‘We owe it to our soldiers’: military and emergency services unite in Dorset for major rescue exercise
Military personnel and emergency services in Dorset are being tested on how they deal with life-threatening incidents
Military personnel and emergency responders from across the UK and overseas have joined forces in Dorset for a large-scale training exercise designed to prepare teams for some of the most complex and dangerous rescue scenarios involving armoured vehicles.
Exercise ARMOURED RESCUER 26, taking place at the Bovington Training Area, brings together the Armoured Fighting Vehicle Schools Regiment (AFVSR), civilian emergency services and international partners in a collaborative effort to improve responses to incidents involving armoured fighting vehicles.
The exercise aims to strengthen cooperation between military units and first responders, ensuring all agencies are prepared to act swiftly and effectively when serious incidents occur during operations, training exercises or deployments overseas.
Commanding Officer Tom Gibbs said the training was essential despite the military’s strong safety record.
“My unit trains thousands of people every year to safely use armoured vehicles without incident, but we have to be ready for when something goes wrong,” he said.
“Being able to bring in experts from around the world into one place and learn from each other is such an amazing thing.”
Lt Col Tom Gibbs explained that many of the scenarios used during the exercise were based on real-life incidents, including some with tragic outcomes.
“These are really complicated machines and we use them in dangerous ways and in dangerous places,” he said. “We owe it to our soldiers to get it right and to learn and to do it properly.”
One of the scenarios involves a military Jackal that has left the road, requiring military personnel, firefighters, paramedics and rescue teams to work together to safely extract casualties.
Instructor Sergeant Ilaitia Ratuqalovi said the exercise had been designed to be as realistic as possible, encouraging participants to solve problems collaboratively under pressure.
“We want everyone from the army side and the civilian rescue team to understand how to get the casualty out safely,” he said.
For Sergeant Lee Answell, the benefits are clear: “Getting people out within that golden hour saves lives.
“Working together and practising these scenarios gives us more opportunity so when it does happen for real, we can save more lives and protect people.”
Organisers say the exercise underlines the growing importance of cooperation between military and civilian agencies in responding to increasingly complex emergencies, while ensuring valuable lessons are shared before lives are on the line.