Breezy does it

The last four months of 2019 saw Technicians Sam Allen and Mike Ryan undertaking some globetrotting as part of their role as army reservists.

Kettering-based Sam and Telford-based Mike were first deployed to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands for a fortnight in September. Their role was to help the regular army test a line patrol app to gather data following reconstruction work after hurricane Irma in 2017.

Mike explained: “We passed on our knowledge and experience to the regular soldiers, to help them identify components, and then to draw up accurate schematic diagrams to pass to the local electricity company.”

November saw them being deployed with their team 504 STRE (Power Infrastructure) to the Falkland Islands.

Sam said: “The military there has quite a large high voltage network around the RAF airfield. We changed a ring main unit that had reached the end of its life, and some binders on the overhead line that had become severely decayed in the salt air.

“It was quite a contrast going from the 35 degree Caribbean in late summer, to the Falklands in spring at five degrees and very windy.”

And the globetrotting doesn’t stop there: this year will see them travelling to either Belize, Cyprus or the USA.

Mike Ryan (left) and Sam Allen in the British Virgin Islands.

If you’ve ever wondered how windy it is in the Falklands – this is how trees grow!