MORE than 40 soldiers drawn from across The Royal Regiment of Scotland, including the Borders, have been practising their combat skills as part of a gruelling, six week course designed to prepare them to lead infantry soldiers into combat.

The ‘Section 2I/Cs’ course is the first step in the command ladder and provides junior soldiers with the command, leadership and management skills they require to be promoted from Private to Lance Corporal. The course includes practical live and blank firing training exercises alongside management and instructional theory exercises.

This week the soldiers have been making use of Defence training facilities at Dreghorn Barracks and Castlelaw Ranges in Edinburgh and Barry Buddon in Angus to hone their firing and range skills ahead of an Operational Training Assessment (OTA) in Wales.

The OTA includes staged section attacks which test the individual soldiers on their ability to lead a team of four infantrymen into a combat scenario.

Private Tam Salter (24), from Perth and a member of The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS), explained: “The section attacks tested us all, as we had to lead and think for the team, rather than doing our own thing as riflemen.” Passing the Section 2I/Cs course gives these soldiers a civilian qualification – BTEc L3 in management – to add to their personal skill set.

Highlander Jack Grieve (20), from Dundee who serves in The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS), said: “The course has been great. I was a shy and quiet guy, but the course has made me more confident and outgoing.” Captain Rob Weir, who commands the SCOTS Regimental Training Team, said: “This course is designed to build on the combat skills required of these soldiers in the field and prepare them to lead and train other infantrymen. By bringing together soldiers from across our battalions, we are able to build their confidence by sharing best practice, foster a collective Regimental ethos and develop professional excellence within our ranks.”