MOUNTED CAVALRY/TANK CREWMAN

The Job

The Household Cavalry (HCav) consists of The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals – the most senior Regiments in the British Army – and is split between two units, the Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) at Windsor, Berkshire and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) at Knightsbridge, London. The HCR is a Formation Reconnaissance regiment, acting as the eyes and ears of the Army; the HCMR carries out ceremonial duties, both mounted and dismounted, on state and Royal occasions.

The Right Job For Me?

The Household Cavalry recruits intelligent, fit and decisive soldiers who are hungry for a challenge and have the will to win. You will need to be able to work in a small team, often in cramped and hot conditions, for long periods of time. Applicants need to have basic reading and writing skills as initial training features written tests. Although HCav soldiers do not have to serve with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, being prepared to work on horseback as well as in a Scimitar is welcomed.

What Skills Will I Learn?

An intensive training programme will turn you into one of the elite of the Army, able to take part in state occasions and deploy to anywhere in the world as part of your Squadron.Your training will enable you to both drive and maintain the Scimitar, and to operate and maintain its weapons. The Scimitar combines speed, stealth and firepower to hit the enemy where it counts, and you will be part of the highly trained team that makes it so effective.Whether or not you choose to join the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, you can learn basic riding skills.

What Training Will I Do?

Initial training: Your military career will start with 50 Weeks (including 8 weeks holiday) at the Army Foundation College (AFC) Harrogate in North Yorkshire. You will learn military skills such as foot drill, how to handle and fire a weapon, how to live and work in the open and how to tackle an assault course, as well as developing your stamina and fitness. You will be stretched further than you thought possible and toughen up both physically and mentally. In addition to your military training you will take part in an education package, adventurous training (climbing, abseiling and similar activities) and sport. Although the training at AFC is hard work, you will remember it for the rest of your career as a soldier, and at the end of it all you will take your place in the Passing Out parade in front of an invited audience of parents, relatives and friends. Further training: The type of further (Phase 2) training you go on to take depends on where the Regiment needs you to work. Armoured role: Your training starts at Bovington in Dorset. You will be taught to drive a car before moving on to a Scimitar light tank. Then you will join the Household Cavalry Regiment at Windsor, Berkshire. Ceremonial role: You start your Phase 2 training at Windsor with a 12-week riding course. You will be given your own horse and taught everything you need to know to look after it. To help you get used to animals with different temperaments, you will change horses every two weeks. You will then begin a four-week kit ride at Knightsbridge. Here you will be taught all you need to know about looking after the ceremonial equipment, and will learn to ride in it. At the end of the course, your family can come and watch you parade in front of the Commanding Officer.

What Qualifications Could I Get?

The Household Cavalry offers many qualifications. Your Phase 2 training includes enrolment on a Level 2 NVQ in either Engineering Maintenance or Equine Management, depending on which role you are training for. When you complete armoured role training, you will be a Crewman 3; after that you will learn more about your own reconnaissance vehicle, and can complete the Junior Non Commissioned Officers Command Course to train as a Deputy Vehicle Commander with further skills development as an Advanced Driver and Gunner or complete the Advanced Signallers course. The Household Cavalry also offers the opportunity for you to gain further qualifications such as Sniper, Javelin Operator, Riding Instructor, Saddler, Tailor, Physical Training Instructor, Combat Medic or Paratrooper.

Future Prospects

There are plenty of opportunities for promotion in the Household Cavalry. After two years, if you are good enough and pass your courses, you could become a Lance Corporal. At the four-year point you could become a Lance Corporal of Horse, and a Corporal of Horse after eight years. After six years, you might be commanding your own armoured vehicle, beyond that you could become a Squadron Corporal Major looking after the soldiers in your Squadron. Having two regiments gives you two sets of opportunities. When you come to leave the Army, the skills you have picked up will help you find work with civilian employers. The leadership and management skills of soldiers are highly valued, you are a proven team player and you will have learnt how to drive and ride a horse.You will also have the opportunity to be trained as a Farrier, Tailor, Riding Instructor or Saddler.