From palace to the jungle; NORTHFIELD: Culture shock for Royal guardsman on exercise.Byline: By Neil ElkesA ROYAL guardsman from Northfield has swapped his traditional bearskin for a bush hat after branching out into the jungle. Soldier Tony Reuben is taking six weeks out from guarding the Queen to complete a gruelling training exercise in the Jamaican jungle. Gdsm Reuben, of Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards. , is enduring temperatures in the mid-30s, swatting biting insects and carrying his pack through dense jungle as part of warfare exercise Red Stripe. Stationed in Port Antonio Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 100 km from Kingston. It had a population of 12,285 in 1982 and 13,246 in 1991. near the eastern tip of Jamaica, it is a far cry from his ceremonial duties at Wellington Barracks bar·rack 1 tr.v. bar·racked, bar·rack·ing, bar·racks To house (soldiers, for example) in quarters. n. 1. A building or group of buildings used to house military personnel. , in London which include taking part in changing the guard and Trooping the Colour. The 17-year-old said: "I feel proud to be a Queen's guard The Queen's Guard and Queen's Life Guard are the names given to contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in London. . It's a good feeling when thousands of people watch what you can do as a guardsman, and different people come from all over the world to see you. This exercise gives me a chance to practice my primary role as an infantryman, and it is very different to standing on guard smartly dressed. I hope to get a lot of experience out of this exercise, such as training in different climates and learning new skills." Exercise Red Stripe provides the soldiers with vital warfare training. In the first phase, they are taught bush craft and survival techniques. Local bushmaster bushmaster, large venomous snake, Lachesis muta, of Central America and N South America. It is a member of the pit viper family, which also includes the rattlesnake. The largest New World snake, it reaches a length of 8 to 12 ft (2.5–5.5 m). Glashford Harris, known as 'the examiner', works as a civilian for the Jamaica Defence Force The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is the overall name given to the combined military forces of Jamaica. The JDF is based upon the British military model with organisation, training, weapons and traditions closely aligned with Commonwealth Realm countries. and trains the soldiers in basic survival. Under his careful guidance the guardsmen are shown how to make huts out of bamboo, set animal traps and identify edible plants. In the second stage of the exercise, the soldiers carry out tactics training deep in the Jamaican jungle before moving on to live firing at ranges set up in the bush. Gdsm Reuben, a former pupil of Bournville Secondary School, joined the Army in 2006. He said the highlight of his career so far was Warcop battle camp in Catterick. He added: "I loved the section attacks and live firing." Gdsm Reuben's proud parents, Keith and Jayne, live in Northfield, Birmingham Coordinates: Northfield is an area in south-west Birmingham, England. It is also a a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. . CAPTION(S): ON MARCH... Gdsm Tony Reuben (front) on patrol in the jungle. |
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