students book

The British Council’s Peacekeeping English Project (PEP)

BreakthroughStudent’s Book

BreakthroughStudent’s Book

An audio CD with Ss book in electronic format is included.

The British Council’s Peacekeeping English Project (PEP)Project funded by the Ministry of Defence UK and Foreign and Commonwealth Office UKAuthors: Zuzana Košalková (SK), Ľubomir Ondruš (SK), Lída Koláčková (CZ), Vítek Šobaň (CZ), Adrienne Pasztelyak (H), Judit Olah-Toth (H), Tadeja Hafner (SLO) and Vasyl Krasovsky (UA) Edited by: Julie Mezera (CZ), Gavin Floater (SK), Terence Bradley (SLO), David Pardoe (UA), Charles Boyle (H) and Barrie Lister (H).

Published by the Ministry of Defence of the Czech RepublicMilitary Information and Service Agency (AVIS)Address: Rooseveltova 23, 161 05 Praha 6, Czech Republichttp://www.army.czSpecial Purpose Publications Editorial OfficeEditor in Chief: Jaroslav RoušarEditor: Jaroslav FurmánekDesign and layout: Libora SchulzováPhotos: AVIS Files, Soldier MagazineDispatched to printer: March 2005Printed by: AVIS, Order no 95/05

Copying, translating or duplicating this publication without the publisher’s consent is prohibited.NOT FOR SALE

© Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic - Military Information and Service Agency 2005

ISBN 80-7278-238-X Student’s BookISBN 80-7278-234-7 Teacher’s Book

LIFE ON BASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

DAILY ROUTINES AND RESPONSIBILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING – Part I . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING – Part II . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

COMMANDS AND ORDERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

WEAPONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT – Part I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT – Part II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

BRANCHES OF THE ARMY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

STRUCTURE OF THE ARMY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

RANKS AND APPOINTMENTS – Part I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

RANKS AND APPOINTMENTS – Part II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

BREAKTHROUGH TAPESCRIPTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

CONTENTS

123

456

789

10

4 UNIT 1 LIFE ON BASE

B Match the facilities on the left with the activities on the right you associate with them. There is

one more activity than you need. An example is given.

FACILITIES ACTIVITIES ANSWERS

1 assault course a have a regular check up 1 b

2 HQ b jump, crawl, climb, run 2

3 married quarters c make plans, issue orders 3

4 gate d work out, lift weights 4

5 mess hall e march, do parade drills 5

6 fitness centre f spend time with your family 6

7 firing range g do recce, build shelters 7

8 NAAFI h have meals when at work 8

9 parade ground i go to the bar, shop, restaurant 9

10 infirmary j shoot at the target, load weapons 10

k show your ID, sign in

Warm-up Task

In pairs discuss the following questions.

� How big is the base you work on?

� What facilities can you find on the base?

� What facilities would you add to your base?

� Have you ever visited a military base abroad? If so, what were the main differences between that base

and yours?

Task 1

A Work with a partner and complete the chart below with as many words associated with a military

base as you can. The words can be people, places or activities.

buildings

spare time activities

security

accommodation work

people

B A S E

LIFE ON BASE11

5UNIT 1LIFE ON BASE

Task 2

Read the letters quickly and answer the questions below. Your teacher will tell you when to stop.

1 Write down any five or six of the sports mentioned in the letters.

2 Write down three facilities mentioned in the letters.

3 What extra qualifications have some soldiers achieved?

Note: Coy = company, R Anglian = Royal Anglian Regiment, Cpl = corporal, LCpl = lance corporal,

Pte = private, Sgt = sergeant.

Read the letters again and check your answers with your partner. Check any unfamiliar vocabulary

with your partner, in a dictionary or with the teacher.

Cpl Lee Baxter B Coy, 2 R AnglianThere’s a lot put on for the guys, obviously, because they can’t go home. They get away to do paintballing and watersports such

as jet-skiing. I have done some sea fishing at minimum cost which the company and the battalion subsidise. A lot of the guys have passed their driving tests and the motor-cycle test is cheaper here as well.

LCpl Roy Masters, B Coy, 2 R AnglianThere’s a good internet suite, which is free. There’s jet-skiing and kayaking, which is cheap. All the facilities are there for you to use and take advantage

of, so I’m happy with things. The gym facilities are excellent, with football, tennis, multi-gym, free weights, and a swimming pool.

Pte David Green, B Coy, 2 R AnglianIt’s great to be able to go to the activity centre then chill out with a couple of beers. I don’t know how they could improve things really, short of shipping us off to Ibiza. I suppose they could help us out a bit more with the cost, but then we do get paid quite well here anyway.

Pte Daniel McDonald, B Coy, 2 R Anglian Facilities are very good compared with the mainland. The gym is far

better than I have seen and so is the NAAFI. The welfare car, which my mates have used, is very good. You just give them a day’s notice and, if it‘s available, off you go.

Sgt John Brewer B Coy, 2 R Anglian

Welfare facilities here are top-rate. The gym has received some new equipment and people are on the machines from seven in the morning until eight at

night. Things are looking good. What do I think of the NAAFI and the bar? I don’t know, I’m never in them to tell you the truth.

(Adapted from Soldier Magazine 2002)

It’s just so good...A recent letter in Soldier, from a soldier in Kabul, questioned the welfare provision in Northern Ireland. Troops stationed in the province have nothing but praise for the ‘excellent’ facilities


Task 3

Look at the maps below. Ask your partner to give you directions from the point marked X.

Follow the arrows in the diagrams. Take turns to start the conversations. Two possible examples are

given below.

Example:

A: Excuse me, where’s the café?

B: You have to turn right and the café is

on your left.

or

A: Excuse me, how do I get to the café?

B: Turn right and you’ll see the café on

your left

X X

X X

X

Map 1 Map 2

X X

Map 3 Map 4

Map 5 Map 6

7UNIT 1LIFE ON BASE

Task 4 – 5

I Look at the map of Hutton Base. Listen and follow the directions to different places on

the map. Write down the names of the places. An example is given.

HUTTON BASE

X

Example: parade ground

a b c

II Listen to the example which your teacher will read out and follow the directions on the map.

Listen again and note any useful expressions. Work in pairs. Take turns in starting the dialogues

using the prompts below.

A You are at home in the married quarters. Your 4-year-old son is going to his new kindergarten

for the first time tomorrow. Your wife/husband will take him there. Give directions to your spouse.

B You are in your office in the HQ building. In 20 minutes you have a meeting with the NCO responsible

for delivering ammunition for your unit’s field training next week. The NCO is in the Weapons Storage

building. You don’t know how to get there. Ask your partner for directions.

C There is a ‘Happy Hour’ in the Officers’ Club between 19.00 and 20.00 tonight. A captain you work

with has invited you to meet him there. You work in the hospital and don’t know where the club is.

Ask your partner for directions.

D You have parked your car by the garages in Black Sea Street. Your spouse is in the fitness centre

and wants to go shopping. She/he needs the car. Give her/him directions how to get to the car

park.

Track 1


A model house which incorporates the many improvements

to be made to family accommodation has opened. The class

B soldier’s quarter, with two bedrooms, was unveiled by Maj

Gen John Moore-Bick, GOC UKSC(G).

Under project Puma - Programme to Upgrade and

Modernise Accommodation - the house was upgraded to

the quality of a show house on a new British estate.

The interior is light and airy, with modern heating and

light fittings and contrasting carpet colours. Old kitchen

surfaces have been replaced by fitted units, with a fridge-

freezer, new cooker and extraction fan, and a plumbed-in

location for a dishwasher.

Other new features include a curved bath with shower

attachment and fitted shower guard; wiring for TV and

telephone in the main bedroom, which has an enormous

built-in wardrobe; an insulated attic with easy access for

storage; washing machine fittings and tumble-dryer vent

in the cellar; plenty of power points; an outside tap for

watering the garden; and mains-wired fire alarm systems

with battery back-up.

Task 6

Read the article about new improvements to be made to British Army housing.


Service home of the future goes on show

Note: GOC - General Officer Commanding; UKSC(G) - UK Support Company (Germany)

Write down words from the article in the five columns. Some words have already been added as

an example.

Verbs AdjectivesFurniture and

equipmentFittings Rooms

to incorporate new fridge-freezer power points bedroom

Nice kitchen: Gen Moore Bick ticks off a Puma check-list. Soldiers and families are being asked to comment

9UNIT 1LIFE ON BASE

Verbs AdjectivesFurniture and

equipmentFittings Rooms

Think of more words which you could use to describe a house or flat and add them to the list above.

Compare your list with your partner and the rest of the class.

Task 7

A friend is coming to visit you in the married quarters on Hutton Base

this evening at 6 pm. Unfortunately, you will still be busy at work at

that time. He has never visited you before and will need to find his own

way to where you live. Write an email telling him how to find your

quarters from the main gate and where he should wait.

Homework:

Write a letter to an English-speaking friend who is coming to visit you describing your accommodation

and explaining how they could get to it from the station. Use the language you have learnt in the unit.

HOME INBOX COMPOSE ADDRESS BOOKFrom:To: [email protected]

Subject: Your visit

SEND FORWARD DELETE SAVE CANCEL

Dear John,

I’m really pleased you’re coming later. To get to the married quarters you need to . . . . . . .

. . . .

10 UNIT 2 DAILY ROUTINES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Task 1

Write down activities that you usually do in your free time and at work. Look at the example below.

Example: check tanks

Example: play football

DAILY ROUTINES AND RESPONSIBILITIES22

11UNIT 2DAILY ROUTINES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Task 2

Read the article and guess the rank of the soldier from his daily routines.

Find the words in the article that mean the following. An example (0) is given.

Example:

0 A room where soldiers eat and drink mess hall

1 A place where soldiers parade, march

2 Checking if everybody is present

3 Assignment of jobs

4 Learning how to do something by repeating it several times

5 A place where weapons are stored

6 A document that shows that you can leave the barracks

7 The time when soldiers have to go to sleep

I usually start my day at 6 o‘clock. First, I get up and have a wash and a shave. Then I put on my

battle dress uniform and my combat boots. I have to make my bed too, in case there is a room

inspection in the afternoon. We normally have breakfast at 6.30. We have all our meals in the

mess hall. At 7 o‘clock there is a parade on the square where we have roll call and morning roster.

In the morning we usually have drill. We practice different marching routines on the parade

ground. Sometimes we also do rifle drill, but that is only once a month. We have lunch at 1 pm.

Then we have another roster and after that I go to the armoury. I take my personal weapon

and go on duty. It is usually a 24-hour duty. If I am not on duty I work until 3.15 pm and after

I finish I request an afternoon pass, leave the barracks and go for a walk or do what I want. I have

to be back in the barracks by 9.30 pm. I have half an hour for my evening routine and after lights

out, at 10.00 pm, I usually go to bed and fall asleep immediately.

A typical day …

12 UNIT 2 DAILY ROUTINES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Task 3

Work in groups. List the activities you normally do during a typical working day.

Group A: morning activities.

Group B: afternoon activities.

Use the cards from your teacher and your own ideas.

Task 4

Fill in your daily routine. Look at the example below.

Now work in pairs and compare your daily schedules.

Report to the class about similarities and differences.

Example:

We both start work at 7.00 but I have a briefing at 7.15 and my partner has a briefing at 7.30.

5.00

21.00

6.00 - wake up

13UNIT 2DAILY ROUTINES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Task 5

Listen to an officer talking about his daily routine. Below is a list of activities. Tick the ones

he mentions. An example is given.

� attending morning roster � supervising subordinates

� doing physical training � attend a press conference

� organise sport activities � organising exercises

� writing reports � call the duty officer

� go to the General Staff � going on duty trips

� completing applications � issuing orders

Task 6

Now listen again and fill in the missing information.

Task 7

Task 8

You are an adjutant and you are planning a half hour meeting for your commander with

the commander of another unit. Call your counterpart and discuss the most suitable time for

the meeting. Your teacher will give you your commander’s daily schedule.

STUDENT A

Activities Times

morning roster

physical training

shower

lunch

STUDENT B

Times Activities

0700

0810-1200

1445

1515

Ask questions to get your neighbour’s information.

Example:

What time does he take a shower?

What does he do at 0700?

Track 2

Track 2

Track 3 Telling the time – military style

14 UNIT 3 MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING – Part I

Warm-up Task

Work in pairs. Write down three words you relate to a military career but you think your partner does

not know. Discuss the words with your partner. Take turns.

MILITARY VOCABULARY QUIZ

Choose the correct answer from a, b and c. An example (0) has been done for you.

Example:

0 A captain is a .

a a rank above lieutenant

b an NCO rank

c a general officer’s rank

Test your military vocabulary

1 WO1 Jones was commissioned. She was .

a made an officer

b transferred to another unit

c given an award

2 Lt Brown graduated in 2000. This means that he university.

a started

b changed

c finished

3 Sgt Hall got a posting to London. He will there for some time.

a live and work there

b deliver packages

c train other soldiers

4 Lt Barry served with RAF Coastal Command. This means that he the RAF.

a provided special services for

b performed official duties in

c organised outside catering for

MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING – Part I33

15UNIT 3MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING – Part I

5 Sgt Penn did specialist training to get this job. This means that he a training course.

a completed

b developed

c trained soldiers on

6 Lt Black became a platoon commander. He is now in command of a group of .

a soldiers

b officers

c commanders

7 Col Hill talked about his appointment. He talked about his .

a accommodation

b position

c working hours

8 Capt Moore was promoted. She now has a .

a lower salary

b week’s leave

c higher rank

9 Officers usually in the Officers’ Mess.

a have meals

b do some chores

c mess around

10 When soldiers operate in field conditions they are .

a in a combat environment

b at the military hospital

c on the parade ground

Task 1

Listen to Capt Norton talking about his military career. Fill in the missing information.

An example (0) has been done for you.

Example:

0 Capt Norton finished his studies with a degree in mechanical engineering.

1 He joined the British in 1995.

2 When he joined his regiment, he did training.

3 He was in charge of the servicing and maintenance of platoon , vehicles and

equipment.

4 He served as an officer in Cyprus.

5 Next month he is going to Shrivenham to attend the Army Course.

Track 4

16 UNIT 3 MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING – Part I

Task 2

Listen to the recording again. Fill in the missing information in the table below. Check your answers

with the class.

Details Year Capt Norton’s military career

initial training 1995�

�

� 1996 on the job specialist training

first posting in/as ... 1996 �

� 1996-2000servicing and maintenance of weapons, vehicles and equipment

foreign service as / in ... 2000-2003captain, Germany

�

� Army Staff Course, Shrivenham

place of residenceMarried Quarters in London, detached house, three bedrooms; 10-minute drive to work

Task 3

Work in groups of three. Your teacher will give you a set of cards with accounts of different military

careers.

A Choose a card and fill out the table below with information about the soldier on your card.

B Ask and answer your partners about the military careers on their cards. Complete the table below.

Name:

Rank:

Initial training:

Training and development:

First posting:

Foreign service - rank and appointment:

Other:

Track 4

17UNIT 3MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING – Part I

Task 4

Study Capt Norton’s CV. The information has been put in the wrong order and there are no headings.

In your group you have two tasks:

A Match the headings below with the information on the CV.

B Discuss with your partner and put the information into the most suitable order.

Headings for CV:

Education; professional experience; referees; skills; activities; personal details

1 Ski Instructor (grade I)

Junior League Football Club Manager

2 Andrew W. Norton

52 Christ Church Road

London LW3 5LM

England

Phone: 0326 667 9821

E-mail: [email protected]

3 IT European Computer Driving Licence

Languages STANAG 6001 3333 German, conversational Greek

Private Pilot’s Licence

4 on request

5 1995-1996 RMA Sandhurst

Commissioning Course

1990-1994 University of Glasgow

B. Eng. (1st Class Honours) in Mechanical Engineering

1982-1990 Eton College

A Levels in Mathematics (A), Science (B), History (B)

6 2003 to date Military Advisor to P.M. (Central + Eastern Europe), HQ London

2000-2003 Regimental Signals Officer, Germany

Operations Officer, Cyprus

Note: IT - Information Technology; P.M. - Prime Minister; RMA - Royal Military Academy

C Your teacher will show you a typical CV and explain the format. Discuss the differences between

the British format and one used in your own country.

Task 5 or Homework:

Imagine you are applying for an assignment or a specialist training course abroad. Write your own

CV for that purpose.

18 UNIT 3 MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING – Part II

Task 1

BASIC MILITARY TRAININGBelow are some of the areas that are covered during basic training. Listen to Sgt Hill and tick the ones

he talks about. An example has been done for you.

Then guess what the other areas might be about, discuss it with the class.

� fieldcraft � administration

� military education � weapons handling

� endurance, adventure and initiative training � map reading

� physical fitness and recreation � drill

Task 2

INITIAL OFFICER TRAINING, RAF ACADEMY CRANWELLListen to two cadets talking about initial officer training at the Royal

Air Force Academy.

Answer the questions below. An example (0) has been done for you.

Example:

0 This conversation is taking place a the course.

a before

b during

c after

1 During the first phase of the training Peter had a hard time with .

a weapons handling

b physical training

c drilling

2 During leadership training Peter realized the importance of .

a kit and room inspections

b performance assessment

c team work

3 At the end of the course they participate in war-gaming, which is .

a visiting front line stations

b exercising in a simulated environment

c carrying out official challenges

Track 5

Track 6

MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING – Part II

19UNIT 3MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING – Part II

Army School of AmmunitionArmy School of CateringSchool of LogisticsDefence School of Transport

Royal Signals Regular Army Command CoursesJoint Service and All Arms Courses

Infantry Dismounted Close Combat Skills TrainingJungle Warfare TrainingAll Arms Drill Training

The Battery Commanders Course Captains CourseCommanding Officer Artillery Tactics Course

Gunnery Careers Course (Air Defence)Gunnery Careers Course (Close Support)Gunnery Careers Course (General Support)Gunnery Instructors Course (Air Defence)AFV Commanders CoursesRAC Instructors Course

Construction Engineer SchoolCombat Engineer SchoolDefence Explosives Ordnance School

Aviation Command and Tactics Trainer CourseNight Vision Goggle Course Aviation Flight Commanders Course

BE THE BEST!BE THE BEST!

Task 3

Study the following flyer with the promotional and specialist courses available for officers of the British

Army. Answer the questions below. An example (0) has been done for you.

Example:

0 Who can choose jungle warfare training?

Infantry officers

1 How many courses are there for infantry officers?

2 Which three instructor courses are available?

3 For which services and arms does the Signal Corps provide specialist training?

4 What course can a first lieutenant in the artillery take before his next position?

5 Which school teaches you about preparing the army’s meals?

Task 4

Work in small groups. Discuss:

� which of the courses above you would like to take

� what courses you can take in your country

� what career training and development is like in your military

� what career training and development is like in your country

� what kind of training you have received so far

� what kinds of promotional and/or specialist training courses you have taken so far

� what kinds of promotional and/or specialist training courses you have been selected for in the near

future

Promotional and Specialist Courses

20 UNIT 3 MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING – Part II

Task 5

Read the article about an exchange exercise in the USA. Together with your partner answer

the questions below and report to the class.

Soldiers serving with the 1st Battalion of The Royal Irish Regiment had the chance to work and play inside one of the best military bases in America during an exchange exercise with the 2nd Battalion 502 Infantry Regiment.Throughout the month-long Exercise Mill Race, 120 soldiers from C Company, 1 R Irish were based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, home of the Screaming Eagles – the US Army’s distinguished 101st Airborne Division.In keeping with the general perception that everything in America is bigger, Fort Campbell did not disappoint. The camp, or post as the Americans call it, ranks as the fifth largest in the US, spans two states and covers an area of 105,000 acres.The statistics are seriously impressive: Fort Campbell has ten entrance gates, a workforce of 23,000 military and 4,000 civilian personnel, one hospital, 4,000 family living quarters, eight schools, eight churches and more fast food outlets than

your average town or city.Its training facilities are the answer to an infantryman’s prayers and include 48 ranges, five major drop zones, an assault landing strip, a bayonet assault course, a rappel tower, a demo area, 48 manoeuvre areas and 340 artillery firing points.They operated as a fully-integrated air assault company, using US weapons, radios and helicopters, during a week-long, 6,000-strong brigade-level field training exercise. Sgt 1st Class Gerado Rodriguez of 502 Infantry Regiment said: “This form of training enables

soldiers to get a better idea of how they would fare side-by-side in a battle, and how well we would perform in combat with each other. From my observations they are looking good.”Maj Colin Marks, OC C Company, added: “It makes sense for us to train alongside them tactically. This exercise has shown that at any level we can learn from each other to provide the best service to our countries in the event of a war. The experience has definitely had a motivating and cohesing influence on the soldiers.”

Royal Irish find out that the 101st Airborne Division does things on a grand scaleReport: Andrea FrazerPictures: Sgt Paul Brownbridge

In a nest of eagles


Note: OC - Officer Commanding

Answer the following questions:

1 How long was the exchange exercise?

2 What was impressive about the base or camp?

3 What reasons are given why this kind of exchange is good for soldiers?

21UNIT 3MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING – Part II

Task 6

Together with your partner read the letters written by British soldiers discussing training

opportunities in the British Army.

What is the general opinion stated by the soldiers?

a Do they think the Army provides enough training?

b Do they think it’s the right kind of training?

c What kind of training do they think is best?

Find sentences in the texts to justify your answers and report back to the class.

Task 7

Work in groups. Your teacher will give you a fact sheet about a training course in Germany. One

or two of you will play the part of the applicants for the course. The rest of the group will act as

the panel interviewing the applicants. Take turns. Spend time preparing the roleplay together and

use the CVs you prepared in Part I.

Homework:

Write a letter of application for the course.

Training timeOver-exercised or fit to fight? We asked soldiers deployed on Exercise Iron Anvil at Batus in Canada whether they thought the British Army dedicated the right amount of time to field training and operational exercises

LBdr Steve Riley, 137 Bty, 40 Regt RAWe could do with a lot more training like Exercise Iron Anvil. Our secondary role is as an infantry unit, but Batus is the only place we get to

fire live section attacks. The only other training area I have used is Salisbury Plain and Batus is much better, because there is far more space.

Cfn Richard Haswell, 5 Bn REMEThe Army has got it spot-on –it is not until you come on an exercise like this that you realise how much the British Army actually spends on our training. I have been on six exercises this year and I think they get the amount about right every year.

Sgt Paul Smythe, Joint NBC RegimentExercises on the scale of Iron Anvil are very few and far between. It would be nice to do brigade-level exercises more often as they offer the best training a soldier can get.

However, I realise that commitments make it very difficult to have such a large number of troops available at any one time.

Gnr Richard Sheldon, 137 Bty 40 Regt RAI am new to my regiment and Iron Anvil has been my first line firing exercise. The guns fascinate me and getting the opportunity to actually fire them is one of

the reasons I joined up. It would be great if soldiers got to come to Batus once a year –it is a massive area and there is not a lot you can’t do here.

JUO Edwin Kelly, Leeds University OTCGetting to go on exercises in places like Canada is one of the reasons I want to join up. I think exercises are quite well rewarded when there is adventurous training or R and R attached to them.

Pte Adam Spooner,RAMCExercises offer medics excellent training –so the more the better. As well as dealing with play casualties you often have to treat real-life injuries in the field and

you learn more from doing that than you ever would sitting in a classroom.

LCpl Paddy Hilson, Joint NBC RegtAs far as the Joint NBC Regiment goes we have too much training and go on too many exercises – we are never

at home and don’t get to see our wives and children as often as we would like. Part of the problem is that every brigade wants to exercise with the Joint NBC Regiment.

Cpl Gary Etherington, 5 Bn REMEThe REME needs to undertake more trade training so that if there is a conflict we have the necessary expertise to support it. More exercises like Batus would be great – it is a perfect training environment.

Capt Robert Driver, 1 KingsThe British Army has got the balance right. I personally enjoy going on exercise and it is, after all, what we are paid to do.

I am aware that there are a lot of cost constraints, but it would be nice to do more overseas exercises as these allow soldiers to train in varied environments.


22 UNIT 4 COMMANDS AND ORDERS

Warm-up Task

Look at the picture and write

a one-line caption for it.

Example:

“Last one in buys the drinks.”

Task 1

Put the following signs and commands into the correct column. Where would you find them on

a military base? An example is given. Add other examples if you can.

� cease fire � at ease � quick march

� dangerous chemical � no trespassing � eyes left

� mind your step � take a deep breath � dead slow

� authorised personnel only � no weapons beyond this point

Sign Commands Location

Cease fire! a firing range

Which commands and signs do you most often see or hear in your everyday work?

(From Soldier Magazine 2002)

COMMANDSAND ORDERS44

23UNIT 4COMMANDS AND ORDERS

Task 2

Match the verbs below with their synonyms. The verbs are used with the words ‘command’ or ‘order’.

An example is given. There is also one more word which means ‘obey’.

� issue

� receive

� obey

� carry out

� disobey

give a/an command/order

get an order

follow a/an command/order obey

ignore an order

Task 3

Read part of an interview with a camp commander on a peacekeeping mission. Fill in the gaps using

the words given below. The first gap has been completed. More than one word can be correct.

� issue

� receive

� obey

� carry out

� disobey

Interviewer: What was the most dangerous order that you have ever had to follow?

Commander: I think it was when we got, received an order to de-mine a road on the Eritrean-

Ethiopian border. We were followed by quite a big group of armed and hopped up* soldiers

capable of starting shooting any minute. That was rather dangerous.

Interviewer: What was the most difficult order that you have ever had to give?

Commander: Well, I would say that it is always difficult to orders

when you have to punish soldiers. Here, in the mission, we have to repatriate soldiers from

time to time. It doesn’t happen a lot but when it does it’s not an easy thing to do. The reasons

we have to repatriate soldiers are different, like health problems, breaking the rules,

orders and so on.

Interviewer: Is there any order that you have received and wanted to disobey?

Commander: The one that I really wanted to protest about was the order to accompany the mission

Force commander in the sector and take care of all safety precautions while transporting him

in the area of operation. I don’t think it was a job for us engineers. It is the responsibility of

security units. However, as a soldier you may never orders

so I had to this order anyway.

Note: * hopped up = stimulated with a narcotic/drugged


Task 4

Using the three questions in task 3, interview your partner. Make notes and report back to the class.

1

2

3

Task 5

You will listen to an interview with a retired lieutenant colonel. Write down the three questions you

think the interviewer has asked.

1

2

3

Task 6

Listen to the interview again and choose the correct answer (a, b or c).

1 The lieutenant colonel’s friend was killed in a/an .

a car accident

b explosion

c gunfight

2 The checkpoint reported a/an .

a group of riders

b attack on the checkpoint

c attack on the command post

3 The lieutenant colonel didn’t want to leave his post with his men because .

a his unit was not ready

b he couldn’t contact his commander

c the new team was not ready to operate

Track 7

Track 7


Task 7

Pre-reading task: Have you ever been involved in an international parade? What are the problems

likely to be? How can you deal with such problems?

Now read the article below and answer the questions.

Note: Carabinieri - Italian soldiers in a corps serving as a police force; colour party - soldiers carrying

national flags; RSM - Regimental Sergeant Major; WO1 - Warrant Officer 1st Class.

Drilled to perfectionA military parade involving soldiers from 30 countries and very little time to rehearse. It’s a good thing there was a British RSM on hand.

Ask troops from 30 nations to take part at short notice in a high-profile parade and the potential

for disaster looms large.The resulting concoction of confused languages and

variable standards of drill could be enough to make even the hardiest sergeant major quake at the knees.

Step forward WO1 (RSM) Graham Highet of the Royal Scots, who is obviously made of sturdy stuff.

When Lt Gen Michael Dodson, US Army, handed command of NATO’s Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia to fellow countryman Lt Gen John Sylvester, a ceremony had to be organised.

But HQ SFOR had no worries because running the show was WO1 Highet, who brought to the event a level of expertise second to none.

Not the least of his problems was the language barrier.

“We have more than 30 nations in Camp Butimer, all with different disciplines, different dress, different languages and different military standards,” he told Soldier.

Security was provided by a Turkish company, military police from Ireland and Spain and carabinieri from Italy.

Soldiers for the parade were drawn from units serving with Multi-National Divisions South-East and South-West.

With a shake of the head he relived one horror. “When we finished the first parade rehearsal I got them to go through a bit of marching as well,” he said. WO1 Highet wasn’t impressed.

“So the watchword was KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid. All I asked them to do was to march into position and I would do the rest.”

Adding to the mix was a colour party of seven involving five nationalities and a just-arrived US Army band.

“It’s a bit different marching to a band and as soon as they started, everyone was out of step so we had to start again.”

In the event the parade passed off smoothly and WO1 Highet was delighted.



Match the meanings 1-10 with the phrases taken from the text a-j. An example has been done for you.

Example:

1 high-profile = e something that is of great interest to the media

1 high-profile a to be frightened 1 e

2 disaster looms b to be taken from 2

3 concoction c to be brave 3

4 quake at the knees d mixture 4

5 made of sturdy stuff e something that is of great interest to the media 5

6 running the show f to be completed without problems 6

7 second to none g problems understanding each other 7

8 language barrier h the best 8

9 to be drawn from i trouble is coming 9

10 passed off smoothly j to be in charge of the event 10

Task 8

Your teacher will give you some cards. Match the commands with their definitions.

Task 9

In pairs take turns to ask and answer questions from the commands in task 7. See the example

below.

A: What do you have to do when you hear the command ‘Attention’?

B: You have to stand properly, you mustn’t move. You must listen to your commander.

Task 10

Read the following situations and discuss with your partner what orders you would give. You will

then hear a recording of commands which might be given in these situations. Check your answers.

a You have a disorganised group of soldiers and you have to march them to the mess hall.

b You are training some soldiers and after demonstrating a certain procedure (e.g. ‘about turn’) you

want one of them to demonstrate the procedure in front of the others.

c Your unit is about to receive its daily orders. The commander is late, so you have to wait for him.

Prepare your unit.

d A general is coming to inspect your unit. Present the unit to the general.

e You are at a firing range. You want one of the soldiers in your unit to fire a round.

Track 8


Task 11

When speaking to colleagues, even to subordinates, we don’t usually use the imperative to give

‘commands’. Re-write the following sentences, so that they sound more ‘polite’. An example (0) has

been done for you. Use the following expressions.

Example:

0 Close the window!

Could you close the window – please!

1 Make me some coffee!

2 Go to the doctor’s!

3 Fetch the file from my office!

4 Ring Col Macarthur and make me an appointment for tomorrow!

5 Explain the situation to Capt Brown!

6 Finish the report! I need it today.

7 Check the equipment before you leave!

8 Type the letter immediately! The post goes in half an hour.

9 I’m sorry. Leave now! I have an appointment.

10 Read the article in the Independent and write me a summary by tomorrow morning!

Task 12

Discuss your answers with your partner. Most of the expressions given above can be used in most of

the sentences, but what is the difference between them? Which can’t be used? Decide which is the

strongest and which is the most polite and then report back to the class.

Homework:

Choose one of the situations below and write a short letter to an English speaking friend giving

him/her advice.

Your friend:

� can’t decide whether to take

an English language course

� wants to change jobs

� wants to buy a car

� needs to move to another town

� would you

� will you

� could you

� you really must

� can you

� you should

“Tell you what, Eccles, you resolve to smarten up, have a haircutand a weekly bath... I’ll resolve not to shout too loudly at you.”

(Fro

m S

oldi

er M

agaz

ine

2005

)

28 UNIT 5 WEAPONS

Task 1

The SA80 is the British Army’s Infantry IW or individual weapon.

In the picture there are no labels for the different parts. See how many of these parts you already

know, and your teacher or colleagues will help you with the ones you don’t.

SA80 BRITISH ARMY INFANTRY INDIVIDUAL WEAPON

WEAPONS55

29UNIT 5WEAPONS

Task 2

There are some details missing from the technical specifications that follow. Listen to the two men speaking

about the 3 weapons – SA80, AK-47 and M16, and fill in the details missing from the specifications.

SA80 SPECIFICATIONS

calibre: mm

weight: 3.98 kg with empty magazine and optical sight

length: 785 mm

muzzle velocity: 940 metres/s

feed: -round magazine

effective range: metres

barrel length: 518 mm (20.4 inches)

cyclic rate of fire: 610/770 rounds/min

AK-47 SPECIFICATIONS

length: 880 mm

weight: kg

calibre: mm

operation: gas

feed: 30-round box magazine

muzzle velocity: 717 metres/s

cyclic rate: rpm

M16 SPECIFICATIONS

calibre: mm

magazine: metal clip

capacity: 20 or 30 rounds

operation: gas operated

firing modes: semi-auto or 3-round burst

cyclic rate: rpm

length: cm

barrel length: 50,8 cm (20”)

weight: kg

safety: safety catch/fire selector above trigger on the left side

Track 9

30 UNIT 5 WEAPONS

Ministry of Defence

officials are considering

a report on the performance

of the SA80-A2 during

recent operations in

Afghanistan. A team flew

to Kabul to investigate why

Royal Marines had problems

with weapons failing to fire.

Armed Forces Minister

Adam Ingram confirmed

in the House of Commons

that three official failure

reports had been filed from

troops in Afghanistan,

the first time the new

individual weapon (IW) had

been used on operations. All

failures must be reported up

the chain of command.

Of the three failure

reports, two were because the

weapons had been damaged

in transit. The team has

investigated the reasons for

the other reported stoppages

and its findings are now being

considered.

The reporting team, led

by a colonel in the Royal

Marines, monitored test

firings staged under typical

operational conditions and

which included helicopter

missions, very high

temperatures, humidity and

severe dust.

The Army’s entire stock

of SA80 individual weapons

is currently being upgraded

in a £ 92m program to

improve their reliability

following many instances of

misfirings and stoppages.

Hecklerand Koch,

the weapons manufacturer,

carried out a series of

modifications which included

replacing firing pins, some gas

parts and springs, magazines

and bolt assemblies.

Following the improvements,

stringent tests were carried

out before the first weapons

were issued in time for British

troops flown to Afghanistan

in the aftermath of the

September 11 terrorist attacks

on America.

Those trials included test-

firings in the harshest desert,

arctic and jungle conditions.

Results were carefully

analysed and confirmed

the “new” weapon’s superior

capability ... it fired 500,000

rounds and had only 158

stoppages between the IW

and the light support weapon

(LSW). The Kuwait trials

were conducted in blown

sand conditions similar to

conditions in Afghanistan.

A spokesman for the MoD

said: “We view any reported

shortcomings in the SA80

very seriously. In hot and

dusty conditions all weapon

systems are likely to suffer

stoppages.” It is understood

that when all the claims have

been fully investigated and

assessed an announcement at

ministerial level will be made.

Questions asked about reliability of SA80-A2

Finger on the trigger: A Royal Marine involved in the search for Taliban and al-Qaida forces in Afghanistan’s mountains. He is armed with the modified SA80-A2 rifle.

� MoD team investigates ‘failures’� Batches of rifles damaged in transit


31UNIT 5WEAPONS

Task 3

Now you have the complete specifications for the three weapons, write down up to 10 true or

false statements comparing the three rifles. Now get into pairs and take turns telling each other

the statements. If a statement is false, you must correct it.

Example:

Student 1: The XYZ is the heaviest weapon of the three.

Student 2: That’s true.

or That’s false, it’s the lightest.

or That’s false, it’s heavier than the , but lighter than the .

Use words like: light, heavy, long, short, big, small, with words like: calibre, barrel etc.

Use comparison phrases:

as ....... as

the bigger of the two

the biggest of the/in the (more than two)

bigger/smaller than

Task 4

Read the article on the opposite page and answer the questions below together with your partner.

1 What was the most serious problem reported about the SA80-A2 rifle?

2 List three conditions in which the SA80-A2s were tested.

3 Name four modifications which Heckler and Koch made to the weapon.

Check any unfamiliar vocabulary in the dictionary or with your teacher. Report your answers to

the class.

Task 5

What is the IW in use in your army? How does it compare to the guns mentioned in this unit? Discuss

in small groups and then report to the class.

Homework:

Prepare a short briefing describing the IW in use in your army. Discuss its strengths and weaknesses.

32 UNIT 6 UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT – Part I

Task 1

Look at the pictures and discuss the following questions as a class:

� How many uniforms do you have?

� What do you call them?

� When and where do you wear:

- a dress uniform

- an everyday uniform

- a combat dress uniform

- a fatigue uniform

- a special uniform

- a working uniform

� What does each of your uniforms include?

Task 2

With your partner can you match the uniforms

in the pictures with the headings below? Discuss

the types of uniform in the pictures. An example

is shown.

Example:

g operational (UN) duty kit = 1

a tank overalls

b fatigue dress

c dress ceremonial

d diving gear/equipment

e full camouflage order

f combat parade order

g operational (UN) duty kit 1

h parade dress

1

2

UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT – Part I66

33UNIT 6UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT – Part I

8

7

6

5

4 3


Task 3

Match the words and the pictures. Compare your answers with your partner and the class. Check

the answers in a dictionary.

� socks 23

� belt

� peaked-cap

� T-shirt

� boots

� webbing

� vest

� helmet

� poncho

� long johns

� pouch

� mess dress

� combat trousers

� combat jacket

� sweater

� boot liners

� chest rig

� beret

� bulletproof vest

� midge net

� coat

� balaclava

� gloves

� shirt

� bergen

� shoes

� shemagh

UNIFORM VOCABULARY QUIZ

H E A D

1

2

6

54

3


T O R S O

8

9

10

11

1213

14

15

7

A C C E S S O R I E S

16

17

21

18

20

19

L E G S A N D F E E T

22

23

2425

26

27

socks


Task 4

Pre-listening task. Together with your partner try to answer the questions below.

� If soldiers wear camouflage uniform, is it possible to tell which country they come from?

� When is the camouflage uniform used?

� Which ranks wear forage caps in your country?

� Why is the dress uniform usually made in bright colours with golden epaulettes?

� Why does a military uniform include so many accessories like belts, webbing and pouches?

Listen to Nick Seaman, a military uniform designer,

and check your answers.

head size: 54 cms

collar size

chest size

waist size

hand size

shoe size

Task 5

Do you know your sizes?

Look at the picture of the soldier.

A Write your size next to the picture.

Track 10


Homework:

Write a short article for Soldier Magazine describing a uniform.

Name the different parts of the uniform, their importance and purpose.

Here are some useful verbs to help you:

� to include

� to be made of/from

� to allow

� to offer protection from

� to be customised

� to be attached to

� to be available

� to develop

� to design

B Practise short dialogues with your partner. Read the example.

A: What size jacket do you take?

B: One hundred and four centimetres.

A: And what’s your shirt size?

B: Forty-two centimetres.

or

A: I can wear Peter’s gloves because we have the same hand size.

I can’t wear Peter’s trousers because his waist is bigger.

C The teacher may ask some of you to act out your dialogue for the class.

Task 6

Look at the picture of the soldier.

A There is one difference in the description of female sizes. Do you know what it is?

B Describe the uniform she is wearing.

38 UNIT 6 UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT – Part II

Task 1

Look at the picture of the new air dispatcher’s uniform – discuss (as a class) an air dispatcher’s duties

and responsibilities and whether you think the uniform would be useful or not. What does an air

dispatcher wear in your army or air force?

Sold

ier

Mag

azin

e 20

02

Note: RLC - Royal Logistic Corps; AD - air dispatcher; GPS - Global Positioning System.

UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT – Part II

39UNIT 6UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT – Part II

Task 2

In your groups each read the article about the new air dispatcher’s uniform. Together fill in the table

below. Some of the table has already been filled out for you.

(One column will have more information than the other.)

List parts of the uniform described.List verbs used to describe the special qualities

of the new uniform and their purpose.

load-carrying jerkin to provide protection

to secure something to

Task 3

Find the words or phrases below in the article, check the meanings in a dictionary if necessary, then

match them with the definition. An example (5) has been done for you.

Example:

5 by means of = e using a/an/the

1 to dispatch a to allow you to talk or contact 1

2 to detach the b to include 2

3 to prevent somebody from c to disconnect 3

4 to be fitted with d to stop somebody from 4

5 by means of e using a/an/the 5 e

6 to enable communication f to send 6

Task 4

In your groups write four sentences each using the words and phrases above. You should use all

the definitions and phrases. Check your sentences with your group and then report them to the class.

40 UNIT 6 UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT – Part II

Task 5

Work in groups of three – look at the advertisement from Soldier Magazine. You have £200.00

to spend in your group – choose the items you want or need. Then justify your choice to the class.

What purpose will you use the items for?

Example:

“We decided to buy a wash bag, because the dirty washing made our tent very untidy and smelly.”

or

“We decided to buy a US assault holster, because Sgt Brown needs it for carrying his assault rifle.”

Check any vocabulary you are not familiar with, either in the dictionary or with your teacher or

group.

Sold

ier

Mag

azin

e 20

04

41UNIT 6UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT – Part II

Sir,

Heavy rains and winds caused floods and land slides which damaged some

of our equipment.This is what we need a.s.a.p.:

1 Six ВЗЬ фкьн ифврфв for soldiers to sleep under.

2 Four ВЗЬ щтсрщв to keep the soldiers dry.

3 Five втшзук сфвув to keep our sniper rifles dry.

4 Five ашкве фшв лшев for first aid.

5 Three ашкувефкеукв or some waterproof matches to start a fire.

6 Two пнвкфешщт вфцвш for the field exercise to make sure the men

don’t get dehydrated.

Lieutenant Brown

P.S. Laptop batteries expired. Please send some куздфсуьутев.

Task 6

You have received an e-mail request from a unit at a remote observation post. Some words are not

readable because the computer switched to the Cyrillic alphabet from time to time. Try to guess what

they need. All the words are in the advertisement. An example has been done for you.

Example:

Six DPM Army Bashas for soldiers to sleep under.

Note: Meaning of a.s.a.p. – as soon as possible;

DPM – Disruptive Pattern Material ( = camouflage combat uniform);

basha – improvised shelter (made from a poncho).

Task 7

Work in pairs. One of you is Maj Watson, one of you is Lt Brown. Major Watson contacts Lt Brown

by radio to make sure he has decoded the message correctly. Change roles.

Example:

A: Lieutenant Brown speaking.

B: Hello, this is Maj Watson. Can you clarify your request? It wasn’t clear enough.

A: We wanted six DPM Army Bashas, Sir.

Homework:

Write a short letter to the Web-tex Military Products Company ordering several articles. Explain

where you would like the goods to be delivered and what method of payment you would use.

DPM Army Bashas

42 UNIT 7 BRANCHES OF THE ARMY

Task 1

Describe the pictures below, the different equipment being used and the activities being performed

by the soldiers.

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11 12

BRANCHES OF THE ARMY77

43UNIT 7BRANCHES OF THE ARMY

Task 2

Match six of the pictures on the previous page with the branches of the army and their definitions

below. An example has been done for you.

BRANCH PICTURE

a Army Aviation Corps (provides air support to ground forces)

b Artillery (uses guns, canon, howitzers, mortars)

c Chemical Corps (provides nuclear, biological, chemical protection)

d Signal Corps (maintains and operates communications systems)

e Medical Corps (treats and looks after the sick, injured and wounded) 12

f Special Forces (carry out special operations)

Task 3

Match the branches of the army (1-6) listed below with the definitions (a-f ). An example has been

done for you.

BRANCH DUTIES ANSWER

1 Armour a to conduct area security operations, investigates crime 1 f

2 Engineers b to provide information about enemy troops 2

3 Infantry c to fight on foot, using personal weapons 3

4 Logistics d to construct bridges, demolish obstacles, de-mine fields 4

5 Military Intelligence e to supply equipment, food, medication, provides transport 5

6 Military Police f to combine tanks and armoured cavalry 6

Task 4

In pairs take turns to select a branch of the army from the list below and explain to your partner what

the soldiers in that branch are responsible for. Your partner has to guess which branch you are talking

about. Look at the example below.

Example:

These soldiers carry out special operations. They attack targets that are usually behind enemy lines.

Answer: Special Forces

� Military Police

� Engineers

� Army Aviation Corps

� Medical Corps

� Military Intelligence

� Specials Forces

� Armour

� Chemical Corps

� Artillery

� Signal Corps

� Infantry

� Logistics

44 UNIT 7 BRANCHES OF THE ARMY

Task 5

Listen to the recording of six soldiers speaking about their jobs. Identify their job and put the number

of the speaker in the first column next to their job. Then match the job to the branch of the army

in which they work. An example (1) has been done for you. Listen again to check your answers.

SPEAKER JOB BRANCH

intelligence analyst 1 Chemical Corps

telecommunications engineer Engineers

1 chemical analyst Armour

nurse Military Intelligence

tank driver Signals

bomb disposal officer Medical Corps

Task 6

Read the text and write any words or phrases in the table below which are useful to describe duties

and responsibilities. An example has been done for you.

Platoon Commander: As a lieutenant I’m first in command of a platoon. This means I’m responsible for about 30 men. This includes several things: first, the training and fitness of my men; second, the effectiveness of our weapons and vehicles; third, leadership of my platoon and command of weapon systems.

Military Police Officer: My responsibilities include guarding important sites and military bases. I’m also involved in escorting military personnel and convoys. Some of my colleagues deal with crime.

Helicopter Pilot: I fly attack helicopters. My mission is to provide support to the infantry. For instance, I destroy enemy ground and air targets. Among my other tasks are transporting troops, directing artillery fire and doing search-and-rescue operations.

Supply Controller: I work a lot with computers. My job is to monitor supplies and make sure that they are where they should be. For example, when someone in the field needs some kit, I’ll get it for them. It’s up to me to make sure they get it as fast as possible.

POSITION

Platoon Commander

I’m first in command of...

I’m responsible for...

This includes...

Military Police Officer

Helicopter Pilot

Supply Controller

Track 11

45UNIT 7BRANCHES OF THE ARMY

Task 7

Talk to your partner about your own duties. Use expressions from the table in task 6 and from the article.

Task 8

Read the article and complete the sentences below. An example (0) has been done for you.

Note: Black Watch – Scottish Regiment

Example:

0 LCpl Chester works as an explosives dog handler.

1 Who is Bonnie? She’s a .

2 Traffic in Falluja was stopped ahead of troops’ positions because

.

3 Troops would only move up to the cars after Bonnie and LCpl Chester gave the

.

4 LCpl Chester does her work because she can Bonnie .

5 The Labrador can sniff-out a hidden under a pile of other objects.

Task 9

Write a short description of your duties and responsibilities and compare your description with your

partner’s. Report to the class.

Homework:

Write an account of the duties and responsibilities you have in your work.

Sniffer dog Bonnie can smell a single bullet or a bomb – skills which made her indispensable at Camp Dogwood during Black Watch battle-group operations south of Baghdad. She and handler LCp1 Jenny Chester were brought in to find any deadly devices carried in cars stopped at vehicle control points set up by troops in the area round Falluja.The five-year-old Labrador is an arms explosive search dog from 102 Military Working Dog Support Unit, based at Sennelager, near Paderborn in Germany.She and LCp1 Chester, who had been due to fly home at the end of a four-month tour of duty in Basra, were rushed north to lend their special skills to the 850-strong battle-group.

Following the deaths of three soldiers in a road-block suicide attack, tactics were refined and traffic in and out of Falluja was stopped 100 yards ahead of troops’ positions. The drivers were ordered out of the cars and told to open their shirts to ensure they had no explosives strapped to their waists before LCpl Chester and Bonnie were sent in. Once she gave the all-clear, the troops would move in.Now safely back in Germany, she denied she was doing anything courageous. “Everyone’s brave in his or her own different way out here” she said. “Of course it’s scary when you think what could happen when we approach target vehicles, but I’d rather it was me and my dog than five soldiers.”I do it because I trust Bonnie 100 per cent. I know if there’s something there she’ll find it and hopefully we’ll be able to get out of there in time.”The Labrador, one of 120 dogs at the Sennelager unit, can sniff-out a single 5.56mm round hidden under a pile of other objects.

How Bonnie´s nose helped the Black Watch battle-group stop suicide bombers

Me and my dog


46 UNIT 8 STRUCTURE OF THE ARMY

Warm-up Task

Discuss how the army is being restructured in your country. What is your opinion?

Task 1

Below are some words and expressions which describe the structure of an army and the command

structure. Together with a partner, put them into the appropriate column. An example has been

done for you. Add any others that you can think of.

� include

� be divided into

� be a commander of

� be in charge of

� be under the command of

� be organised into

� be commanded by

� to be made up of

� be composed of

� be headed by

� consist of

� be led by

� combine

� be in command

� comprise

STRUCTURE COMMAND

consist of be in charge of

STRUCTURE OF THE ARMY88

47UNIT 8STRUCTURE OF THE ARMY

Task 2

Use the words below to write 5 sentences describing organisational structures and 5 more sentences

describing the command of those structures. Relate them to your own working situation.

Example:

0 a The General Staff comprises 6 departments: from G1 to G6.

b The General Staff is headed by the Chief of Staff.

1 a is composed of

b is led by

2 a consists of

b is under the command of

3 a is divided into

b is commanded by

4 a include

b is in command of

5 a is organised into

b is a commander of

Task 3

In pairs describe your position in the military in terms of where you fit into the overall structure.

Use the categories below to help you.

� job

� department

� unit

� branch

� superiors

� subordinates

� reporting structure

48 UNIT 8 STRUCTURE OF THE ARMY

Task 4

Put the headings below in the appropriate place in the text. An example (1) has been done for you.

1 light infantry

2 airborne infantry

3 armoured brigades

4 heavy armour infantry

5 mechanised infantry

Note: AIFVs - Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicles; APCs - Armoured Personnel Carriers.

Task 5

Listen to the briefing on the organisation of the British Army and fill in the missing information

in the chart.

UnitMilitary

signsNumber ofpersonnel

Subordinate units

Officer in charge

(OIC)

Second-in-command(2IC; 2i/c)

Army 50,000 + Lieutenant General

2-5 divisions Lieutenant General Major General

Division (Div) 10,000-20,000 Major General

2000-5000 2-5 battalions Colonel

650-1000 Lieutenant Colonel Major

Battalion (Bn) 4-6 companies Lieutenant Colonel

Company (Co; Coy)

Squadron (Sqdn; Sqn)

Battery (Bty)

90-250 3-6 platoons Captain

Platoon (Plt/Plat/Pt)

Troop (trp)

30-40 Lieutenant Staff or ColourSergeant

Section (Sec)

8-12 2+ fireteams Lance Corporal

XXXX

XXX

XX

X

I I I

I I

I

I

I

BRITISH ARMY ORGANISATION

Today’s infantrymen can move by land, sea or air. The modern infantrymen may fight on foot or

go into action by parachute, helicopter, assault craft or in a fighting vehicle. Infantrymen can serve

in a wide variety of units. 1 units are rapidly deployable and especially useful in missions

conducted in urban terrain. They are equipped for general service. are equipped for arrival

in combat by parachute. They are heavily equipped and capable of all land operations. are

the most heavily armed and protected infantry, using both AIFVs and APCs. The vehicles are armed

with automatic cannon, antitank missiles and machine guns. The role of is to neutralise

smaller pockets of enemy armour and soldiers. As they are used in conjunction with , their

firepower is smaller than that of a mechanised infantry brigade. Typically, they utilise AIFVs.

Track 12

49UNIT 8STRUCTURE OF THE ARMY

Homework:

Prepare a short briefing on the re-structuring of your army. Describe the organisational and

command structure. Use the words and phrases you have learned in this unit. Keep it short. You may

have to present this to the class in the next lesson.

Task 6

Draw your organisational chart below in as much detail as you can. Then describe it to your partner

who will listen and draw it. Then compare your versions.

My organisational chart

My partner’s organisational chart

50 UNIT 9 RANKS AND APPOINTMENTS – Part I

Task 1

Work in groups. Put the following words under the correct headings.

An example has been done for you.

Ranks Branches of the army Army units Appointments

corporal

� private

� battalion

� engineers

� transport officer

� infantry

� lieutenant

� brigade

� sergeant

� ammunition technician

� second-in-command of a company

� regiment

� platoon commander

� corporal

� artillery

� logistics

� squadron

Sold

ier

Mag

azin

e 20

02

Among those chosen from the Services to be presented to the Queen in Portsmouth were, from left above, Cpl Andrew Mackenzie, LG, Capt Daniel Matthews MC, Para, and CSgt Cliff Lea, PWRR.

Note: LG – Life Guards, MC – Military Cross, Para – Parachute regiment, PWRR – Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment

Warm-up Task

Look at the picture at the top of the page and speak about it.

RANKS AND APPOINTMENTS – Part I99

51UNIT 9RANKS AND APPOINTMENTS – Part I

Task 2

A Your teacher will give you a set of cards of the British Army ranks. Work in pairs and put them

in order. The highest rank is ‘Field Marshal’ and the lowest is ‘Private’.

B

Now listen to a British Defence Attaché (DA). Check the order of your cards.

Track 13

Task 3

Work in pairs. Put each one of the ranks on the cards into one of the categories in the table. Some

have already been done for you.

British Army ranks

Senior Staff Officers,

called the ‘Top Brass’

in army slang

� Field Marshal

�

�

�

�

�

Regimental Officers

Field Officers�

�

� Captain

Subalterns�

�

The Other Ranks

Warrant Officers�

�

Non-

Commissioned

Officers (NCOs)

Senior NCOs �

Junior NCOs�

�

� Private

52 UNIT 9 RANKS AND APPOINTMENTS – Part I

Task 5

Listen to Annie and Paul talking about their jobs and complete the tables.

ANNIE PAUL ME

a Rank

b Date(s) of promotion 2003

c Current appointment

d Branch of the army the REME

e Temporary posting in the past

f Purpose of posting

g Reason for joining the army

Task 6

Work in pairs. Ask and answer questions using a-g above. Take notes. You will report to the class.

Track 14, 15

Task 4

Now listen to the interview with the DA again. Complete the table below. An example is given.

Rank Appointment

Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM)

Regimental Transport Officer

Captain

Regimental Quartermaster (Officer)

Captain

Squadron Commander (Officer Commanding, OC)

Major

Lieutenant Colonel

Track 13

53UNIT 9RANKS AND APPOINTMENTS – Part I

REVISION: BRITISH ARMY RANKS

Write the appropriate rank in full

(no insignia)

54 UNIT 9 RANKS AND APPOINTMENTS – Part II

Task 1

What are the ranks and appointments of the people in the picture? Read the text and fill in the table

below. Do not use abbreviations. Write the ranks in full.

Royal visitor: The Princess Royal,

Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Logistic

Corps, called on 13 Air Assault Support

Regiment RLC at its Colchester

barracks. Princess Anne is pictured

with, from left, driver-radio operator

Cpl Stuart Evans; commanding officer

Lt Col Mark Poffley; Capt Nicola

West, 2IC 34 HQ Squadron; and

WO1 Jo McCord, regimental sergeant

major. The regiment has taken under

command 47 Air Dispatch Squadron,

which joins 15 Attack Support

Squadron and 63 Air Assault Brigade

Support Squadron.

Rank Appointment

Colonel-in-Chief

Note: In the British and other Commonwealth armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its (usually

Royal) patron. In Britain, the only non-Royal Colonel-in-Chief is the Duke of Wellington,

Colonel-in-Chief of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.

RANKS AND APPOINTMENTS – Part II

55UNIT 9RANKS AND APPOINTMENTS – Part II

Task 2

Work in groups of three. One of you will choose an appointment from the list below. The other

two have to find out the appointment by asking ‘Yes/No’ questions. Some suggested questions are

given.

APPOINTMENTS

� divisional commander

� Chief of the Defence Staff

� platoon commander

� OC of an engineering squadron

� operations officer

� base commandant

� regimental quartermaster sergeant

� families officer

� section commander

� electronics technician

� rifleman

� section 2IC

� company sergeant major

� transport officer

� driver

� ammunition technician

� radio operator

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS

� Is he a commissioned officer?

� Is he in a command position?

� Does he command a bigger unit than …?

� Does he work with troops?

� Is he responsible for equipment in his job? etc.

Task 3

Work in two groups.

Group A will prepare a table of commissioned officer ranks and appointments for their own army.

Group B will prepare one for the other ranks for their own army.

Rank Appointment


Task 4

Work in groups of three and discuss the following questions. Take notes to report to the class.

� What affects promotion in your army?

� Is it possible for a WO or NCO to be promoted from the ranks?

� How many times can a serviceman be promoted below the zone?

� What are typical jobs for women, if any, in your army?

� Are there any positions that women are not allowed to hold in your army?

� Should MoD employees have ranks?

Task 5 British Army Ranks and Appointments Quiz

Work in pairs and answer the questions in the quiz about British Army ranks and appointments.

Your teacher will read each question twice.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12


BRITISH, US, AND CANADIAN OFFICER RANKS

NATORank code

British Army and

Royal Marines

US Army, USAF and USMC Royal Navy US Navy RAF

Canadian Forces Land Force

Command and Canadian Forces

Air Command

Canadian Forces Maritime Command

OF-10 Field Marshal(FM)

General of the ArmyGeneral of the Air Force(no USMC equiv)

Admiral of the Fleet

Fleet Admiral (FADM)

Marshal of the Royal Air Force (MRAF)

OF-9 General (Gen)

General (Gen)

Admiral (Adm)

Admiral (ADM)

Air Chief Marshal (ACM) General Admiral

(Adm)

OF-8Lieutenant-General(Lt Gen)

Lieutenant General (LtGen)

Vice-Admiral (VAdm)

Vice Admiral (VADM)

Air Marshal (AM)

Lieutenant-General (LGen)

Vice-Admiral (VAdm)

OF-7 Major-General(Maj Gen)

Major General (MG/MajGen)

Rear-Admiral (RAdm)

Rear Admiral (Upper Half) (RADM)

Air Vice-Marshal (AVM)

Major-General (MGen)

Rear-Admiral (RAdm)

OF-6 Brigadier (Brig)

Brigadier General (BG/BrigGen)

Commodore (Cdre)

Rear Admiral (Lower Half) (RDML)

Air Commodore (ACdre)

Brigadier-General (BGen)

Commodore (Cdre)

OF-5 Colonel (Col)

Colonel (COL/Col)

Captain (Capt)

Captain (CAPT)

Group Captain (Gp Capt)

Colonel (Col)

Captain (N)(Capt (N))

OF-4Lieutenant-Colonel(Lt Col)

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC/LtCol)

Commander (Cdr)

Commander (CDR)

Wing Commander (Wg Cdr)

Lieutenant-Colonel (LCol)

Commander (Cdr)

OF-3 Major (Maj)

Major (MAJ/Maj)

Lieutenant Commander(Lt Cdr)

Lieutenant Commander (LCDR)

Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr or SL)

Major (Maj)

Lieutenant Commander (LCdr)

OF-2 Captain (Capt)

Captain (CPT/Capt)

Lieutenant (Lt)

Lieutenant (LT)

Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt or FL)

Captain (Capt)

Lieutenant (N)(Lt (N))

OF-1

Lieutenant (Lt)

First Lieutenant (1LT/1Lt)

Sub Lieutenant (SLt)

Lieutenant, Junior Grade (LT(JG))

Flying Officer (FO)

Lieutenant (Lt)

Sub-Lieutenant (SLt)

Second Lieutenant(2Lt)

Second Lieutenant (2LT/2Lt)

Ensign (ENS)

Pilot Officer (PO)

Second Lieutenant (2Lt)

Acting Sub-Lieutenant(A/SLt)

OF(D) Officer Designate

Midshipman (Mid) Officer Designate

Student Officer

Officer Cadet (OCdt) Cadet Officer Cadet

(OCdt)Midshipman (MIDN)

Officer Cadet (OCdt)

Officer Cadet (OCdt) Naval Cadet

FACT SHEETS: COMPARATIVE MILITARY RANKS

OF-10 ranks in the United States can only be attained during war time. This is also now generally the case in the UK, although provision is made to award them under special circumstances in peacetime (no promotions to these ranks have been made since they were generally suspended in 1997).

Note that the US military usually uses O-1 to O-11 to symbolize officer, and not the NATO codes of OF-1 to OF-10 in which all subaltern officers are classed as OF-1 (O-1 and O-2 in US). Not listed are US warrant officers. A warrant officer is an officer who can and does command, carry out military justice actions and sits both selection and promotion boards. A warrant officer is a single-track specialty officer, initially appointed by the Secretary of the Army, he/she receives a commission upon promotion to Chief Warrant Officer Two (CW2).

Pay grade is used in the US military as to normalize the equivalent enlisted and officer ranks respectively. For example, the base pay of an E-8 is the same in the Air Force and the Army. In theory, those two E-8s will have equivalent levels of seniority and responsibility. When enlisted men

from several services are together, the senior enlisted man is responsible for the group. For comparing ranks with other countries the Paygrade numbers match with the NATO Codes for Enlisted (Other) ranks. Hence E-1, at least for this purpose, can be considered same as OR-1, E-2 as OR-2 and so on. Also note that the British Armed Forces do not actually use the term Enlisted Ranks. The equivalent in the Royal Navy is Ratings and in the other services is Other Ranks (formally, at least in the past, Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Men).

The Royal Marines rank alongside their army equivalents. However, when borne on the books of any of HM Ships or Naval Establishments Royal Marines are subject to the Naval Discipline Act 1957 and in these circumstances many officer ranks in the Royal Marines enjoy greater status. Second Lieutenants are equivalent to Sub Lieutenants and ranks from Lieutenant to Major may be considered equivalent to one rank higher (OF-2 to OF-4). Lieutenant Colonels are considered equivalent to RN Captains with less than six years in the rank, and Colonels would be equivalent to Captains with more than six years seniority. Higher ranks follow the equivalence on the table above.

Note:


ENLISTED RANKS

US enlisted ranks, British other ranks, & Canadian Non-Commisioned Members

NATO Rank code

US Army USAF USMC USN British Army Royal Marines Royal Navy RAF

Canadian Forces Land Force Command

and Canadian Forces

Air Command

OR-9

Sergeant Major of the Army

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF)

Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON)

Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) (The most senior WO1s are the Conductors Cdr) in the Royal Logistic Corps2nd is the Academy Sergeant Major (AcSM)3rd is the Garrison Sergeant Major (GSM) of the London District)

Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1)includes apppointment of Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM)

Warrant Officer Class 1(WO1)

Warrant Officer (WO) or Master Aircrew (MAcr)

Chief Warrant Officer (CWO)

Command Sergeant Major (CSM)

Command Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt)

Sergeant Major (SgtMaj)

Command Master Chief Petty Officer (CMCPO)

Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1)(appointment of Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) and Regimental Corporal Major (RCM)

Sergeant Major (SGM)

Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt)

Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt)

Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO)

Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1)(various appointments)

OR-8

First Sergeant (1SG) Senior

Master Sergeant (SMSgt)

First Sergeant (1st Sgt)

Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO)

Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2)(appointment of Company Sergeant Major (CSM), Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM)or Squadron Corporal Major (SCM)

Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2)(appointment of Company Sergeant Major (CSM))

Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2)

No E-8 equivalent

Master Warrant Officer (MWO)

Master Sergeant (MSG)

Master Sergeant (MSgt)



OR-7

Sergeant First Class (SFC) or Platoon Sergeant

Master Sergeant (MSgt)

Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt)

Chief Petty Officer (CPO)

Staff Sergeant (SSgt) / Colour Sergeant (CSgt)or Staff Corporal (SCpl)

Colour Sergeant (CSgt)

Chief Petty Officer (CPO)

Flight Sergeant (FS)

Warrant Officer(WO)Chief

Technician (CT)


ENLISTED RANKS

US enlisted ranks, British other ranks, & Canadian Non-Commisioned Members

NATO Rank code

US Army USAF USMC USN British Army Royal Marines Royal Navy RAF

Canadian Forces Land Force Command

and Canadian Forces

Air Command

OR-6Staff Sergeant (SSG)

Technical Sergeant (TSgt)

Staff Sergeant (SSgt)

Petty Officer 1st Class (PO1)

Sergeant (Sgt)or Corporal of Horse (CoH)

Sergeant(Sgt)

Petty Officer(PO)

Sergeant (Sgt)

Sergeant (Sgt)

OR-5Sergeant (SGT)

Staff Sergeant (SSgt)

Sergeant (Sgt)

Petty Officer 2nd Class (PO2)

OR-4

Corporal (CPL) or Specialist (SPC)

Senior Airman (SrA)

Corporal (Cpl)

Petty Officer 3rd Class (PO3)

Corporal (Cpl), Bombardier (Bdr) (Royal Artillery)or Lance-Corporal of Horse (LCoH)

Corporal (Cpl)

Leading Rate

Corporal (Cpl)

Master Corporal (MCpl)

OR-3Private First Class (PFC)

Airman First Class (A1C)

Lance Corporal (LCpl)

Seaman (SN)

Lance-Corporal (LCpl) or Lance- Bombardier (LBdr) (Royal Artillery)

Lance-Corporal (LCpl)

No E-3quivalent

No E-3equivalent

Corporal (Cpl)

OR-2Private (PV2)

Airman (Amn)

Private First Class (PFC)

Seaman Apprentice (SA)

Private (Classes 1 to 3) (Pte) or other corps title such as Trooper (Tpr), Sapper etc.

Marine (Mne) Able Rate

Junior Technician (JT)

Private (Pte)

Senior Aircraft(wo)man(SAC(W))

Leading Aircraft(wo)man(LAC(W))

OR-1Private (PV1)

Airman Basic (AB)

Private (Pvt)

Seaman Recruit (SR)

Private (Class 4) or Junior

Aircraft(wo)man(AC(W))

Private Recruit(Pte (R))

A Warrant Officer in UK service is a senior non-commissioned rank not comparable to the various grades of Warrant Officer in the US, although holding the Queen‘s Warrant and with certain privileges similar to those of officers. In the Army and Royal Marines, they are referred to by their appointment, of which there are many (for example, Regimental Sergeant Major is a WO1 appointment). The US rank is held by single track career specialists (ranking between Enlisted Ranks and 2nd Lieutenant) and have no NATO equivalent. An RN Warrant Officer Class 1 incorporated the former rank of Fleet Chief Petty Officer.

The RN created the rate of Warrant Officer Class 2 on 1 April 2004. Previously, there was a rate of Charge Chief Petty Officer, who usually ranked as OR-7, although above other CPOs. A Charge Chief Artificer (a highly-qualified technical

CCPO) could be given a NATO OR-8 status, but still ranked below WO2 in the Army and Royal Marines. On the creation of WO2, all CCPOs were upgraded to this rate.

British Sergeants/Petty Officers are seen as equal to E5 and E6 although Corporals as well as Sergeants may be appointed to an official OR-5 (i.e. E-5) military role as is suited to the particular situation.

From April 1, 1999 Able Rating and Ordinary Rating merged, Marine 1st Class and Marine 2nd Class merged. Junior Rating and Junior Marine abolished.

USAF - United States Air Force; USMC - United States Marine Corps; RAF - Royal Air Force; RN - Royal Navy; N - Navy.

Note:

60 UNIT 10 INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Task 1

Describe what you can see in the pictures. Where do you think these places are?

1

2

3 4

INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS1010

61UNIT 10INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Task 2

Your teacher will give you a fact sheet about one of the following international organisations:

the EU, the IFRC, the UN. Work in groups of three.

� Read your fact sheet carefully

� Study the kind of information required (see NATO below)

� Complete the task sheet with information about your organisation

� Find out information about the other 2 organisations by asking questions and completing the chart

TASK SHEET

Name of

organisationNATO EU IFRC UN

Establishment established on

4 April 1949,

in Washington

Main office Brussels

Mission

statement

� to protect

the freedom and

security of its

members

Membership 26 NATO member

states

Main body � North Atlantic

Council

� Defence Planning

Committee

� Nuclear Planning

Group

Core functions � to develop

collective

self-defence

� to carry out

peacemaking,

peacekeeping and

peacebuilding

operations

� to fight against

terrorism

� to assist people in

disasters

Website www. nato.int

10

62 UNIT 10 INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Task 3

Listen to four people talking about their jobs and complete the chart below. You will hear

the recording twice.

Listening No 1 2 3 4

Name Peter George Elena Alcinda

Organisation

Mission

to deliver

humanitarian

laws

re-integrate

child soldiers

into society

Job soldier

Placement

Job

descriptions,

activities

• distributes

food,

medical supplies

• searches houses

for

documents.

•

individuals and

conducts vehicle

• participates in

discussions on

agriculture,

economy,

energy,

and other

industries.

• does

on war-affected

children

• collects and

documents their

Task 4

Your teacher will give you text A and text B. First write 5 questions asking about the missing

information on your task sheet.

1

2

3

4

5

Now work in pairs and fill in the missing information by asking and answering questions on the text

about NATO and the IFRC.

Track 16

63UNIT 10INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Task 5

Work in pairs. Look at the areas of activity below and develop two dialogues on the same topic based

on the examples. You will report to the class at the end.

Topic: PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS

Example 1

Student 1: Have you ever been on a peacekeeping mission?

Student 2: Yes.

Student 1: When was it?

Student 2: 2002

Student 1: Where did you go?

Student 2: Afghanistan…

Example 2

Student 1: Have you ever been on a peacekeeping mission?

Student 2: No.

Student 1: Do you know anyone who has?

Student 2: Yes, a couple of NCOs from our company.

Student 1: Why haven’t you been on a mission?

Student 2: I have two kids and I want to see them grow up.

Possible Topic Areas:

� NATO

� the UN

� the EU

� the ICRC

� news about activities of

international organisations

� military duty trips

� conferences

� summits

� co-operation

64 BREAKTHROUGH TAPESCRIPTS

Track 1

Unit 1: LIFE ON BASE Task 5 Go straight from where you are and take the first right. Where are you?

a Turn left from where you are, go straight on to the petrol station, turn right there and go as far as

the end of the street. Enter one of the buildings on your left-hand side. Where are you?

b Walk along Carpathian Avenue past the fire station, take the first left and go straight on as far as

Danube Road. Cross over, walk along Adriatic Street and go into the first building on your right.

Where are you?

c Go along Carpathian Avenue. Take the second left and then go past the chapel and the NAAFI.

At the corner turn right, go up Danube Road and take the second right. What is the first building

on your left?

Track 2

Unit 2: ROUTINES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Task 5 Speaking about daily routines, I have to say, that, unfortunately, I start my day very early. I have to be on

the square at 0630, because that’s when we have our muster parade and morning roster. We get our daily

orders and our commander assigns the tasks for the day. Next activity, my favourite actually, is physical

training. That starts at 0700 hours and finishes at 0745. We do different kinds of exercises, like running,

gymnastics or practising on the assault course. You can also do self-defence. We can choose what we

want to do and that’s what I like about it. As you can imagine, such a training session wakes you up

completely. I leave the square soaking wet, so before I put on my uniform I have a quick shower – which

is at about 0750.

Then I start ‘real’ work. For me, basically, it means a lot of office work. That means that from 0810 to

1200 hours I hardly leave my office. I have to do some paper work, which I don’t like very much. I have

to write daily reports and sometimes I have to complete applications for my subordinates who are going

on different courses. One of my main responsibilities is to supervise them, so I check how they’re getting

on with their daily tasks and that’s when I leave my office, for a while at least.

As I’m chief of the group responsible for training and military exercises, my main duty is to plan and

organise drills and exercises. However, we don’t have exercises every day, so I do that only when I have

to prepare an exercise. As you can see, mornings are always very busy for me. I finally get a break at

1200 hours. I then go for lunch to our mess hall and then at 1300 hours I start working again.

BREAKTHROUGH TAPESCRIPTS

65BREAKTHROUGH TAPESCRIPTS

In the afternoon I prepare tasks for the next day, that is at about 1445. Next I check the daily schedules

and prepare submissions for the next day’s daily order. Officially, I finish work at 1515, but quite often

I have to work overtime. You know, I often go on duty trips, so there’s always something that needs to

be done.

Anyway, when I finally finish, I take off my uniform, put on my civilian clothes and go home. On the way

home I usually (go) do some shopping or just go for a walk with my girlfriend.

Track 3

Task 7 0630 zero six thirty 1200 twelve hundred hours

0700 zero seven hundred hours 1300 thirteen hundred hours

0745 zero seven forty-five 1445 fourteen forty-five

0750 zero seven fifty 1515 fifteen fifteen

0810 zero eight ten

Track 4

Unit 3: MILITARY CAREERS AND TRAINING Task 1 My name’s captain Andrew Norton. I graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering eight years ago

and started working with North and Grunman. I enjoyed working there but I didn’t want to sit behind

a desk for the rest of my life. Suddenly, I was made redundant so I looked for a new challenge. The Army

always appealed to me, so in 1995 I went to the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst where I attended

the 44-week Commissioning Course.

After the course I was commissioned as a lieutenant into the infantry. My first posting was with the

Royal Anglian Regiment and I served with the 1st Battalion as platoon commander. When I joined

my regiment I did specialist training to gain the knowledge and skills necessary for my first posting.

As platoon commander I was responsible for the training, fitness, operational effectiveness and welfare

of a platoon of 30 men. I was also responsible for the servicing and maintenance of platoon weapons,

vehicles and equipment. I learned how to command and lead the platoon on operations and exercises.

I was pleased with my first appointment, it gave me a sense of satisfaction.

Then I was posted to Germany and meanwhile I was promoted to captain. After that, Cyprus, where

I served as operations officer. From next month I’m going to attend the Army Staff Course at Shrivenham.

After the staff course I’ll be promoted to major and will perhaps be posted to a higher headquarters.

Track 5

TRAINING

Task 1 During your 12-week basic training, first you’ll learn how to look after yourself and your equipment, how

to live in the field, how to observe and report an enemy. You’ll also learn how to find your way on the map

in order to be able to survive in field conditions.

The next important thing is to master your SA80 rifle, which is going to be your personal weapon.

It means that you’ll practise how to use it in daylight and darkness. You’ll fire it at various distances up


to 300 metres. When you’re not training with it you’re keeping it clean or drilling with it. Daily foot and

arms drill will teach your body how to act in an emergency, when obeying commands without question

could be vital to success. It also builds up your strength, stamina and willpower. Physical training is

built into your training programme and this, together with outdoor pursuits and lots of team sports and

games, helps to build up and maintain your physical fitness.

Track 6

Task 2 (Initial Officer Training, RAF Academy Cranwell)

Cadet: Peter, I don’t know much about this course. Could you tell me about it?

Peter: Well, during the first four weeks you do the sort of stuff you see on TV, like drilling and weapons

handling. But the most demanding part of it is the physical training … you’re constantly tested

to your physical limits. Sometimes they give you a really hard time, but I mean I’m sure you’ll

make it.

Cadet: Was there anything you didn’t like?

Peter: Well, the kit and room inspections weren’t exactly favourites with the guys, but I soon realised

that they’re there to teach you self-discipline and responsibility.

Cadet: What else do you learn during the course?

Peter: Well, the next bit’s what they call leadership training. In this part you learn how to carry out

leadership tasks and it’s where you really start to realise what teamwork is about. And the most

important thing in it is the debrief after every exercise, where the leader’s performance and

the team members’ performance are assessed.

Cadet: Do students get a good insight into how the RAF works?

Peter: Yes, very much so. In the last part of the course cadets learn about RAF organisation and structure

and they visit front line stations and see how officers, NCOs and airmen all work together. And

also in the last part of the course you do some war-gaming, which involves carrying out a military

exercise in a simulated environment.

Cadet: It all sounds really challenging to me. I can’t wait to get started.

Track 7

Unit 4: COMMANDS AND ORDERS Task 5 Interviewer: Thanks for agreeing to talk to me today. I’d like to ask you some questions about commands

and orders. Military orders – these are a very important part of military life and soldiers must

obey them at all times. Now, this may be very difficult sometimes, so I’d like to ask you three

questions, Sir. I think that being a soldier isn’t always easy or safe, so what was the most dangerous

order that you ever had to follow?

LtCol: Well, first of all, not all orders are legal, but that’s another question. The most dangerous order?

Well, it was in a real mission. I spent some time in a peacekeeping mission in Sarajevo. Two

months after my arrival a friend of mine was killed. You know, on their way back to the camp

they heard some shooting, so they took a different route, lost their way and drove straight into

a minefield. And the vehicle exploded. Anyway, this friend of mine was a commander in the safety

zone and I had to take his place. So, that was a dangerous order for me to follow.


Interviewer: That must have been difficult for you. As a commander, later on, you must have issued a lot

of orders yourself. What would you say was the most difficult order you ever had to give?

LtCol: It was in the same mission, really. A checkpoint reported that a group of people on horseback

had tried to bypass the checkpoint and enter the demilitarised zone. I had to send a special group

to stop them but I couldn’t do it, because there were another 8 checkpoints and the same thing

could have happened there. You know, that period was quite ... well, it wasn’t the quietest period

in our lives there, so I could expect attacks on any checkpoint which is why I couldn’t leave my

command post and couldn’t go with the team, so that... I think that was the most difficult order

to give.

Interviewer: And the last question, Sir. I understand that soldiers must obey all the orders they’re given...

but did you ever have to obey an order that you didn’t want to?

LtCol: Let me repeat, soldiers do not always have to obey all orders, especially if they are against

the Geneva Convention. But in military life, you can get difficult orders every day. The one

I really wanted to disobey was, again, in the same mission, when our contingent received an

order to leave the zone. We were replaced by a new team…. a new company, in fact. The problem

was that we had all been ordered to leave on the same day. The new people who came didn’t

know anything – what to do, who to contact, who to negotiate different issues with, so I felt that

I should stay a bit longer, a week at least, and help them to ... well, to contact all those people

and to learn things. That’s why it was so difficult for me to obey the order and leave the new

contingent to their own devices.

Interviewer: Many thanks for talking to me today, Sir.

LtCol: You’re welcome.

Track 8

Task 10 COMMANDS

SQUAD – FALL IN – RIGHT DRESS – EYES FRONT – RIGHT TURN –

BY THE FRONT – QUICK MARCH! – LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT.

PRIVATE WOOD – ‘SHUN – ONE PACE – STEP FORWARD – MARCH! –

ABOUT TURN! ONE PACE – STEP FORWARD – MARCH – ABOUT TURN –

STAND AT … EASE!

‘A’ COMPANY – COMPANY – ‘SHUN! RIGHT DRESS – EYES FRONT –

STAND AT … EASE!

COMPANY – COMPANY – ‘SHUN! PRESENT ARMS – SHOULDER ARMS –

ORDER ARMS – STAND … AT EASE!

FALL IN – RIGHT DRESS – EYES FRONT – GENERAL SALUTE –

PRESENT ARMS – SHOULDER ARMS – ORDER ARMS! –

STAND … AT EASE (e.g. during the speech) – ‘SHUN! –

FALL OUT! (after general’s departure)

LOAD – READY – TARGET IN FRONT – ONE ROUND … FIRE! –

UNLOAD – GUN CLEAR.


Track 9

Unit 5: WEAPONS Task 2 Interviewer: Sergeant Jones, you’re a small-arms expert, tell me about the weapons you have here.

Jones: Well, this first one is the British Army SA80 and is 5.56 mm calibre. It has an optical SUSAT

night sight and a magazine which holds 30 rounds. It’s smaller than the other two weapons I’m

going to show you and has an effective range of 500 metres.

Interviewer: Yes! It is quite small, isn’t it! What’s this one here with the wooden back-piece?

Jones: Oh, that’s the AK-47: an old weapon, but still very good. The ‘back-piece’ is what we call the stock.

This is the biggest of the 3 rifles I have here, and weighs 4.3 kg unloaded. It is the largest calibre

at 7.62 mm. Like all the other weapons here, it is gas-operated and can fire 600 rounds per

minute – we call that the cyclic rate of fire.

Interviewer: And what exactly does that mean?

Jones: Well, the cyclic rate of fire is how many rounds or bullets you could fire in one minute, if you didn’t

have to stop and reload the magazine every time it became empty. I should mention that the Soviet

Union used this weapon a lot and Russia and many other countries around the world still do.

Interviewer: And what about this last rifle?

Jones: This one? I must admit, this is my favourite; it’s the American M16. Instead of wood, it has this

armalite plastic, so it’s lighter than the AK-47. It’s longer than the SA80 at 100 cm, so I think

it’s more accurate, but, like the SA80, it uses the standard 5.56 NATO ammunition. The range of

the M16 is about 500 metres and its cyclic rate is 600 rpm. For such a big weapon, it only weighs

3.6 kg.

Interviewer: Do you think I could shoot one of these guns?

Jones: Yes you can, but remember, you don’t shoot a gun, you fire a gun – but these aren’t guns, they’re

rifles – OK?

Interviewer: Why is it ‘fire’ and not ‘shoot’?

Jones: OK, an example: ‘He shot the dog, the dog’s dead’; ‘He shot the rifle, the rifle’s dead!’

Get the message?

Interviewer: Er-yes, thank you.

Track 10

Unit 6: UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT Task 4 Interviewer: Nick, what do you think is the most significant feature of a modern uniform?

Nick: Definitely camouflage materials.

Interviewer: But camouflage uniform makes soldiers from different countries look the same,

doesn’t it?

Nick: Not really. Usually camouflage producers in different countries use three basic colours and these

are green, brown and yellow. Of course, they try to use different tints of the colours but what

really makes all camouflages different is the shape of the colour fragments and their mixture on

the material. Military people can almost always guess the nationality of a soldier looking at his

or her camouflage uniform.


Interviewer: A camouflage uniform is usually put on for combat actions or field training, isn’t it?

Nick: Not exactly. In many countries it’s widely used for everyday service and even official ceremonies,

though soldiers of most nations traditionally have three basic types of uniform – one for parade

or dress events, one for everyday work in the barracks and one for combat or field training

conditions.

Interviewer: How are these uniforms different?

Nick: Well, in combat events the camouflage uniform is normally used. And not only trousers, combat

jackets, shirts, coats, ponchos and parkas but also T-shirts, peaked-caps, face veils, epaulette

slides, midge nets – everything is made of camouflage fabrics. And even metal helmets, gloves

and leather combat boots are often coated or painted with a camouflage.

Interviewer: And faces! You forgot faces!

Nick: Oh yes! There are even special paints soldiers use to camouflage their faces.

Interviewer: I hope they don’t have to wear it in their everyday work.

Nick: No, not at all. In their everyday service military people usually wear single-colour well-ironed

trousers, shirts and ties, shoes and of course peaked-caps or forage caps. In some armies peaked-

caps are worn by officers and forage caps are for lower ranks.

Interviewer: I think peaked-caps are also more suitable for parades and celebrations and other special

occasions.

Nick: Yes, exactly. Parade or dress uniform is usually designed to create an impressive atmosphere.

Polished shoes, bright colours, tunics with golden epaulettes and stars or pips on shoulders...

Decorations and stripes on sleeves... Shirts with bright collar patches which usually show the arm

of service or a rank... And the peaked-caps with impressive badges!

Interviewer: In your opinion, what uniform items are the easiest and the most difficult to design?

Nick: Difficult? Well, I think underwear – vests, T-shirts, long johns, because they’re worn under shirts,

jackets and trousers and nobody usually sees them. As for me, I like to work with headgear. Yeah!

Caps and hats are so different in different countries. In some countries soldiers wear a bandana

which is just a bandage around a head with a big knot, Arab warriors prefer a shemagh – most

of us don’t even know how to put it on. Besides peaked-caps, forage caps and helmets, berets are

very popular in the world of uniform. Different colours of berets and different badges on them

can tell you the nation, the arm of service and the name of the military unit.

Interviewer: A soldier needs a lot of things to fight with, but he only has two hands to carry them.

Nick: Yes, that’s why a military uniform usually includes lots of accessories. A belt and some webbing

can hold all kinds of pouches which, together with rucksacks and chest rigs, can contain all

the materials vitally important for fighting and surviving.

Track 11

Unit 7: BRANCHES OF THE ARMY Task 5 1 (Chemical Analyst): I’m in a mobile unit. Its mission is to decontaminate the environment. We also

do NBC reconnaissance by taking samples of chemicals from air, water and soil.

2 (Nurse): I provide medical support not only to our own troops, but also to sick, injured or wounded

people from local communities. It can get quite busy in the field hospital and we’ve got to deal with

casualties arriving at short notice. My job is to take care of patients and make sure that they get what

they need after the doctors have operated on them.


3 (Telecommunications Engineer): I work in a telecommunications centre. My job involves looking

after electronic equipment. Basically, I install and maintain computers, radios, telephones and

monitors. I make sure that they work well and are safe and protected from enemy interception.

4 (Intelligence Analyst): I’m employed to analyse enemy activities. I monitor TV broadcasts,

newspapers and military journals. I collect and pass sensitive information to commanders who make

tactical and strategic decisions.

5 (Tank Driver): I drive the army’s main ground combat weapon – the tank. It’s a good fighting

machine, because it gives a lot of firepower. It’s used in a number of ways. For example, it can fight

in formation or in support of infantry.

6 (Bomb Disposal Officer): My job’s very dangerous, because I dispose of bombs. I was on

a peacekeeping mission to Bosnia where I cleared minefields. But in wartime I set explosives and

destroy the infrastructure, for example, bridges, roads and installations.

Track 12

Unit 8: STRUCTURE OF THE ARMY Task 5 BRITISH ARMY ORGANISATION

Ladies and Gentlemen of the press. Today I am going to give you a short introduction to the organisational

structure of the Army, what is made up of and who commands what.

The Army’s organisational structure contains component parts from combat arms, combat support and

combat service support units. The unit size depends on its function. The basic building block of all Army

organisations, of course, is the soldier.

The smallest group of soldiers is called a section or squad. And it consists of 8 to 12 soldiers and is

typically commanded by a corporal.

Larger than the squad is a platoon. It’s divided into two to four sections and consists of 30 to 40 soldiers.

A unit of engineers or artillery equivalent to a platoon in strength is called a troop. And a platoon is led

by a lieutenant with a staff or colour sergeant as second-in-command or, as we only say for short, 2IC.

Three to six platoons form a company. An artillery unit of the equivalent size to a company is called

a battery, and a comparable armoured or air unit is called a squadron. A company contains 90 to

250 soldiers under the command of a major. And a captain is usually 2IC.

A battalion is the element in the Army structure which includes four to six companies. It numbers 600 to

1,000 soldiers. A battalion commander is normally a lieutenant colonel with a major as 2IC.

There’s also an organisational component of approximately the size of a battalion, but it is categorized as

a regiment. As far as its commander and 2IC are concerned, the same applies as for a battalion.

Two to five combat battalions make up a brigade. It’s normally commanded by a brigadier with a colonel

as 2IC. Brigades conduct defensive and offensive operations.

Divisions are usually numbered. A division usually consists of three brigade-sized elements of between

10,000 to 20,000 soldiers. A major general with a brigadier as 2IC are in command of divisions.

A corps has approximately 30,000 or more soldiers. And as a rule, two to five divisions are organised into

a corps. Usually it is commanded by a lieutenant general or a major general.

An army consists of two or more corps. At full strength the Army is composed of 50,000 or more

soldiers. A lieutenant general or general is in charge of the army.

Well, that’s the end of my short briefing. Thank you for your attention – and if you have any questions,

I’ll be happy to answer them.


Track 13

Unit 9: RANKS AND APPOINTMENTS Task 2 Interviewer: Every soldier is said to have a general’s epaulettes in his rucksack. Could you outline

the typical stages for officers and non-commissioned officers rising through the ranks in the Armed

Forces of the United Kingdom?

Defence Attaché: Let’s start with the non-commissioned ranks. A young man or woman, because we

must not forget now we have a large proportion of female soldiers, join the army on an engagement

of 3, 6 or 9 years with the intention that they have a career of 22 years. And within that 22 years

they would, hopefully, if all went well, climb the promotion ladder from private to lance corporal,

to corporal and then the big one to sergeant, where they enter the Sergeants’ Mess and once they’re

there, they look for further promotion to staff sergeant and then to warrant officer of which we have

two classes, class 2 and class 1. Maybe they’ll become the regimental sergeant major of their regiment

or battalion, and if they’re lucky, and many are, they’re then commissioned into the Officers’ Mess

and they become the transport officer, the families’ officer, the quartermaster of that regiment where

their previous soldier experience is fantastically useful. So that’s the non-commissioned end. The

commissioned officers now mostly are graduates, mostly in their mid-twenties and after university

they attend our Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst for a year and come out as a second lieutenant.

I think after about 18 months a full lieutenant and then comes captain. The most interesting rank in

the British Army probably is captain, where they start really to take an active interest in things like

staff work. They are second-in-commands of their companies, and they are doing important courses

for their future promotion. Then major, which is where we command our sub-units. So a squadron or

company is commanded by a major. The big promotion really for us is then from major to lieutenant

colonel. And lieutenant colonels command regiments, and that is sadly probably, unless you’re

very lucky to command a brigade, the last time you will actually work with soldiers. Full colonels,

the majority of brigadiers, work in staff appointments and on headquarters, er ... some generals work

in field appointments and some of them on the staff. But the last time you get to command soldiers

in reality is at lieutenant colonel level and at regimental level.

Track 14

Task 5 Annie Hairsine:

Hi, my name’s Annie Hairsine, I’m twenty-five and I’m a lieutenant. I joined the Army four years ago.

After university I worked in an engineering company for a couple of months. I enjoyed it but realised

that I wanted more from life than working from nine to five in the same job every day.

I was interested in sport as well as engineering and I saw the Army as a way of combining both of these

pursuits. So I walked into the careers centre and I applied to join the Army. After a medical examination

and a number of other tests I was accepted as a cadet at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. I really

enjoyed all the fitness training there and took advantage of the great facilities to swim, do athletics and

play hockey – even playing for the men’s first team for a while. Looking back, it was a fantastic year.

After Sandhurst I was commissioned to second lieutenant in 1999 and three years later, in 2002, I was

promoted to lieutenant. I belong to the REME, which is an abbreviation for Royal Electrical and Mechanical

Engineers. On my promotion to lieutenant I was appointed as a platoon commander. I’m responsible for

the recovery, repair and maintenance of Army equipment including helicopters, tanks, road vehicles and

weapons systems. I also look after the welfare, training and career progression of my soldiers.


About a year ago I was posted to Germany where I attended an electronic engineering course for two

months.

There’s no doubt life in the Army can be difficult and it’s not for everyone, but I love it.

Track 15

Paul Jackson:

My name’s Paul Jackson and I’ve been in the Army for three years. I serve in the Royal Logistics Corps.

I walked into the careers centre while I was doing my A-levels and thought, ‘do I really want to go to

university now and do an office job?’ I’m a mountain biker at heart and love to be outdoors whenever

possible, so I decided I’d look for an outdoor lifestyle. I also wanted to go and do something exciting, see

the world. The Army provided the ideal solution.

In 2003 I attended bomb disposal training at a highly prestigious centre in the USA, where I was posted

for six months. After I completed the course, I was promoted to corporal. I was also appointed as an

ammunition technician – I carry out the inspection, repair, and disposal of all ammunition, including

guided missiles. I can also be employed on bomb disposal tasks for both military and police authorities.

In my job I’ve got to make quick decisions, be confident and be very professional, because people are

putting a lot of trust in me. I like having this sort of responsibility.

Track 16

Unit 10: INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS Task 3 Peter: My name’s Peter. I’m in an IFRC team and our mission is to deliver humanitarian aid. I’m

a truck driver and I transport people as well as things of different sizes from vitamins to large

pieces of communication equipment. Last year I was going to work in Kosovo, but things can

change very quickly, and I’ve ended up in Iraq where I’ve been supplying food, water, clothes and

medical supplies. I was sent here after operation ‘Iraqi Freedom’ ended.

George: I’m Sunman. Well, that’s my nickname – we often use nicknames in the military. My real name

is George. With the violence going on in Asia, I was ordered to Kabul, in Afghanistan, where

I’ve been part of a group which is carrying out a NATO-led peacekeeping mission. At first,

I worked in an observation post monitoring the situation and passing information to soldiers in

the streets. But now I participate in foot patrols, I search houses for weapons, ammunition and

documents. I also check individuals and vehicles.

Elena: Hello, my name is Elena and I come from Bratislava, but am now living in Brussels. I work

in the European Parliament as an MEP. There are 14 of us from the Slovak Republic. It is

an important institution, because it passes laws for all EU countries. At parliamentary sessions

I participate in discussions on current issues, for example, security, agriculture, the economy,

energy, transport and other industries.

Alcinda: Hi, I’m Alcinda. I come from Mozambique, but I live in New York. That’s where my job is:

at the UN. I’m a researcher. I work for the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed

Conflict. Its main objective is to demobilise and re-integrate child soldiers into society. I do

research on war-affected children and their families. That is, I collect and document their stories.

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