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*** *** THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010 *** The Daily Telegraph TERRITORIAL ARMY CAREERS IN DEFENCE SHARON McDOWELL, 49 Commanding officer of the 201 (N) Field Hospital (Volunteers) at Fenham Barracks, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sharon McDowell is also a matron at Sunderland Royal Hospital in civilian life. McDowell has been second in command in a field hospital in Iraq and has also been in charge of a hospital in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, treating soldiers, and civilians, including children, caught up in the conflict. She joined the TA as a Second Lieutenant at the age of 26 and, while rising through the ranks, learned teamwork, delegation and organisational and management skills all of which are essential for progression in any career. According to McDowell, commitment is a big word in the TA, a trait that translates well into the civilian workplace. We commit to training and to each other, she says. It is vital to be able to rely on everyone in your team giving 100 per cent. That attitude is perhaps not as prevalent in civilian life, so if you can prove that you have it, youre at an advantage. It shows you give your best at all times, and any switched-on employer will recognise that. In 2004, I became ward manager on one of the largest wards in the Sunderland Royal Hospital. Im sure I got the job by highlighting skills from my TA experience. I was later encouraged to apply for the position of matron, and one of my aknowledged attributes was my ability to be straightforward and efficient a typical TA characteristic! *** V Spare-time soldiers The Territorial Army offers people from all walks of life the chance to learn valuable new skills. Isla Whitcroft reveals how TA volunteers benefit both personally and professionally Later this year, hundreds of Territorial Army (TA) soldiers, including a sizeable contingent of infantry reservists, will join the regular army heading to Afghanistan on Operation Herrick 13. They will include men and women who live as civvies most of the time, pursuing careers as civil servants, electricians, teachers and IT specialists, among many others. But, when mobilised for service, they stand and, if necessary, fight alongside their full-time colleagues. Although it is made up of only 35,350 individuals, the UKs Territorial Army is a far more significant force than its numbers suggest. In fact, the Volunteer Reserve Forces, of which the TA is the major part, now provides around a quarter of the nations total defence capacity. Since 2002, around 20,000 reservists have seen active service in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Balkans, most of them from the TA. The TA (previously known as the Territorial Force) came into being on April 1, 1908, and was set up to support the regular army in times of crisis. It was put to the test during the First World War, when it provided more than 700 battalions. In the Second World War, its members fought alongside the regulars on the front lines, and it has provided backup in almost every conflict since. The TA has evolved into a highly efficient, streamlined force and its future seems to be assured despite a hiccup last October when the Government suspended, and then swiftly reinstated, its training budget. There are now proposals on the table to make the TA much more useful and flexible. It is also recognised among the military as a key source of grass-roots opinion because its members have civilian jobs, which helps to give them a more objective view. Anyone can join the TA, provided they are a UK citizen and have been resident in the UK for the past five years. People from all professions and backgrounds are welcome. Recruits without previous military experience are normally aged between 17 and 43 (for officers, the age is 17 to 33), although there is some flexibility for candidates who have professional qualifications and specialist skills. The age at which you join is irrelevant to the COLONEL Student experience: TA member Rachel Davies in Helmand Province, Afghanistan speed of promotion this is by merit based on ability, says Major John Miller, of the Army Careers Service in Merseyside, and a member of the TA for 29 years. Obviously, if you join later in life, when youre already qualified in a skill, it adds to what you can bring to the table. Chefs, for example, are particularly in demand, as are doctors, dentists, nurses and anyone working in healthcare. Lawyers, too, are sought after, since the military has to deal with an increasing number of legal complexities. Everyone, however, has to undergo basic training. Would-be officers must also go through an officer selection process, and have to meet the education requirement (180 UCAS The TA allows you to expand your range of experiences, which can be useful for your civilian career points and seven GCSEs). On average, TA members train for three nights a month and one weekend out of every four, and they are also required to undertake a continuous 15-day training period once a year. As part-time soldiers, they bring with them skills and experience from their civilian lives, but the skills exchange works both ways, according to Miller. The TA allows you to expand your range of qualifications and experiences, which can be useful for your civilian career, he says. Lieutenant Rachel Davies, 24, who is coming to the end of a four-year degree in Disaster Management at Teesside University, hopes the skills she has learned during seven years with the TA will help when it comes to job-hunting. While her fellow students were spending their work experience year doing UK-based desk jobs, Davies was deployed with her TA regiment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Working with Civil-Military Co-operation, which liaises between the Army and the local population, she was put in charge of rebuilding and stabilising the town of Nawa and, within two weeks of being posted to this remote area, was organising teams of civilians, negotiating with tribal leaders and dealing with compensation claims. It was an incredible experience, says Davies, who would like to build a career in post-conflict reconstruction in the NGO charity sector. The TA trained me well, giving me the leadership and negotiating skills to keep people going and calm volatile situations. I am hopeful that these and other skills will stand me in good stead. Employers who let valued team members go on mobilised service also benefit. According to the latest survey by SaBRE, an MoD campaign to inform and support reservists and employers, companies felt that TA members brought more to the workplace, as they tend to have greater self-confidence, communication and teamwork skills. Tim Corry, campaign director for SaBRE, explains: TA members have specific skills, such as special vehicle driving, first aid, the know- how to handle hazardous materials, and technical skills that can come in useful, especially in a tight spot. They also possess soft skills, such as leadership, initiative and the ability to be positive, which are beneficial for any workforce. There are some employers who want to recruit people who have military connections, especially those within the defence sector, because they will already know something about their client base. We get people calling up and asking for more reservist employees, as they have had such good experiences with them. While engaged on operations, a TA member will have his or her job held open, and the TA pays them a wage. If the civilian wage is higher, the difference is made up by the Government. Many TA recruits go on to join the regular army. For example, around 20 per cent of those who join major infantry units in the TA end up in the regular forces. The TA is also a valuable stepping stone to a full-time military career. What young people learn there will give them a taste of life in the full-time army, should they choose to join up, says Miller. It is not unusual for a TA member in their early twenties to find themselves in charge of a section of eight men. And a young officer, such as a Second Lieutenant, may be in command of 30 people. There are very few areas of civilian life where you would be given that sort of managerial responsibility that early on, says Miller. So when you put something like that on your CV, it really stands out. Its a privilege to command a TA battalion Working to support the regular army is a challenge Lieutenant Colonel Alistair Rogers clearly relishes. Report by Isla Whitcroft Today, the Territorial and regular armies their friends are off to the pub or out with their operate as one, says Lieutenant Colonel Alistair partners. They then spend two nights training in Rogers, 42, Commanding Officer of 4th cold and wet weather, without much sleep, Battalion The Parachute Regiment before going back to work again on (4 PARA), a TA unit that supplies fully Monday morning. prepared infantrymen for operations According to Rogers, the true value to the regular battalions of the of the TA became apparent after the Parachute Regiment. regular army found itself stretched TA members get the same access for manpower in the last Gulf war. to resources and training as their Its importance has been crystallised regular counterparts, albeit on a by Britains increasing involvement prioritised and part-time basis, and in Afghanistan. they are regularly deployed on military Hitherto, TA soldiers had never operations most notably to really served on active operations in any Afghanistan, but they were also sent The man to follow: numbers, says Rogers. But now, the to Iraq before British forces withdrew. Lieutenant Colonel army has come to realise that the TA is When theyre out on operations, its needed to make the regular force Alistair Rogers of difficult to tell TA and regular forces structures more robust. 4 PARA apart. They look the same, are equipped Today, not only does the regular army the same and do the same job. They receive the welcome and respect the TA, but the public is also same pay, carry out the same tasks beginning to realise that TA soldiers are working and absolutely have the respect of their regular and fighting alongside the regular army, with army peers. all the dangers, challenges and positive There is considerable diversity of skills and experiences that brings. backgrounds in the TA. A TA private could be As the role of the TA has changed, so the a plumber, an engineer or a stockbroker, and organisation is beginning to evolve. There is a therefore brings experience beyond what a greater emphasis on training for current operations regular army private might have. and integration with battalions of the same cap When I was in Afghanistan, it was not badge, or regiment. 4 PARA is seen as a model for uncommon to hear of an army unit hastily this approach and only provides manpower to its constructing an operating base, and a TA soldier regular army sister battalions, 1, 2 and 3 PARA. in the unit happening to be a carpenter or an This allows us to better develop and foster core electrician. While the regulars may be scratching skills, says Rogers. their heads trying to work out how to make the With the expansion of the TA, career opportunities lighting work, or mend the roof, the TA soldier for members have also grown. Many employers steps in and solves the problem. have stated that being in the TA is a positive thing In addition, Rogers says he is humbled by the for their employees, says Rogers. This is not extraordinary commitment of the average TA just in public sector organisations, such as the soldier: Regular soldiers are there because it is NHS and the civil service, but increasingly in the their paid job, TA soldiers are there because they private sector too. want to be. Their enthusiasm is impressive and it Rogers is clear when asked about what the is important that we provide demanding training rewards are for him, working with dedicated and excitement to meet their expectations. people who fulfill a crucial role in the modern Soldiers often give up a couple of weekends army. I see it as a real privilege to command a a month, turning up on Friday night when many of TA battalion, he says. MOD/DEFENCE IMAGES A TA private could be a plumber, an engineer or a stockbroker Side by side: keeping watch over the wadi in Musa Qala, Afghanistan *** *** *** *** DEFENCE CAREERS IN Wednesday, January 20, 2010 jobs.telegraph.co.uk/ca The Daily Telegraph GETTY Winning ways: building good relations with local populations in conflict zones is likely to become more of a priority as the Government shifts its emphasis towards early intervention and *** II *** *** WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CAREERS IN DEFENCE INNOVATIVE SME S ABOUT THIS SUPPLEMENT Todays defence sector is synonymous with innovation and challenge. Whether your interest lies in new technology or tours of duty on the front line, career opportunities in this *** *** THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010 *** The Daily Telegraph WOMEN IN THE RAF CAREERS IN DEFENCE *** III The skys the limit Three women who are blazing a trail in the RAF talk to Sarah James about the rise and rise of the Forces female stars FLIGHT LIEUTENANT hit the headlines *** IV *** *** WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CAREERS IN DEFENCE OCEANOGRAPHY & HYDROGRAPHY *** The Daily Telegraph Mapping a melting world Changing conditions in the Arctic are opening up new frontiers, says Adam Ramsay, creating extreme challenges for those with the right skills *** *** THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010 *** The Daily Telegraph TERRITORIAL ARMY CAREERS IN DEFENCE SHARON McDOWELL, 49 Commanding officer of the 201 (N) Field Hospital (Volunteers) at Fenham Barracks, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sharon McDowell is also a matron at Sunderland Royal Hospita *** VI *** *** WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CAREERS IN DEFENCE ARMY OFFICER TRAINING *** The Daily Telegraph ALAMY Have you got what it takes? The road to Sandhurst is a tough one finds Adam Ramsay, as he takes part in initial selection tests for Army officers It is barely dawn *** *** THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010 *** The Daily Telegraph APPRENTICESHIPS CAREERS IN DEFENCE *** VII A step in the right direction An apprenticeship in defence can lead to in-depth training and a job with prospects. Graeme Whitcroft looks at companies seeking new recruits If *** VIII *** *** WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CAREERS IN DEFENCE RESCUE SQUADS *** The Daily Telegraph GETTY, MOD/DEFENCE IMAGES From far left: the flooded high street in Cockermouth in November 2009; RAF Odihams 27 Squadron in Pakistan; HMS Iron Duke A helping hand when disaste