AMMUNITION TECHNICIAN

The Job

The Ammunition Technician is the Army’s expert in explosives, counter-terrorist bomb disposal, and everything associated with ammunition, and plays a vital part in delivering the operational capability of the Army in peace and on operations. This means testing and maintaining everything from ammunition clips for SA80 rifles to guided missiles for anti-aircraft systems.

The Right Job For Me?

Ammunition Technicians need to be bright and self-motivated and demonstrate the qualities necessary to fill a position of great trust and responsibility. They must have good self-discipline, be capable of working with the minimum of supervision and have a keen eye for detail, as well as displaying good manual dexterity. They should also display a genuine interest in weapons, ammunition and explosives.

What Skills Will I Learn?

Ammunition Technicians firstly learn the basic scientific knowledge to enable them to undertake their technical and practical training.You will then be taught about British ammunition and how it works, how to inspect, repair, store and dispose of it safely.Later on in your career, you will move on to learning about guided weapons, conventional munitions disposal and the wider aspects of explosive ordnance disposal.

What Training Will I Do?

Initial trainingEvery RLC soldier is first and foremost a fighting soldier. Your military career will start at ATR (Army Training Regiment) Pirbright, Surrey. During your 14-week basic training course 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. Having successfully mastered these basic military skills, you will take your place in the Passing Out parade in front of an invited audience of parents, relatives and friends. After completing your basic military training you will attend a one-week induction course at the Royal Logistic Corps Depot at the Princess Royal Barracks near Camberley, Surrey. Here you will learn something about your Corps and its history. Further trainingYour trade training will take 25 weeks and will provide you with the foundation of knowledge required for your future career as an Ammunition Technician. You will be involved in classroom work and practical sessions, either in the laboratory or outside on the explosives demolition ground, where you will soon be handling explosives and gaining first-hand knowledge of what it means to be an Ammunition Technician. On completion of this foundation course, you will then learn about British ammunition and how it works, how to inspect, repair, store and dispose of it safely. Between two and three years after qualifying as a Class 2 Technician, you will return to the Army School of Ammunition to complete your Class 1 upgrading course. This will increase the depth of your knowledge and introduce you to guided weapons, conventional munitions disposal and the wider aspects of explosive ordnance disposal.

What Qualifications Could I Get?

There are a number of qualifications to be gained during your training, namely full driving licence Category C and C+E, plus HAZMAT and Key Skills in IT, Application of Number and Communication. In addition, you will have the opportunity to qualify for a BTEC in Engineering and NVQ Level 2 Munition Clearance & Search. The Class 2 and 1 courses are also awarded Open University credits that count towards the award of a degree.

Future Prospects

Those who do well on the Class 1 course could expect promotion to Sergeant within 18 months. The key working ranks for the Ammunition Technician are Sergeant and Staff Sergeant – this is where you could be employed in appointments covering the full spectrum of ammunition tasks, including teaching duties or bomb-disposal. On promotion to Warrant Officer, you could be a munitions manager, dealing with contractors and manufacturers to ensure the Army has the right type and quantity of ammunition to meet its needs. Or you could be responsible for a number of bomb-disposal teams operating in the UK or overseas. There are also opportunities to remain in an operational bomb-disposal role, doing further training and becoming a key member of a specialist capability team, or to work in the intelligence field.