February sapper mag:Layout 1 21/1/09 16:13 Page 18
RETCC
By: 2Lt B Simpson TCC 150
C
Practising Obstacle Crossing Drills on Ex Phantom Sapper
Researc
months, with roughly half the course being spent at each of
T
Chatham and Minley. The first part of the Chatham phase is
spent with the Professional Engineering Wing. In this five
he Royal Engineers Troop Commanders’ Course week period the course studies all the construction aspects of
(RETCC) is designed to familiarise young officers, the Corps and tries to get a handle on the different abilities that
most of whom come straight from Sandhurst, with the sub- each artisan tradesman has. Whether this be operating plant and
tleties of the Royal Engineers as opposed to the infantry life road design at Lodge Hill, or air conditioning and bricklaying at
they led prior to commissioning. Its unofficial aim is, in a Brompton, the course covers it all. From this you can rightly
single course to impart the knowledge that their instructors infer that although not able to perform as the tradesmen, young
have acquired over their career - anything from four to twenty officers hopefully know a bit about the various trades and can
four years. These two aims are no easy feat, however, on 6 employ the tradesman’s skill to good effect within their troop.
January 2008 RE TCC 150 formed up ready and eager to The phase culminates with Ex Stronghold in Gibraltar where
assimilate as much as they could during the course. the course designs and plans for the construction of a 250 man
The course is split into a number of phases over seven tented camp. Coupled with historical tours of the Peninsular
18 E
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