Case studies: Officer commanding: Nick

Nick graduated with a BSc Hons in Geography from The University of Edinburgh. He is now Officer Commanding Army Recruiting Team (ART) 5 based in Forthside, Stirling...

Nick has had family connections with the Army (both grandfathers, uncle and father) that gave him an interest at an early stage in life. He tried to do a Gap Year Commission but was unsuccessful. However, he did pass the Regular Commissions Board (RCB) that enabled him to go to Sandhurst whenever he wanted to. This kept him interested throughout university, although he has to admit that The University of Edinburgh's Officer Training Corps did not enthuse him.

On leaving university and trying to find a job in London, reality bit, and Nick realised that he didn't want to waste time doing an office job that he wasn't particularly interested in. He is more of an 'outdoors' type person, and the prospect of a challenging, interesting, exciting and varied career in the Army had greater appeal. He also liked the prospect of having a lot of responsibility (commanding a troop of challenger 2 tanks) at an early stage and the possibility of being a force for good.

After commissioning from Sandhurst and completing his troop leader's course, Nick became a troop leader with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (SCOTS DG) and was soon deployed on Operation TELIC 7 in Iraq. He was in Iraq for six months (with ten days' rest and recuperation back in the UK).

During his deployment, Nick commanded a 'foot multiple' that deployed in cut-down, normal landrovers (not Snatch landrovers) and Merlin helicopters. Royal Armoured Corps soldiers are often tasked to help monitor and train the Iraqi Police Service in some of the towns to the north of Al Amarah in Maysan Province. This allowed Nick to get out of the camp on a fairly regular basis. One highlight was probably visiting the more remote forts along the border with Iran.

The camp that Nick was based in, called Camp Abu Naj, often came under indirect mortar or rocket attack. He explained that you feel fear occasionally, such as when the mortar alarm goes off and you can hear the mortars coming into the camp, but you get strength and confidence from the fact that you are all in it together.

He added that people are relying on you to keep doing your job, and so you do. You end up fighting for each other rather than some great ideal. It all becomes very instinctive. You feel fear but, as an officer, you must not show it. Everyone is relying on you to keep a clear head, and fear can be infectious and paralysing.

Nick was lucky enough to get into the regimental and army ski team at an early stage in his career. After a successful season this year, when his regimental team won the Army Championships, he was posted to Stirling to command an Army Recruiting Team. He was sent away due to the fact that he was of the correct seniority to do the job that had become available, and he also has family and friends in Scotland.

Among the relevant skills and experience he gained during his degree, Nick includes the ability to assimilate large amounts of information and to process the relevant parts into a concise 'essay' format. He also learned how to read a map and the ground. His subject of study is quite relevant to the job he now does as it gave him a broad understanding of the environment and our place in it. However, he believes that an unusual degree subject will not restrict you in any way from joining the Army and having a successful career.

Important in his current work are the people management skills related to trying to get the army recruiting team working as efficiently as possible while also looking after the careers and welfare of the soldiers under his command.

Nick likes the different challenges that he faces in his new job and also the fact that he continues to have direct command over a number of soldiers. The recruiting world is very different from regimental duty in that you have much more direct contact with the public. At regimental duty you are often on exercise training for operations. There is also a lot of responsibility involved due to the fact that recruiting is a vital part of sustaining the Army. Nick dislikes the fact that he is quite often confined to his office.

In the future, Nick would like to continue to have direct command of some of the best soldiers in the British Army.