A career in the British Army has given Major James McEvoy infinite opportunities, and the officer who signed up to serve with the Royal Corps of Signals (R SIGNALS), never imagined in a million ‘light years’ that he would land a job at the UK Space Command.
Based in Buckinghamshire and staffed by Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, alongside civil servants and contractors, its mission is to protect and defend UK and allied interests in, to and from space.
I’ve been extremely lucky to have had several moments where I have had to pinch myself and check what I’m actually doing – using a quantum computer, working with AI, and now working at UK Space Command
Major McEvoy was until recently commanding a squadron of over 100 soldiers, who support the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), and were transitioning from the Royal Signals to Queen’s Gurkha Signals. He described the role as “a dream come true” and enjoyed being part of “this unique culture” but said he had been lucky with his career to embrace his “two big passions.”
“I’ve completed the Advanced Space Operations Course through the military and have been able to write articles on Artificial Intelligence (AI). It’s been great to bring these interests into my work,” he explained.
“Serving has given me the opportunity to work with AI and I am really enjoying learning more about this role and being able to contribute. With a degree in Classics and Philosophy, I am not sure I would have found myself in this position, and probably not have been given a chance to brief and lecture on it.”
Part of a team that was able to deploy the Army’s first use of AI in an operational theatre was “fascinating,” for Sam as he is known to colleagues, family and friends:
“Seeing it start doing what it was meant to, and then in some cases surpassing those expectations, is beyond incredible. How often in your life do you look at something and think ‘this is going to change everything’?
“AI is the next industrial revolution. It isn’t going to replace our need for an Army or our people, but Armies that use AI will replace those that don’t. You can’t understate the importance of embracing AI and using it to enhance how we operate; it isn’t a choice.”
Commissioned 15 years ago, Sam followed his father into the Armed Forces. Studying at Durham University, he’d thought about joining the Royal Air Force whilst part of the University Air Squadron but decided that the Army was for him and “jumped across.”
“My Dad served with the Army Legal Services, and we travelled around a lot whilst I was growing up as a result,” he said. “I enjoyed it, and it made me pretty independent. I feel I was perhaps a little more prepared initially for the military with my family background, but the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst is a great leveller.”
Sam didn’t like the idea of working a job “where all you did was make someone rich,” preferring the idea of doing something that mattered.
That career choice has seen him deploy on numerous operational tours, such as Operation Rescript, the military’s support to the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic and has taken him overseas many times.
An operational highlight was a deployment to Kabul in Afghanistan working with NATO forces and accompanying his troops out on the ground. That was not the first and only time collaborating with our Allied colleagues, his role as a NATO Communications Information Systems Commander took him to Belgium, Poland, Germany, Croatia, Italy and Turkey.
His most recent European visit was to Romania: “We provided communications to the ARRC’s validation exercise before it assumed its NATO Response Force (NRF) commitments. We deployed a new style of Command Post that implemented lessons from Ukraine and will better prepare us for operating in the Future Operating Environment.”
“My favourite trip was to Nepal on my duty trek as a Gurkha Officer Commanding,” he continued. “I trekked through Chitwan province, visiting and assuring projects from the Gurkha Welfare Trust. Truly stunning and deeply humbling.”
The self-confessed ‘geek’ attended Dauntsey’s School in West Lavington, Wiltshire and in his gap year worked at a supermarket and book shop, stacking shelves to save up enough money for his higher education.
“I’ve been extremely lucky to have had several moments where I have had to pinch myself and check what I’m actually doing – using a quantum computer, working with AI, and now working at UK Space Command have all featured in those moments, and it is somewhat mind-boggling that you start thinking of it all as ‘the norm’ ”, he said.
It’s very easy to think that certain opportunities only happen to other people, but it’s never too late to set yourself on the path to actually become that other person.Major James McEvoy, Royal Corps of Signals
Sam’s service has opened-up endless possibilities for the Royal Signals officer who says, “the sky really isn’t the limit” when considering a career in the military: “The Army can be frustrating and isn’t perfect, but it is a good chance to learn new skills and engage with new concepts that you may never have had access to.”
“It’s very easy to think that certain opportunities only happen to other people, but it’s never too late to set yourself on the path to actually become that other person.”
“I always used to say to my troops ‘things don’t just happen’, and they don’t. However, the amazing thing is that once you take that first step, it means that everything can happen.”
The British Army is recruiting right now to fill 10,000 jobs across the UK with more than 200 roles to choose from, covering everything from frontline combat and cyber security to helicopter pilots, chefs, and support roles. If you’re aged 16 to 50, and if you want to find out more about a career in the Army, click here: British Army
