D (Rifles) Coy Fifth Fusiliers gave students from Bishop Auckland College experience of the army and how it operates and will work with them over two years. They will become better leaders and much better prepared for a career in the uniformed or public services.
They have been issued with hoodys and T-shirts with the D Coy college logo. They have carried out a complex exercise entitled “Operations Head Above Water” run by Thrills and Skills for Life – a local team building company, assisted by D (Rifles) Coy.
On Friday 27th February the students attended stage 2 of the exercise, where they visited the Army Reserve Centre in Woodhorn Lane taking rifle training, light drill (different to the rest of the British Army’s drill, at 120 paces a minute) and team building tasks.
The students were taught, how the sighting system works on an SA80 Rifle, the standard infantry weapon of the British Army and were given an introduction into its workings. They all handled the weapon and got a feel for the sights.
In the Team Building tasks they had to retrieve equipment from a simulated minefield which proved for many of them more difficult than they first imagined. Testing and improving their leadership and team work skills.
Finally the light drill was a new experience! The only regiment in the British Army to conduct this particular drill is the Rifles and as a Rifles Coy within FIFTH FUSILIERS it was taught to the students, with mixed results of success!
Katy Graham, Head of Uniform and Public Services and Sport at Bishop Auckland College said “This is an excellent opportunity for students to see the army in action.
Carl Sayers a member of the course said “I enjoyed today, the team building was fun, even though we didn’t achieve the task! Learning light drill is very tough and it’s made me look at the army very differently, the people are much nicer and caring than I imagined, it’s made me interested in joining”
Danielle Johnson (17) from Aycliffe a former student at Greenfield said “A really great opportunity – I hadn’t realised reservists were so active and so capable of so much. It’s really opened my eyes to the army and I’m now open to the thought of joining which I was not before”
