Recovery Mechanic - Reserve
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
At a glance
- Soldier
- engineering
- logistics
When vehicles break down or get stuck, you race to the rescue. Our training gives you the skills, while qualifications improve your CV.
Out on the battlefield, Army vehicles can get damaged, bogged down and overturned. As a Recovery Mechanic, it’s your job to rescue them. You will use specially adapted tanks and trucks to help you do your job, which is why you will learn to drive a number of Army vehicles in training. You need to be quick-thinking and brave for this role – after all, you’ll be moving vehicles in the middle of battle. It's up to you to assess the nature of the vehicle recovery needed and to decide the method of recovery. This may involve winches, ropes, metal cutting equipment or even the use of explosives. You will receive world-class training throughout your career in order to develop your trade skills and expertise. All the while, you’ll have sports and other activities to keep you busy, and good mates around you.
The Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) provides engineering support to maintain and repair the vast array of British Army equipment. They will be found wherever the Army is operating, at home or overseas. The technical training our soldiers receive gives them the confidence to tackle any engineering problem. We are professional, resourceful and resilient, and we strive to keep fit equipment in the hands of the user; to keep the punch in the Army’s fist.
Key Responsibilities
Help to recover damaged vehicles and rescue stranded soldiers
Work at the heart of the action
Be adept at numerous recovery methods
Use cranes, lifting gear and mechanical theory to work out how to retrieve immobile vehicles
To keep the fighting forces moving forwards
Have any questions? Talk with us
Reserve (part time)
Entry requirements
Age:
From 17 years & 9 months to 42 years & 6 months
Qualifications:
GCSE Grade A*–C/9-4, or Scottish National 5 (A-C), in English, Science, and Maths.
Basic physical fitness assessment:
Mid Thigh Pull 50kg
Medicine Ball Throw 3m
MSFT (beep test) level 6.6
Army Reserve standards
Mid Thigh Pull: 50kg
Medicine Ball Throw: 2m 70cm
MSFT (beep test): Level 5 shuttle 8
Training for the role
Step 1
You start Basic Training, this consists of two main courses and some online training packages. You can book on the courses to fit around your daily life, so it could take you several months to finish your basic training.
Module 1: Foundation Training. 5 alternate residential weekends Fri - Sun at an Army training centre OR a nine-day residential course.
Module 2: Battlecamp. 15-day residential course at an Army training establishment. You will learn fieldcraft, Skill at Arms, fitness training, qualities of a soldier, military knowledge, Battlefield casualty drills, individual health and education. This will culminate with a Passing Off Parade which your family and friends can attend to celebrate your success.
Step 2
Then you learn to drive (if you can’t already) and begin your trade training so that you can recover, load and move the Army’s stricken vehicles. Training is modular and most of it is done at your Army Reserve unit at evenings and weekends, with key parts of the course done on practical field exercises or at the Defence School of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering at MOD Lyneham, Wiltshire.
Qualifications you could get after training
Category B and C+E driving licences and military vehicle familiarisation/conversion training.
Eligibility for professional accreditation as an IMechE Engineering Technician once you have completed military Class 1 trade training.
Qualifications/accreditation in Leadership and Management.
Pay & benefits
You'll get paid a day rate according to your rank, starting from £63.27 in training and once you're a Private and increasing as you rise through the ranks. This includes being paid for weekly drill nights. Plus, if you complete all of your annual training, you're entitled to a tax-free lump sum called a bounty.
How to Apply
When you decide to apply, your local unit will help you through the process - you don't need to wait until you've finished Army Assessment to get involved.
To join, you have to apply online. The application process will take some time, but you can also ring the unit you're interested in joining - the team there will help often invite you to join them for drill nights, and you'll get support for your application.