Supporting The Armed Forces – Matthew Rose

We’re proud to support the Armed Forces community and ex-military personnel with their civilian careers. Read more about Matthew Rose’s career with us following his service in the Royal Engineers.

“I served for five years as a regular soldier in the Royal Engineers. My full title on leaving was Royal Engineer Geographic Data Technician Army Commando Lance Corporal. The army gave me a superb start for my career, personal progression and general life attitude. It is a starting block I recommend to many friends and family. The Reserves offers an even better chance to continue a civilian path alongside the opportunities the military can offer.

I served seven months in the live operational theatre of Afghanistan on Herrick 7/8. This entailed deploying alone at 18 years old to Kandahar Air Base to work with Canadian mappers, then taking a Hercules plane onto Camp Bastion in support of the British/Estonian Infantry, and finally a road convoy to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Musa Qualeh and FOB Delhi outposts at the front line of the British Army’s work in Helmand. My jobs included mapping mine fields, plotting patrols to avoid ambush, helicopter flight reconnaissance and bartering with locals for chickens. Prince Harry also once provided my top cover during an armoured vehicle convoy.

Other exercises included a mountain leader course in the Norwegian Arctic circle, skiing and camping out in -35C temperatures, surveying the Jersey coastline, sleeping out for weeks on the cliffs, and battlefield tours to Germany honouring the unknown soldiers.

I am still involved with the military in many ways, most recently playing a Rugby Heroes charity match for my regimental survey team. A great event, the charity helps soldiers transition from military to civilian life with the help of rugby courses and contacts.

Waterman Aspen’s Armed Forces Covenant Silver Award and the general support to its military personnel is highly commendable. A company that is willing to act in this way is one I am proud to work for, which is not always easy to say.”