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From apprentice to Technical Director and an OBE: Tom Meadow’s career journey in Defence

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Apprentices, Working at DIO
An old photograph of Tom Meadows in uniform while working on site for the Security Services Group

My name is Tom Meadows and I am Technical Director and Deputy Head at the Security Services Group (SSG). This National Apprenticeship Week, I'm sharing my journey and how I came to be awarded an OBE. I joined Defence as …

Year in review: What DIO has achieved in 2023

A large group of people standing on a chalk image carved into the side of a hill.

It’s been a busy year for us at DIO. From supporting the Coronation of King Charles III to supplying more than 20,000kg of turkey to Armed Forces personnel over Christmas, our teams have been working hard to help our Armed …

Take a look at our Christmas-related creatures and plants on the Defence Estate

A group of penguins walk on the sand in the Falkland Islands.

  It’s the most wonderful time of the year – but that doesn’t stop the hard work that goes on behind the scenes across the Defence Training Estate every day. Our ecology and environmental management teams work tirelessly alongside the …

International Men’s Day: Ronnie’s journey with cancer and PTSD

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Mental health, MOD Guard Service, Wellbeing
Image of Ronnie Patterson with the quote "Having the support of my family, friends and colleagues aided my recovery. It also helps to talk about my journey."

Ronnie Patterson is a trainer for the MOD Guard Service (MGS). Before joining the DIO, Ronnie served in the Forces for 12 years, seeing action in the Gulf War and in Northern Ireland. He then had a successful career as …

Maximising safe public access on Salisbury Plain Training Area

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Public Access, Salisbury Plain Training Area, Volunteering
Two men, one wearing a dark leather jacket and the other wearing a high-visibility jacket, examine a folded section of a map. Next to them, at head-height, is a sign which reads: ‘Permissive Byway / Open to all traffic / Subject to flag’

Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) is the UK’s largest military training area, covering 11% of Wiltshire and a small part of Hampshire. Ensuring the fine balance between providing a place for our Armed Forces to train safely and maintaining public …

Leopards and more: monitoring rare wildlife in Brunei’s jungle training areas

A muntjac stands in the jungle looking towards the camera.

One interesting element of my job recently has been a study we’ve been working on in British Forces Brunei (BFB)’s jungle training areas to monitor whether training has any impact on the local wildlife. We’ve been working with the Brunei …

Staying safe and protecting wildlife on the Defence Training Estate

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Defence Training Estate (DTE), Environment and Ecology, Public safety
A pair of women in navy blue uniforms stood behind a table on a beach, with flags to their left and right reading 'Coast and Country Canines'. To their left are another pair of women in civilian attire.

As the Deputy Training Safety Officer for the South East Defence Training Estate, my job is to ensure that our Armed Forces have a safe place to train at numerous sites across the region. It’s a varied role that often …