Soldiers from 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment Royal Logistic Corps have been sharpening their warfighting skills during an intense urban operations exercise in Catterick Garrison.
11 EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) and Search Regiment RLC (Royal Logistic Corps) conducted urban operation blank fire training and building assault serials for Exercise Saton Apply.
11 EOD and Search Regiment RLC conducted urban operation blank fire training and building assault serials for Exercise Saton Apply.
11 EOD and Search Regiment RLC conducted urban operation blank fire training and building assault serials for Exercise Saton Apply.
11 EOD and Search Regiment RLC conducted urban operation blank fire training and building assault serials for Exercise Saton Apply.
521 EOD Squadron conducted a demanding series of training serials, including blank firing and building clearance drills, designed to prepare troops for real-world urban conflict scenarios.
The activity formed part of a Squadron-level Individual Training Requirement exercise, bringing together specialist skills across the unit to confirm operational readiness and strengthen team cohesion.
Back to basics
For a regiment best known for its expertise in explosive ordnance disposal, the training marked a return to core soldiering fundamentals.
“Today is bringing us back to basics from our normal day job” said Major Matthew Coleman, Officer Commanding.
Major Matthew Coleman, portrait taken on Exercise Saton Apply.
“Today is hugely important, the junior and senior members of the team are all working together and preparing themselves for what they would need to do in a real-life urban warfare situation” He continued.
The Regiment, which operates across the UK and on deployed operations worldwide, is made up of around 650 personnel drawn from multiple Corps, including Ammunition Technicians, Royal Signals specialists, Royal Engineers search teams, and intelligence operators.
The exercise evaluated everything from individual competence and team integration to command and control at Squadron level, ensuring soldiers can operate effectively under pressure in realistic, time-critical environments.
Personal growth on Exercise
For Lance Corporal James Tunstall, an Electronic Warfare and Signals Intelligence systems operator, the training also marked a personal milestone.
Lance Corporal James Tunstall, portrait taken on Exercise Saton Apply.
“Today is about training the troop in urban tactics, making sure we’re all fully trained and everyone has an awareness of what urban training is,” he said.
“Learning it is very different to teaching it… personally instructing is a lot more difficult.”
Having only recently qualified as an instructor, he said the experience was invaluable. “Today has given me the knowledge that I need to learn the drills better in order to know how to instruct them better.”
Despite the challenge, morale remained high. “Everyone is enjoying it,” he added.
“It benefits the whole team to try and work together in close proximity, it’s definitely beneficial to the whole team and individually too.”
The training also provided an important introduction for newer soldiers joining the regiment.
Lance Corporal Caitlin Donohue, an Ammunition Technician who has been with the unit for just two weeks, described the exercise as both challenging and rewarding.
Lance Corporal Caitlin Donohue, portrait taken on Exercise Saton Apply.
“It’s very daunting… but there’s been a lot of team building this week so I’ve gotten to know everyone really well,” she said.
“Urban training is a completely new environment for me, it’s really interesting and fun to be a part of.”
Thrown into a leadership role during the exercise, she quickly adapted. “I’ve been thrown into the section commander role, which requires a lot of confidence… I’m making sure I learn from everyone around me as there’s so much experience amongst the team.”
The experience has already had a clear impact. “I would definitely feel 100% more comfortable going into a real-life situation because of this exercise and training,” she added.
As the Regiment continues to balance specialist EOD responsibilities with core soldiering skills, exercises like this ensure its personnel remain ready, resilient and capable of operating wherever they are needed, at home or on operations overseas.
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