Coronavirus: Royal Engineers Recruits Return To Training

Trainee British Army Engineers based in Kent have returned to training following a break over the coronavirus pandemic.

1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment (1 RSME Regt) has put in place a number of measures at Brompton Barracks in Chatham to help keep students and instructors safe during trade training.

Changes have been made to workshops and classrooms, while desks and workbenches have been placed two metres apart to observe social distancing.

The Army said an "enhanced hand washing regime" has also been introduced, as well as a one-way system and staggered meal breaks.

1 RSME Regt provides the Army's third and final phase of engineering training before the recruits are posted to their regiments.

The trainees conduct initial training stages at Gibraltar Barracks in Minley.

The school teaches a range of skills, some of which were utilised by personnel in the response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The unit was tasked with helping to design a vehicle that could transport mobile coronavirus testing unit equipment to different locations across the country. 

Sergeant James Cronin, an instructor at 1 RSME Regt, said: "We had to take a basic van and remove the seats.

"Then, the whole of the rear was then lined with a vinyl flooring that could be sanitised after each use. Additional power supplies were built in and refrigeration units installed.

“We had carpenters building the frames, electricians fitting out the refrigeration and power supply, and fabricators to install shelving for additional PPE storage. 

"We are proud to have done our bit in the fight against coronavirus and we’re now looking forward to getting back to training.”

The Army returned to basic training at a reduced capacity last month following a pause over the coronavirus pandemic.

Both the RAF and the Royal Navy continued training during the outbreak.

Cover image: 1 RSME Regt trains following social distancing measures (Picture: British Army).