Soldier swaps repairing engines for leadership

A career change has seen a soldier swap repairing tank engines for leadership.

Captain Steve Jones started his Army career in 2014 as a Vehicle Mechanic in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). After gaining experience, he applied to train as an officer at the famous Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Steve completed the training to commission as an officer in 2022. The Army then paid for him to go to the University of Portsmouth to study mechanical and manufacturing engineering.

The 30-year-old said: “Every REME officer must have a degree, and it was the training that I had as a vehicle mechanic that gave me the qualifications I needed to go to university.

“When I first went to a careers office aged 15, I was encouraged to consider becoming an officer, but I didn’t feel it was right. I didn’t have the right skills and character, and I needed the time and experiences I had as a soldier. I felt ready to be an officer aged 24 and was supported to go for it.”

From mechanic to officer

As an officer, Steve's job is very different from fixing engines. Officers lead and manage soldiers, make important decisions when under pressure, and are responsible for making sure missions succeed.

Steve serves as regimental signals officer in 7 Aviation Support Battalion REME. His role is to manage the unit’s communications and run the headquarters.

“It’s my role to ensure that battalion HQ can function and communicate information and orders up and down the chain of command,” he said. “For me, my duty of care to the soldiers working under my command is what is most important.

“Since becoming an officer, I’ve worked with soldiers who previously outranked me. There may have been some surprised looks but there haven’t been any problems, because everyone understands how the system works and what each other’s jobs are.”

Steve, who is based at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk, has been on exercise in Canada, Poland, Germany, France, Netherlands, and Spain.

The married father-of-one said: “My dad served, and I grew up around various parts of the military. I could see that it was a good life for him and us as a family, and I wanted to experience the job and the lifestyle for myself.

“I’m quite technical-minded and the REME is a good fit for me.”

Building skills through adventure

Steve is the battalion’s Adventurous Training (AT) officer, overseeing the organisation of outdoor activities designed to build soldiers’ skills, physical fitness, and mental resilience.

“I’m a great believer in AT,” he said. “Across my career I’ve been skiing in Austria and USA, climbing in Spain, and mountain walking in the Pyrenees and Dolomites. It takes people from across the ranks out of their comfort zone to develop new skills together, and that really builds team spirit.”

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.