Page 103 - RAPTC Year of 2019

8 TRAINING BATTALION REME
WO2 (QMSI) Kewley RAPTC
Still a relatively new unit located on an old, though rapidly changing estate (MOD Lyneham), 8 Trg Bn REME is one of the 4 units that make up the Defence College of Technical
Training (DCTT). 8 Trg Bn REME is the amalgamation of 10 Bn REME (Bordon) and 11 Bn REME (Arborfield).
Sgt (SI) Tom Hemming and SSgt (SSI) Lee Paterson (ERI) are the other 8 Trg Bn REME RAPTCIs and have recently taken up posts here. Both are doing a sterling job and have set the standards for future RAPTCIs.
8 Trg Bn REME is the largest Trg Bn in the Army with circa 1200 phase 2 and 3 trainees (but can facilitate up to 1500 trainees), 170 Permanent Staff (PS) as well as just under 200 soldiers that operate within the Garrison footprint. The Bn is made up of 4 Coys with 3 of the 4 Coys each holding around 250-320 personnel, and one of the Coys holding nearly 600 personnel, a CSM’s delight I am sure!
In addition to 8 Trg Bn REME, the site is also home to HQ DSEME, REME HQ, GSU, REME Arms School, and SAAE. The camp perimeter fence is 16km long, there are 3 runways and the airfield is extensive, for those that can remember it. The addition of 5 Bn REME this year is sure to have its own challenges to what is effectively a Garrison and will take the number of soldiers on this establishment to over 2000 personnel once 5 Bn REME have moved in.
The sports facilities are excellent with 3 rugby pitches, 4 football pitches (one of them is a 4g pitch), a CV suite, weights room, spin suite, 3 squash courts, powerlifting area, self-contained boxing area, climbing wall and new gymnasium complex. Not to mention a go-kart track out on the airfield and the recent addition of a circuit that has been designed for car and motorbike track days. Also, a recent business case for £200k has been signed off and the PTE is inbound. We are looking forward to cracking the PTE out of the crates and for the ITT and PS to make use of the new kit.
Inter Coy Boxing - AAPTI Staff
Left to right: LCpl Bishop, LCpl Flewitt, LCpl Levy, Cpl Corrieri
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Top – left to right: SIOPTs Sheeran, Moore, Smyth, Cpl Adams, LCpl Levy. Bottom – left to right: SIOPT Houlton, Sgt (SI) Hemming, Corps SM, SMAA, WO2 (QMSI) Kewley, LCpl Flewitt, LCpl Bishop
Conducting sports afternoons here can be a bit of an epic. We usually expect 700 personnel on parade and up to 40 sports OIC’s leading. Managing and coordinating the real estate can be challenging at times, especially when the rain and wind set in for the day. The sport parade format and the hard work conducted by the sport OICs is clearly paying off as the Unit won the Army Sports Trophy for 2019.
The Commanding Officer’s Cup comprises some great events from football, boxing to gun runs, strong man and march and shoot events. Each of these competitions usually has between 140-300 trainees and PS taking part with the largest event, the Xmas Reindeer Run, which this year saw around 850 taking part on the day.
We have recently held an outstanding Inter-Coy Boxing event and the unit took part in the HMS Sultan Boxing show in Dec 19.
A very busy year that has flown by however, the QMSI has not taken part in many jollies due to focusing on resettlement as he leaves the Unit and the Army at the end of May 20.
Co’s Cup – Reindeer Run