The importance of military training

On the left of the image is the front of a tank on grass. The tank's barrel points horizontally across the image, and just underneath this but much further back is a red and white pickup truck marked 'Training Safety'.

Every day of the year, across the entire UK Defence training estate, our service personnel undertake rigorous, complex and demanding training designed to prepare them for the demands of modern operations. This training is essential to maintaining the readiness of …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Sanctuary Awards 2021: Celebrating 30 years of achievements in conservation and sustainability

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Environment and Ecology, Sanctuary Awards, Sustainability
A trophy which features a silver, metal otter with a fish in its mouth, perched atop a black square base. On the base of the trophy is a plaque which reads: 'Sanctuary Award, presented to MOD conservation officer by Otterburn Training Area, for annual presentation for the best conservation project on MOD land, 1991.

I’m Julia Powell, Head of Policy, Climate Change and Sustainability within the MOD’s new Climate Change and Sustainability Directorate. This year, I also had the challenging but exciting role of being Chair of Judges for what were the 30th annual …

The MOD Access Forum: Working Together for Safe Public Access to the Training Estate

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Explosive Ordnance Clearance, Mapping, Military Training, Public Access, Public safety
In the foreground is a shallow grassy slope and behind appears to be the beach. In the centre of the image is a small building with red and white horizontal stripes and a large red flag.

The 2019 MOD Access Forum saw attendees from various organisations learn about the public access issues affecting the MOD estate and even have a go at searching for unexploded ordnance!

Repairing access to the Fossil Forest

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Explosive Ordnance Clearance, Public Access, Public safety
A member of the Vertical Technologies team, dressed in a helmet and reflective jacket swings a rope down the cliff to a colleague.

In 2015, an overhanging rock face began to collapse, damaging the public stairway that leads down from the South West Coast Path Trail to the Fossil Forest, located within Lulworth Ranges. DIO has worked with Lulworth Estate, Natural England, Dorset Council and Vertical Technologies to repair the stairway and re-open the site.