Reservists from 4th Battalion The Royal Yorkshire Regiment (4 R YORKS) embarked on adventures overseas to the Brazil and the United States of America to test their skills on water and land.
On the Amazon
Soldiers, officers and medics travelled to Brazil earlier this summer for a 10-day kayaking/canoeing expedition along the Amazon River in Brazil. Captain Claire Norton, 4 R YORKS, shares what adventurous training means as part of the reserves experience:
Adventurous Training is a key component of individual training progression; providing invaluable training in the fundamental military skills of planning, organisation, leadership, personnel management and administration for those involved in the expedition’s preparation and delivery. The conduct of such expeditions around the world, involving real risk, is a key element in the preparation of Service personnel for operations and it is essential that the “expeditionary” element of this training is retained and that physical and mental challenges are met and overcome throughout such activity.
Building experience and skills
It is this element of “challenge”, requiring the individuals involved to develop and combine qualities of fitness, courage and endurance, which distinguishes adventurous training from sport, and the remoteness, complexity, threats and inherent challenges presented by the Amazon which set this expedition apart from others.
Exercise Northern Strike in America
4RYORKS training partnership continued on location in Michigan where our Reservists took part in a two-week training programme Exercise Northern Strike. Planning began in Spring 2023 when we welcomed New York National Guard 2-108th in spring 2023 to the Patrols Competition weekend in North Yorkshire. In August, 4RYORKS Reservists then took their training experience to the heart of the Midwest. They joined Regular and fellow Reservists where they reinforced their warfighting training and improved their interoperability skills and techniques with our US hosts.
Opportunities offered
Second Lieutenant Robert Collier 4RYORKS, a university student and reservist platoon commander ,Corunna Company, shares his experience conducting serials, operating as a platoon and effectively training.
Speaking about the experience, he says it has been a real privilege.
“Overall and personally, it’s a massively huge benefit coming out here, and I think there’s also a draw, there’s an incentive for the troops to come… it brings in the numbers, and allows us to conduct these exercises as full platoons, as a full company, and that’s absolutely of benefit for everyone involved.”
Private Roberto Brennan-Vaccaro, rifleman with 4RYORKS Alma Coy adds, “Just the opportunity to go abroad with the Reserves on a big exercise like this, and obviously, alongside Regulars from England and America, is really good.”
He shares that he has learned how to be a better soldier in the field and working as part of a section. and that the confidence developed training abroad is beneficial as it removes you from the regular drill night and into a new setting where you work with more moving parts which allows to build yourself better.
Reserve Forces- “I’d regret it if I hadn’t joined”
About joining the Reserve Forces, Private Brennan-Vaccaro says, “I’d definitely tell them to jump on and give it a shot. I was going to join the Regulars when I left school, but I instead got a job and it went to the back of my mind. But it was always there and I thought maybe there was something for me else, and my friend said ‘why don’t you look into the Reserves?’. And obviously that’s what I’ve done, and now two years down the line you don’t look back. I’d regret it if I hadn’t have joined.”
Second Lieutenant Collier adds, “Absolutely go for it! Whenever I tell anyone what I’m doing, they just can’t believe it. To lead a platoon to me is an absolute privilege, especially with the troops we’re leading. Absolutely fantastic.”
Learn more about the Reserve Forces and join today. Go to www.rfca-yorkshire.org.uk/reserves.