Page 146 - RAPTC Year of 2019

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BRITISH ARMY TRAINING UNIT KENYA (BATUK)
WO2 (QMSI) R Harnden RAPTC
Having spent almost 2 years living and working in Kenya as the BATUK QMSI for AT, a common question I’m asked now I’m back in the UK is ‘how was it’? In a word;
‘amazing’!
I was fortunate to move to Kenya with my family, so we were all keen to make the very most of our African adventure. With the family settled and loving life, I was able to immerse myself into the BATUK QMSI AT role. BATUK’s mission is to deliver world class arduous, unique and expeditionary light role training exercises, focused on major combat operations to approximately 5000 troops per year. My position was responsible for the management and assurance of all Battle Group AT packages which included close engagement with civilian AT providers who deliver the Type 2 and 3 AT packages to our troops. Our aim in the AT cell was to ensure that a minimum of 60% of all deployed personnel, and 100% of BATUK staff, undertake some form of AT throughout their time in Kenya.
In addition to my AT role, I was responsible for the PD management for all permanent and temporary deployed staff. As part of this managerial role I lead on an infrastructure project to plan, procure and install a brand-new gymnasium when BATUK relocated from the Nanyuki Showground to Nyati barracks.
Located directly on the equator, and at the base of Mount Kenya, meant that we lived 2,000m above sea level (almost twice as high as Snowdon), combining this altitude with African’s intense climatic conditions made safety awareness paramount for PT delivery.
Alongside my primary responsibilities, I was fortunate to undertake lots of other interesting challenges and
events that are more achievable from being
based in Kenya. For example, climbing
Mount Kenya in my spare time, safaris with the family, undertaking volunteer
Q Harnden BATUK
work at the local orphanages and achieving a variety of physical events, the opportunities were endless.
There are too many fond memories to mention them all, however, highlights include a gruelling 3-day charity event alongside SSgt Jonny Bedford RAPTC, training the Kenyan national 15’s rugby squad for their 2019 world cup qualification bid, organising a T3 expedition to Kilimanjaro and arranging lots of AT for BATUK staff and families, no two days were ever the same.
If an opportunity to work in Kenya happens to present itself, go for it! It’s an excellent lifetime experience and these chances don’t come around very often, you will not regret it!