Troops from across the UK mobilise in Colchester for surprise NATO practice drill
Colchester’s Merville Barracks has been hosting a large-scale army exercise to test how quickly troops could be mobilised in response to a crisis
From drawing ammunition to checking passports and vaccination clinics to weapon handling tests, the readiness of airborne soldiers to go on operations at a moment’s notice has been put to the test at Colchester's Merville Barracks. "Exercise Totemic" saw around 1,000 personnel and 300 vehicles from across the UK simulate a rapid deployment scenario - a rehearsal for how the Army might respond if a NATO ally were threatened with invasion.
The training was led by 16 Air Assault Brigade, the Army’s global response force based in Colchester. At the centre of the mobilisation was 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, supported by specialist units including gunners, engineers, signallers, logisticians and military police.
Brigadier Ed Cartwright, Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, said:
“Our role as the global response force is about being first to the fight, and winning. Readiness is about ensuring our soldiers are mentally and physically robust, have all the necessary documentation, meet all the training requirements, and that our equipment and vehicles are ready to fly.
“Through this test mobilisation, we have shown that the brigade has the mindset and the administrative, logistic and planning processes in place to be ready to go at short notice.”
As part of the mobilisation process, 13 Air Assault Support Regiment from Colchester deployed to the Joint Air Mounting Centre in South Cerney, Gloucestershire, where troops are processed before deployment.
Lance Corporal Kierin Clark, from 2 PARA, said:
“We’re checking that everyone’s passport is in order and making sure we’ve got family contact details in case of emergencies, and we’ve had to sort out a few unexpected issues.
“The last few days we’ve been working so hard, but it’s been rewarding. We all know what we’ve got to do and everyone has just pulled together to get it done.”
Lance Corporal Byron Hickford, of 156 Provost Company Royal Military Police, added:
“When my phone rang at 10pm and it was my boss saying we were being mobilised, I knew exactly what to do. Serving in this unit, we know that we must be ready to go at any time.
“This training has been very realistic and thorough – if we were going on an operation now, I know what vehicle I’d be going to the airport in.”
Units involved in the exercise came from locations across the UK, including Colchester, Woodbridge, Catterick, Larkhill, Thorney Island, and Brawdy, with Colchester providing one of the largest contingents. Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.