Soldier – August 2019

12 AUGUST 2019 http://www.soldiermagazine.co.uk

FIT FOR SERVICE

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It’s the

high

calibre of

the optics

TRAVEL FOR SPORT

■GUIDANCE has been issued to remind

personnel of their eligibility to travel at

public expense when competing in Army

sporting events.

Financial assistance is available for

troops carrying out official journeys to

authorised sporting events, ranging from

unit to Armed Forces level.

It also covers individual competitors,

officials and military bands tasked with

performing at events.

See 2019DIN10-025 for more details.

PRIDE IN LONDON

■REPRESENTATIVES from the Armed

Forces’ LGBT+ community took to the

streets of London for the city’s annual

Pride parade.

More than 250 military and civilian

personnel were involved in the annual

celebration and they were joined

by former Defence Secretary Penny

Mordaunt, who marched beside them.

THEY SHOOT

T

HE SA80 upgrade has improved

British soldiers’ scores in shooting

competitions, say the Service’s

top marksmen.

Personnel have posted a string

of impressive results since the A3’s

introduction last year – including

notching up the first UK win since

1996 in the falling plates round of the

National Rifle Association’s military

showdown at Bisley.

In fact, the Army took the lion’s

share of the silverware at the June

event against a strong international

field featuring outfits such as Canada,

the US National Guard and The Sultan

of Oman’s Armed Forces.

They also claimed the individual

gold medal in the Defence Operational

Shooting Competition staged at the

same venue the week before.

“The results are really outstanding,”

team captain Capt Neil Guerin (SASC)

told Soldier.

“It’s the high calibre of the optics

and the whole structure of the weapon

• there are fewer stoppages, it’s now
  well matched to the ammunition and
  it’s just doing a better job.”
  Capt Guerin and his colleagues
  are hoping for more success next
  month when the Army team deploy
  to Ottawa for the Canadian Armed
  Forces Small Arms Concentration.
  “The A3 is a battle winner when it
  comes to competitions,” he added.
  “As well as having the best shooters,
  we now have the best rifle as well.”

Picture: Graeme Main

■NOMINATIONS are now open

for the Information and Digital

Excellence Awards 2019.

Open to all MoD personnel, the

initiative recognises outstanding

contributions across the fields

of knowledge and information

management, cyber security and

digital and data technology.

Submissions must be received

by September 6, and full

details on the prize categories

and criteria, as well as the

entry process, can be found in

2019DIN01-

SA80 assault rifle boosts marksmanship performances

THE latest batch of PT

instructors marked the

end of their training

with a display and

parade in Aldershot.

Six new members

of the Royal Army

Physical Training

Corps, including two

Reservists, passed

out after months of

gruelling assessment.

They were joined by 91

soldiers who made the

grade as all-arms PTIs.

THEY SHOOT

THEY SCORE

Picture: Peter Davies

ARE YOU DIGITALLY DEFT?

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