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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 …

Keeping communities and soldiers safe in Kenya

Personnel from the Kenyan Defence Forces and Sappers from 17 Field Squadron Royal Engineers sitting in the shade getting briefed on their task

Out in Kenya DIO staff are responsible for the physical safety of the training areas, keeping both the public and the military safe. The team work on a variety of tasks together with the British Army, the Kenyan Defence Forces …

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 …

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 …