For the last three months, thirty-three men and women from the 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, British Army Reserve have been responsible for force protection duties at the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK).
In the weeks before Christmas, the Yorkshire & Teesside based reserves from 4 YORKS took over the role at the East African training facility from 1st Bn The Royal Gurkha Rifles (1 RGR).
The all-volunteer, part-time soldiers quickly settled into the role, adapting to the heat, dust and health measures pertinent to operating in Kenya. Whilst their main duty has been force-protection, they have also conducted potential JNCO career development training for the deployed soldiers.
The Reserve Forces and Cadet Associations for the North of England and Yorkshire and the Humber have generously provided funds to support safari packages during the Platoon’s tour and in their time off, the Yorkshire Reserves have ventured as far as Mombasa for some coastal rest, fishing and taken time out to visit local community projects. BATUK have also provided a series of multi-activity package trips ranging from white water rafting to rock climbing and some of Yorkshire’s Infantry have taken advantage of the adventurous training opportunities that go hand in hand with their busy work schedule.
Lance Corporal Tom Stewart, 28 is from Marfleet in Hull and is a recruiter for his reserve company in Hull. He said; “Being able to explore the local area whilst off duty has helped balance out the work. My highlight so far has been visiting the animal orphanage and relaxing at pools or restaurants in Nyanuki. I’m now looking forward to spending some time at Diani Beach after my next rotation.”
Lance Corporal Jovan Chaukria, 26 and a social care worker in Huddersfield said; “We have already seen some great wildlife whilst travelling out to the training area. It has also been great to work more closely with soldiers from the other companies in our battalion. Also, the job here is very different to back home, so it is good to test my leadership in a fresh environment.”
This is only the second time the Army Reserve has assumed the BATUK Force Protection role. The challenge and experience of deploying a formed Army Reserve force will serve the Battalion well, and as the Field Army decreases in size, deployments such as this will become the norm for the Reserve.
Kohima Platoon is due to return home in February 2022 and after a short period of rest, will return to their civilian careers and their part-time roles in the 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment which, over the coming years, will continue to recruit and expand its footprint across Yorkshire and Teesside.
