WARRIORS FOR FIGHT

trekked their way through miles of dense woodland and boggy marshes during the weekend and assaulted an unwitting opposing force of Canadian and Italian soldiers as part of the drill.

In one assault they used artillery and Warrior armoured personnel carriers to storm a mined bridge before engaging the ever-retreating enemy.

For mum-of-four Serjeant Dawn Potts, 52, the exercise is one of a number of overseas missions she has been sent on since joining the Reserves in 1984.

The business systems tester, from Reading, said: “It is just something totally different to what I am usually doing.” Her love of the job is echoed by Jo van den Berg, 25, from east London, who joined the 7 Rifles in 2015 as a medic. She added: “I was getting bored doing the same old thing at work.” For IT manager Lance Corporal Mike Lynch, 37, the skills he learned in the battlefield made him better in the office. He said: “I’m able to take so many skills back with me from being in the Reserves.” Father-of-one Captain Jonathan Boardman, 38, said he had no regrets about signing up. He said: “The Reserves gives you the opportunity to do things such as this Nato exercise.”