Two Aberdeenshire born reserve soldiers from The Royal Regiment of Scotland have just returned home after completing an intensive weekend training exercise in the wild terrain and harsh weather conditions of the Pentlands.
Private David Gray (25), whose civilian job is a butcher, and Private Cameron Gillies (26), who works in Public Affairs in Edinburgh, spent their weekend undertaking the highly challenging patrol exercise designed to test the physical fitness and robustness, mental resilience, navigation, and military knowledge.
The soldiers took part in the exercise alongside other troops and had to navigate between a series of checkpoints and conduct a military task at each stand. One stand included a test of how quickly they could treat a casualty and extract them to a safe area 1km away from the incident point.
Troops will progress onto more arduous training in the months ahead and are currently working towards being selected for the Cambrian Patrol in Wales in October this year – widely considered to be NATO’s toughest patrolling test.
Private David Gillies, a reservist in the Royal Regiment of Scotland, said: “My civilian role is a different type of pressure, dealing with legislation and briefing politicians.
“The army reserve gives me the chance to do something completely different, to challenge myself and be surrounded with like-minded people who are committed to serving their country.
“Training weekends after a full working week is tough, but I love it – and it keeps me fit when I’m away from my desk”.