Issue 9 Jan 2009.indd - Ministry of Defence

Working a
different beat
DE&S experiences help Stephen Mains keep the peace on the streets
DISARMING A man brandishing
a knife, talking down someone
threatening to throw themselves off
a bridge and generally keeping the
peace in Yeovil are all in a day’s work
for Stephen Mains – when he’s not at
DE&S.
Stephen is a quality assurance
representative at AgustaWestland
doing risk-based surveillance on
aircraft such as the Apache and Merlin
helicopters as well as contractors in
Somerset and Dorset.
But at least one evening a week – a
shift can be up to nine hours at times –
Stephen pounds the beat, dealing with
the challenges a modern town centre
can throw at him, sometimes literally.
“Memorable moments over the
years have been the first arrest and
process of a very angry delivery driver
at a takeaway shop, confiscation and
disposal of large quantities of alcohol
from teenagers from the town centre,
dispersing youths from outside shops
during a period of high anti-social
crime and helping to talk down a man
about to commit suicide off a bridge,”
he said.
He was also presented with a
certificate from the chief constable
of Avon and Somerset for helping a
constable arrest a man with mental
Stephen is presented with a loyal service
certifi cate for his fi ve years on the beat
health problems who was brandishing
a kitchen knife in a street in Cheddar.
Stephen has now completed five
years in the job, with a certificate
of loyal service from the chief
superintendent of east Somerset. He
believes his job with DE&S and his
tasks on the streets of Yeovil need
similar qualities like leadership and
developing people.
“It includes working together,
authority, the ability to communicate,
thinking on your feet, discipline and
personal presentation,” he said. “And
mental and physical courage!”
Staff reach new heights of understanding
on air operations familiarisation visit
Air-to-air
refuelling,
from the DE&S
perspective
STAFF FROM the
Information Systems and
Services cluster have
been flying high to better
understand air operations.
The group of ten staff were
hosted on a familiarisation
visit by 101 Squadron at RAF
Brize Norton.
They were flown from the
base to the North Sea, where
they experienced Tornado
F3 and Typhoon air-to-air
people news
DE&S man helps UK to
rugby league victory
CHIEF PETTY Officer “Perry” Mason of the
Submarine Production IPT has played a key
role in helping the Combined Services Rugby
League team to world cup victory.
The team has become the first Great
Britain representative rugby league team to
win a world cup since 1972. CPO Mason is
Secretary of the Combined Services Rugby
League organisation and was instrumental in
organising the trip to the inaugural Defence
Forces World Cup in Sydney. The tournament
consisted of teams from five nations; Australia,
New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands
and Great Britain.
“This is not only a victory for this squad
but also for all those that have pulled on the
Combined Services Rugby League shirt,” he
said. “The players have done themselves, their
individual Service and Great Britain proud.”
The Great Britain team fi ghts its way to victory at the
Combined Services Rugby League World Cup
refuelling operations first
hand.
The experience allowed
the team to recognise the
excellent job the RAF does in
sustaining and operating the
VC10 aircraft.
Feedback from the
day was that this sort of
experience only comes “once
in a lifetime” and that they felt
extremely privileged to have
enjoyed such an opportunity.
HR Information Notes are for
YOU
They contain vital information for all staff in DE&S - they are the main vehicle
for announcing implementation of HR changes to line managers & individuals.
See latest releases this month: 50/2008 - The Flexible Resourcing (FR) of Military Personnel.
49/2008 - Chief of Defence Materiel Commendation Scheme - “arrangements for the fourth round open for
individual and team nominations.”
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