Rugby MP Mark Pawsey has joined members of the Royal Marines during one of their Cold Weather training sessions in the Arctic region of Norway. The training included using military skis, learning how to break ice safely and surviving in sub-zero temperatures.
The Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme is designed to foster links between the Armed Forces and Members of Parliament. It gives MPs an understanding of military life and the challenges that service personnel face as they serve the country. Founded in the 1980’s, it has seen over 250 MPs graduate from the programme which includes all three branches of the Armed Forces.
This is the second year Mark has participated in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. During the previous Parliament, Mark took part in the Army scheme and spent time in Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. Mark is now training with the Royal Navy, which has an association with Rugby thanks to the work of local company GE Energy who are a manufacturer of advanced propulsion units for naval vessels.
Mark said:
“The armed forces do a tremendous job on our behalf and I was very pleased to be able to join the Royal Marines for their cold weather training. The conditions were very challenging at times, with the temperature often falling well below 0°C. However, the Royal Marines demonstrated to my Parliamentary colleges and I many of the survival skills that make them on of the most effective military units in the world.”
Mark continued:
“These skills included camping overnight in the freezing temperatures of the Arctic Circle. To survive, we needed to construct a survival shelter and learn how to prepare food and build a fire in what was an incredibly strenuous environment. The reason that the Royal Marines do their cold weather training in the Arctic if you can survive there, you can survive anywhere and having experienced these conditions, I have to agree!”
Mark concluded:
“Rugby has a unique connection to the next generation of Royal Navy vessels through local company GE Energy, as key elements of the propulsion units for the new Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers were manufactured right here in Rugby. It was fascinating to find out more about the Royal Navy and the training they undertake in order to keep Britain safe.”