, as part of the United Nation Force in Cyprus. 27 Regiment recently completed a 10-week period as the Public Duties Reinforcement Company supporting London District carrying out Ceremonial Duties in London and Windsor. Most notably, this tour included support to a number of State Ceremonial Events including the visit of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Windsor Castle in July. The Regiment represented the Corps superbly and received congratulations for high standards throughout the task from GOC London District.
In August, the Master General of Logistics and I welcomed 22 newly commissioned 2Lts into the Corps at the Sovereign’s Parade, held at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. It was a real privilege to be able to host their families at a picnic lunch in front of New College for the first time in over a year. We wish them all the best as they start their officer career on the Troop Commanders’ Course at Worthy Down.
Looking to the future, we are looking forward to resuming a full programme of Corps events and visits this autumn. The RLC Military Skills competition hosted by the Defence School of Transport and 25 Regiment on 2 October at Leconfield, promises to be a fantastic event and I look forward to seeing as many units participating both Regular and Reserve. The RLC Sports Awards for 2021 is taking place at Bicester Garrison Officers’ Mess on 14 October and we are looking forward to recognising the sporting achievements of our people from the 2019-20 season, which is long overdue. I am very pleased to announce that for the first time there will be a full veterans marching contingent from the RLC Association at the Cenotaph Parade in Whitehall on Remembrance Sunday, which will march in addition to the contingents from the Forming Corps. This will be followed by a reception at 20 Sqn in Regent’s Park. It is hoped that this prestigious annual event will be a catalyst for the RLC Association to grow year on year and reach its full potential.
I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible as I visit around the Corps this autumn. Thank you to all of you, and to your families and loved ones, for your continued hard work and support.
The Commandant RMAS, Major General Duncan Capps CBE, has given his personal opinion on a range of contemporary leadership challenges in an interview with The RLC Foundation.
The full interview has been published on the Foundation’s website: http://rlcfoundation.com/ The small extract included below, offers a sample of the longer, in-depth interview, which will also be published in the next edition of the RLC Foundation Review in April 2022. Maj Gen Capps joined the RCT as a Private in 1985 and was commissioned a year later having completed the Standard Military Couse at RMAS. Today he is effectively the British Army’s Director of Leadership. Whilst Sandhurst is often regarded as a vital element in the fabric of the heritage of Britain’s military structure, readers may find his unorthodox background and attitude to the Army refreshing.
Over the last decade, a concerted effort has been made to codify values and standards across the Army in an attempt to establish a common baseline. How confident are you that the RMAS leadership tenets are permeating into the wider army?
Maj Gen Capps says: “This is a huge area for reflection and debate. Let’s consider some historiography. British ineptitude in the 1793-94 Flanders campaign acted as the catalyst for establishing formal professional officer training for the Army. Two primary objectives were pursued as a consequence of failures: the first, was the recruitment and development of ‘value centered servant leaders’, who understood that they had the responsibility and privilege of leading soldiers. Secondly, was instilling and confirming a degree of military competence across the officer corps. If we don’t get that same degree of commitment to value based leadership, clearly demonstrated by personal examples, then we’re going to fail in attaining the tenets of leadership that we desire and we’re unlikely to see the right people enter the Army. The challenge that I and my predecessors have had, is how much we are prepared to condition the development of leaders whilst also allowing individuals to develop their personal styles. With Generation Z we have to be very careful. In a lot of cases they have fixed views and they are prepared to offer challenges to what we offer. It’s much more about mentoring and coaching rather than directing and I’m now focused on how we affect leadership development, acknowledging that this generation is different and a different approach is needed. How do we combine emotional intelligence and social awareness with the self-awareness that they’ll need, if they’re to sustain themselves emotionally and physically when leading teams of soldiers? This is what my team and I are grappling with today because the challenges they will face are different to the ones I experienced. Now to answer the broader question of how we are permeating this leadership ethos down into the Army. There were two leadership studies conducted in 2015 and 2018 and broadly speaking they identified that we were not investing to the same degree in our ‘soldier leader’ development. So, my takeaway from that, is that our soldier leaders, including our Late Entry officers, are successful despite the system, not because of it. I oversaw a study last year which looked at identifying the best leadership intervention points for junior soldiers and I’m hoping that this is part of a new initiative that addresses some of the shortfalls. Another inroad is being made through the examination of specific case studies by the Centre for Army Leadership, which comes directly under me, but is not focused solely on officers. Perversely, what is also encouraging is that a by-product of COVID-19 restrictions resulted in greater participation from the soldier network, who were more confident to participate in digital leadership debates and podcasts. So, we are now starting to hear the voice of our junior leaders and I’m confident positive changes will be forthcoming.”
The RLC Foundation Interview
Hello, I hope you and your families are safe and well and finally starting to enjoy some freedom, as the Government restrictions are now lifted, allowing life to return to some normality.
I am writing my first “From the Ranks” article for The Sustainer, sitting in RHQ The RLC in Worthy Down halfway through week four, as the newly appointed Corps Sergeant Major. I feel, a little overwhelmed yet extremely honoured that I am the Senior Soldier of The Royal Logistic Corps. More importantly, my remit is to be the voice of our soldiers, a task I intend to take extremely seriously in order to improve the lived experience of our people.
So, what’s been happening..? I was extremely proud to see our logisticians from 13 AASR and 29 Regt deploying on Op PITTING supporting the 2 PARA BG. Watching the situation unfold in the mainstream media and seeing troops wearing 13 Regiment DZs and RLC TRFs deplaning in Kabul airport, really brought it home just how involved and highly regarded our soldiers are around the globe. But we must not forget that here in the UK we have soldiers contributing to all manner of tasks; including soldiers from 7 Regiment who are deployed in direct support of the North East and Eastern Ambulance Services. I thank them and all of you currently deployed around the world; you truly are making a difference.
In the short period I have been in appointment, I have had the privilege to meet and welcome 48 Junior Soldiers to the Corps as they graduated from AFC Harrogate. The soldiers from across all our trades are prepared to join our Corps family by RLC Instructors who are outstanding in everything they deliver. While in Harrogate, I had the pleasure of meeting some of them and I thanked them for the great job they do.
In the same week I attended the General’s review at the Royal Hospital Chelsea where I was honoured to meet the In Pensioners, from The
RLC’s Forming Corps. A week I will never forget, totally worth the back to back lateral flow tests.
I have also attended my first Conductor’s Parchment ceremony in our fantastic new Corps museum. Huge congratulations on the appointment of Conductor go to: WO1 (Cdr) Lyndsay (Mov Con), WO1 (Cdr) Rogers (Chef), WO1 (Cdr) Hutchinson (P&C) and WO1 (Cdr) Clinton (AT).
One of my main aims whilst in this prestigious role, is improving the lived experience of our soldiers and I’d like my first “From the Ranks” update to the Corps, to focus on this.
As you are all aware, our Corps is so large and dispersed, reaching out to, and communicating with, the entire serving Corps family has always been a challenge. One of my tasks is to improve communications throughout The RLC, but in particular with the 40% of RLC personnel, who serve in units and formation HQs outside Corps.
I would also like to give all of you the ability to speak to your Senior Soldier direct. This will be achieved either face to face during unit visits when I start to get around the Corps, or by reaching out to me via Defence Connect and on our various social media channels. The Corps Media team will send out more direction on how you can engage with me in due course.
What has happened in Afghanistan recently, may have brought back some demons for some of you. My message is simple… Please don’t suffer in silence, reach out and be there for each other. There are many great organisations out there that will help, but sometimes us soldiers “just need our friends”.
If you feel you need to reach out further for help, serving personnel and civilian MoD staff can access Defence Connect to help get the right support: https://jive.defencegateway.mod.uk/.../ mental-health
For serving personnel and our veterans, the Army has updated the information available on its website. There’s always someone to talk to: https://www.army.mod.uk/.../ managing-stress/ask-for-help/
There is also further assistance available specifically for war veterans. See: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/support -for-war-veterans for more details.
Finally, I would like to publicly thank and pass best wishes to my predecessor Captain Phil Broom and his family. Good luck at ICSC(L) and in your next role. You have left me big shoes to fill!
WO1 C Sutherland Corps Sergeant Major RLC
