Gurkhas off with a bang as new batch of engineers learn how to blow things up
Thirty-two Gurkhas have embarked on a 12-week combat engineer course, which all sappers must complete, to become fully qualified members of the Queen's Gurkha Engineers.
Braving freezing temperatures in Hampshire, they had their first taste of working with live explosives and nerves were running high.
"If you find me shivering it’s not because of the nervousness – it's because of the cold!" said trainee Sapper Sagar Hamal.
'Confidence charge' is the first stage of learning how to safely blow things up and the training is designed to build the young engineers' confidence when working with live explosives.
Later they will learn how to blast through steel, concrete and fell trees to block the enemy's path, but firstly they need to master the art of making something go bang.
The Queen's Gurkha Engineers provides specialist engineer solutions to various force elements.
The unit remains poised to deliver theatre entry, indirect support to combat operations, military-civil transition and recovery.
The two squadrons - 69 and 70 Gurkha Field Squadrons - are part of 36 Engineer Regiment and play a key part in operations and tasks around the world.
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