Ammunition technician
Experienced ATs may be called to give evidence as expert witnesses in criminal or coroner's courts in relation to ammunition or explosives or to EOD and IEDD duties.
Promotion however was limited up to Warrant Officer Class 2 and at this stage the AE had to re-muster in the trade of RAOC Clerk in order to obtain higher rank.
The syllabus is an integrated study of mathematics, ballistics, explosives and general chemistry, physics, metallurgy, electronics and the design of armoured vehicles, artillery and infantry weapons.
The Royal Logistic Corps Ammunition Technicians trained at Kineton are regarded throughout the world as the subject matter experts in the management of munitions and in Improvised Explosive Device (IED) disposal as a result of their combined experience in Palestine, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan, Aden, Malaya and other conflicts.
Being an Ammunition Technician calls for intelligence, clear thinking and analytical skills, a calm outlook coupled with excellent attention to detail, discipline and courage.
The Ammunition Technician profession is not exclusive to the UK MoD but similar technical personnel also exist in the Canadian, Australian RAAOC,[2] and New Zealand RNZALR.
These decorations have been awarded since 1940 and in places such as Aden, Afghanistan, Albania, Burma, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Greece, Hong Kong, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Malaya, Malta, Northern Ireland, Pacific, Sicily and Yugoslavia.
The Ammunition Technician trade has lost a number of their colleagues killed in action whilst undertaking operational Explosive Ordnance Disposal tasks worldwide.
The idea of a memorial was initiated by the senior Warrant Officers of the trade and supported by the Director of Land Service Ammunition and his staff.
This scene is one that every EOD operator will recognise as being the last few moments before donning the helmet and becoming totally shut off from the team and ready to make the longest walk into danger towards an explosive device.
Members of the ammunition trade have been killed in Cyprus, Hong Kong, Northern Ireland, England, Iraq and Afghanistan, "Sua Tela Tonanti / We Sustain"
