Armed Forces

Supporting Cadets: How DIO provides infrastructure for tomorrow's leaders 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Armed Forces, Defence Training Estate (DTE)
Participants and volunteers at Ten Tors pose with an Armed Forces Day banner as a helicopter flies over them.

As Colonel Cadets, I serve as the Army Cadet advisor to the Commander South West. The Commander commands the Army Cadets, while I provide the crucial interface between the Chain of Command of the Army Cadet Forces (ACF) Counties, the …

Celebrating Armed Forces Week 2025

A soldier walks towards the camera through the jungle.

As we start celebrating Armed Forces Week 2025, we’re highlighting the excellent work of DIO colleagues around the world who proudly provide our Armed Forces with a safe and effective place to train. DIO provides essential support for overseas training …

How is a rugby legend helping keep the public safe on MOD land?

Head and shoulders image of Mike Tindall, a white man with a short beard, smiling at the camera. He wears a military helmet and body armour over a dark jacket.

Last month DIO’s Corporate Communications team invited England Rugby legend and ‘I’m a Celeb’ contestant Mike Tindall to Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) to help us promote our ‘Respect the Range’ public safety campaign. ‘Respect the Range’ is DIO’s biggest …

DIO’s Respect the Range campaign takes to the beach

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Armed Forces, Defence Training Estate (DTE), Training Estate Public Safety
A view from above of a stretch of beach, into which a large sand drawing of a Chinook military helicopter has been drawn. Next to the Chinook artwork, as if below the helicopter, there is a small group of people looking as though they are having a picnic.

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting Saunton Sands beach, near Braunton Burrows Training Area to launch the 2022 ‘Respect the Range’ Campaign. The launch saw the creation of a 100m Chinook helicopter sand artwork that generated national media …

The road to Royal Air Force Reserves

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Armed Forces, RAF, Reserve Forces, Royal Air Force, Working at DIO

When I was 23, I walked into a military camp for the first time in my life to be interviewed for a job as an admin assistant at the Headquarters of the Surgeon General. I was met by a large, tattooed Scottish Army Major who shook my hand and welcomed me at the start of my career ‘behind the wire’.