HET Service Training: Mission Accomplished
Last month, KBR was proud to welcome the next cohort of qualified Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) Operators who support a flagship program with the British Army.
In October, Steve Lawton, Managing Director of KBR FTX Logistics Ltd, visited a group of Regular soldiers and Sponsored Reservists (SRs) in the process of completing the final part of their training to become a Driver Tank Transporter Operator.
The Heavy Equipment Transporter Service is the British Army’s tank transporter capability provided through a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) by KBR FTX Logistics Ltd. FTX employs 85 Sponsored Reservists, 76 Operators and 9 Maintainers to support a fleet of 92 Oshkosh vehicles. The Operators are employed to carryout peacetime HET movements in UK and Germany. This includes transporting tanks and other armored equipment to ranges and exercise locations. When not involved in routine HET tasking, they are utilized as commercial HGV drivers with driving agencies and direct placement clients. They are also required to deploy on military operations and have previously served in Afghanistan and Iraq and are currently deployed in Estonia.
The first four weeks of the five-week course are delivered by FTX instructors and include all aspects of the operation of the HET system, as well as the safe loading, transport and unloading of permitted armored loads. The final week is a tactical phase conducted by the military School of Tank Transporting supported by FTX instructors.
The final exercise encompasses all training objectives delivered on the course and includes regular soldiers and SRs side-by-side. Students are taught actions to defend against ambush and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strikes. During the last morning of the exercise the students come under attack from enemy fire in order to confirm they can carry out the correct drills and procedures and fight through the enemy force.
On completion of the course, the students were presented with their Tank Transporter trade badge and certificate by Commanding Officer, 27 Regiment RLC. Steve Lawton was in attendance and said, “This is what differentiates the SRs from commercial drivers. They are not only highly trained HGV drivers, operating one of the largest vehicles on the road but are also professional soldiers with the necessary skills to deploy on operations and, if required, engage with an enemy. I’m extremely proud of their achievements and the part they play in delivering this key enabling military capability.”
KBR is proud of its key role in delivering military capability, working closely with the UK Ministry of Defence to support and train troops as they progress on their military journey.
