Armed Forces Day 2026: Honouring service, celebrating skills, and sharing stories

I initially joined the Royal Navy upon leaving school, where I started training as an Aircraft Engineer. It didn’t take me long however to realise that it wasn’t quite what I wanted from a military career, and I found myself heavily drawn to the Royal Marines, for many reasons. I decided to transfer across, and successfully earned my Green Beret. I became an LMG and GPMG Gunner and also completed specialist qualifications in Battlefield Trauma and Care, which allowed me to operate as a Patrol Medic within a Commando troop. I’m now a Senior Project Manager at TXO, managing a large (and growing!) portfolio of telecoms projects for Vodafone UK. 

At the time, I genuinely thought it was a simple transition, I didn’t think it was difficult. Looking back, I actually really struggled. I didn’t complete any further education after leaving school, so my whole journey into adulthood or the ‘real world’ was in a military environment and those first few years after leaving the forces, I never really settled anywhere, mentally or geographically. I moved around quite a bit. What may have been perceived as eagerness and enthusiasm to others as I chased roles, responsibilities and opportunities, was actually me struggling to find my place in a non-military world. Thankfully, I had some good mentorship and guidance to support me and my career and now almost a decade on, I’m in a much more stable place in life and career.

Confidence, most definitely. I was actually quite shy as a youngster and had a really tough time with anything that was audience facing, but the military does a really good job of developing one’s character and allowing you to realise your full potential. Also, one of the four ‘Commando Ethos’ values that has always really stuck with me is “Cheerfulness in the face of adversity” – The use of humour or light-heartedness, even in dangerous situations, is often a coping mechanism that reinforces team bonds and morale in Commando teams. This is more than just a superficial attitude however; it is seen as a symbol of courage and honour in the face of adversity. A cheerful demeanour signals to both comrades and adversaries that fear and uncertainty do not dictate behaviour, creating psychological advantage in operations. I think the sentiment behind this value translates really well into all walks of life.

I think just how far I’ve come. The level of responsibility and ownership that I now have. I wasn’t excellent at school, and I don’t think too many people had lofty expectations for me, probably myself included. I became a Royal Marines Commando and served all over the world, getting to do things that to most, will only ever exist in Hollywood films, alongside some of the best people you could ever meet. Now I’m responsible for delivering multi-million-pound critical infrastructure projects for one of the biggest MNOs in the country. Whilst I don’t think there’ll be any Netflix biopics on my life and journey anytime soon, I am very proud of what I have been able to achieve in my life, and I hope there is much more to add yet.

You have a hell of a lot more to offer than you will initially think. Without ever realising it, you’ve meticulously planned projects, took part in key decision-making working groups, and reacted to risk and change in real-time, in high-stakes environments. When you leave, make sure you reach out to the veteran community and ask for help in translating those experiences into “civvie ready” CV content. There’ll be so many people happy to help! 

British Army, Royal Corps of Signals, Telecommunications, I continue in my 38 years of Telecommunications today. What I learned in The Army gave me a fantastic foundation for my career.

Difficult, it’s a change of life not just career, people behave completely different in civilian life, you have to change significantly to adapt.

Leadership, remaining calm in challenging situations, telecommunications expertise.

Bringing on new talent and mentoring into the businesses I have worked in, working in an ever changing technology environment.

Look at as many industries as possible, do your research on roles and work to be as qualified as you can to secure a position. Network, be proactive on social media, especially LinkedIn, connect and expand your network.

My role in the forces was as a British Army Infantry Soldier with The Rifles Regiment, where I specialised in telecommunications during my service. My current role is being part of an excellent Business Development team.

Leaving the forces can be extremely challenging for many different reasons, one of which is the significant lifestyle change that comes with serving abroad and adapting to civilian life. In the forces, it is not just a job — it is a way of life — and transitioning away from that is not always simple.

Like most people leaving the forces, you gain a wide range of valuable skills and experiences. For me, the most important were people skills and self-confidence. These qualities have placed me in a strong position for my career at TXO.

One of the most rewarding parts of my journey so far has been how easily and almost naturally I fitted in with the team at TXO. Being surrounded by fantastic colleagues on a daily basis makes everything much easier. Camaraderie is a huge part of life in the forces and is often what people miss most when they leave, so finding that same sense of teamwork again has been incredible.

My advice to those leaving the forces would be this: there is a saying in the forces that “the grass is not always greener on the other side,” but I believe the grass is only as green as you make it. Have faith in yourself, prepare for success at the earliest opportunity, and the rewards will follow. Ultimately, you decide your own path.