The End of an Era – October 18, 2024

The end of an era. I’ve been in the Army for a total of 16 years, and that time has now come to an end.

In 2008, I saw a sign for the British Army in Derby City Centre and ended up joining the Territorial Army as a private soldier. My first experience of “camping” was putting up a basher!

The Territorial Army became the Army Reserves, we changed from DPM to MTP, and there was a lot more Velcro. I loved it so much that I decided to join the Regular Army.

A big part of me grew up in the Army. I have loved being part of this incredible community, I have learnt so much, and I thank those who supported me.

The last couple of years I have been taking unpaid leave to do expeditions, and I’ve been on a career break over the last year. I’m not planning an expedition this year, but there is so much I want to do. Though I have loved being part of the Army, it is just not possible to do both.

Although I’ll no longer be serving, the values and lessons I’ve learnt during my time in the Army will always be a part of who I am. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey.