Military training at Penhale Training Area helps restore vital sand dune habitats

  I’m a Reservist with the British Army’s 232 Port Squadron, 165 Port and Maritime Regiment Royal Logistic Corps (RLC), and I recently volunteered for the Penhale Dunes Dynamic Dunescape support exercise as I wanted to contribute to a unique …

Transforming the British Army estate in Belize

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: BATSUB, Belize, British Army
The Sailfish Club, a single-story building with cream-coloured brickwork and a sloped green roof. In front of it is a grass lawn.

DIO’s overseas teams are constantly working to support the training requirements of our Armed Forces in locations across the globe. In Belize, we’re responsible for maintaining the British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) estate, which has recently benefited from …

Supporting Exercise Cerberus in Germany: All in a day’s work

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: British Army, Explosive Ordnance Clearance, Germany, Military Training, Sennelager
a military vehicle with two soldiers in the turret driving past at speed

Exercise Cerberus 22 was the Army’s largest and most ambitious Field Army exercise in Europe for a decade. With 3,500 soldiers and 800 vehicles involved the exercise provided the opportunity to test the five different Brigade Headquarters within the Warfighting …

When your heart is in the country: understanding what makes the training estate tick

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Salisbury Plain Training Area, Training Estate Public Safety, Working at DIO
An old and damaged armoured vehicle is on the left of the image, with its tracks up on some rubble which is more prominent to the right of the image. Behind it is a large two storey building made of breeze blocks with shuttered windows.

Having recently joined DIO as a Campaigns and Marketing Officer in our Communications team, one of my main responsibilities is to work on our Training Estate Public Safety (TEPS) campaign.  Being new to DIO and the Ministry of Defence as …

Maintaining and protecting woodlands on the UK Defence Training Estate

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Defence Training Estate (DTE), Forestry, Landmarc, Sustainability, Wildlife
Woodland in Sennybridge with sun coming through the trees

Woodland at Sennybridge [Copyright Finn Beales] Did you know we're right in the middle of Forest Week, and that the UK Defence Training Estate is made up of  20,000 hectares of woodland? To help celebrate Forest Week, Judith Peachey, Forestry …

Thank you, Ma’am: DIO’s behind-the-scenes contributions to HM The Queen’s funeral

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: British Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Working at DIO
The bearer party of guardsmen, in red tunics but without their famous bearskins, carry HM The Queen's coffin, draped in the Royal Standard and topped with the Crown Jewels and a bouquet of flowers.

After the sad news of the death of HM The Queen, the eyes of the nation and the world turned to the ceremonial elements that follow the death of a monarch, culminating in a state funeral. The Armed Forces were …

No Mow May at RAF St Mawgan: the best excuse for not mowing the lawn!

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Defence Training Estate (DTE), Environment and Ecology, Sustainability
A photo showing a field of tall grass, with buildings to the left and an airport to the right. In the foreground is a sign reading 'RAF St Mawgan: Phil Lamb Way'

I’m Samuel Ibbotson, an Estate Facility Manager for DIO. My role is an interesting and varied one, and this summer at RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall has been no exception, following a station-wide “No Mow May” initiative. First launched in …

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS)

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: British Army, Canada, Defence Training Estate (DTE)
A Challenger 2 tank firing from its main turret, on a large grassy field.

I'm Kate Harrison, Finance Director at the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and I recently had the pleasure of visiting the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Canada. The UK Armed Forces have trained here since 1972, so my visit with …