SSgt (Acting WO2 (AQMS)) Paul Thirlwell served in the REME for more than 13 years, specialising as an Artificer Electronics (Radar) and Electronics Technician (Radar), leaving in 2008 for a more settled family life and ‘a more permanent home’. Now working as a radar systems design engineer, he says: ‘All my technical training has been brought to bear in my civilian role.
As an Electronics Technician specialised in radar, everything from my Army apprenticeship, trade training, upgrading courses and Artificer Training now aids me in my current role. Other experience, skills and the ethos that all Servicemen and women inherit as a by-product of their training also lends itself to a fantastic grounding in civilian roles. People management and leadership skills developed in the Forces have greatly enhanced my capability in my new life. I have found that the qualities that civilian employers and their line managers recognise and applaud above all are flexibility and adaptability – traits most Service personnel can boast of.
Civilian qualifications gained during his Service career include BSC Electronic Systems Engineering, HND Electronic Systems Engineering, GCGI Leadership and Management, Modern Apprenticeship Engineering, NVQ3 Engineering Maintenance and BTEC Electronics.
He found his first civilian job on leaving the Forces by uploading his ‘CV on to “CV-Library” and “Monster”. Although this resulted in the offer of many roles that were unsuitable for lots of different reasons, it meant that I was “in their system” and, should other roles come up, they would contact me. From all this, one recruiter found a role for a radar field service engineer and contacted me. It suited all of the technical skills provided by the Army. I was interviewed and subsequently offered a role as a radar systems design engineer instead.’
Of his work, he says: ‘Predominantly I conduct radar engineering tasks related to both military and civil airfields. This includes design, system installation, testing and acceptance, repair, system maintenance, system training, training design, and site engineer/site manager roles on major radar projects. I am currently working on a nine-month radar installation project at Jersey Airport, overseeing the installation on a day-to-day basis, and providing all technical liaison and site management activities.
‘The diversity of the job is its greatest appeal. One day I can be in the workshop repairing radar components for the RAF and, within moments, can be packing equipment to disappear to an airfield anywhere in the UK. Travel associated with the job is also appealing; office life can become incredibly monotonous, so a road trip can provide a change of scene. This has its limits, however: in my current role I am away Monday–Friday every week for months and this does impact the family. When I left the Army I thought that those days were over, and unlike the Army there is no such thing as LSSA!’
