The Unconventional Soldier

Our guest is Chris Harvey who served as a reserve STA patrols soldier in the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC).  On this episode we discuss non-military PTSD from Chris's very personal experience. How is non-military PTSD (also known as Non-Combat post-traumatic stress disorder) different from the PTSD we most often hear about related to military combat? The reality is, it's the same disease, the...

This is the second part of our podcast with mountaineer Andy Kirkpatrick.  If you haven't already download "S2 #019 Andy Kirkpatrick Mountaineer Part 1" first.    Follow us on social media and don't forget to like, follow, share and leave a review. Instagram @the_unconventional_soldier_pod. Facebook @lateo82.  Twitter @TheUCS473. Download on other platforms via Link Tree . Email us: unconventional...

Our first civilian guest on the podcast is Andy Kirkpatrick.  Described by John Humphreys as the Ranulph Fiennes of British climbing.  He’s a professional mountaineer, award-winning writer, film maker and host of the Psychovertical podcast. Andy has climbed all over the world but is viewed as an expert in big wall climbing having summited El Capitan over 30 times including 5 solo ascents and two  ...

Our guest on this pod is Steve Kiely who served 20 years as a reserve soldier in the HAC rising in the ranks from Trooper to Captain.   The HAC is the Army Reserve’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Regiment and exists to support the Regular Army on operations.  They work closely and train with two paired regiments; 5th Regiment Royal Artillery and 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse A...

Our guest on Pod #016 is Scott the serving Officer Commanding 4/73 (Sphinx) Special OP Battery. On this episode we talk about his unique journey to head up the Army's STA patrols unit from the ranks of the Royal Military Police's Close Protection Unit where he carried out tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Being selected for commissioning as an officer and attending the Royal Military Academy at Sand...

Our guest on Pod #015 is Jon Deninson a former Troop Commander and Battery Commander of 4/73 Bty when they deployed on multiple Operation HERRICK tours in Afghanistan.  On this episode we talk about Jon's first tour of Afghanistan in command of an STA Fire Support Team as part of the 3 Para Battle Group on HERRICK 4.  We also discuss the various roles the unit subsequently carried out including Br...

Our guest on Pod #014 is John Holden.  John was a Troop Commander and then OC of 4/73 Bty when they deployed on Operation TELIC in Iraq.  On this episode we talk about the near disbandment of the unit due to obsolesence and how they carved a new role in the operational battle space that later helped define the STA patrols concept  for the future. We finish with John's book choice on Desert Island...

Our guest on Pod #013 is Danny Kay.  On this episode we talk with Danny about the contemporary STA patrols selection course and how it changed in the early 90s to accommodate the move from the Cold War "stay behind" role to meet new operational challenges.  We also discuss the attachment of chief instructors from 22 SAS and how they influenced training over the years.  We finish with Danny's book...

Our guest on Pod #012 is Tim Miller who completed a tour as BC of 4/73 Bty.  On this podcast we discuss why he joined the Army, his time with the unit and the challenges he faced in keeping STA patrols relevant in an ever changing world.  The main focus of the episode is on the Long Range Desert Group.  A specialist unit who pioneered long range operations in that difficult environment and were mu...

Our guest on Pod #011 is Lee Chapman. On this episode he discusses joining the Army in the mid 1980s and deploying to his first Unit 50 Missile Regiment Royal Artillery.  This specialist Regiment was capable of firing the Lance mobile tactical surface to surface missile to provide nuclear fire support to the British Army of the Rhine during the Cold War.  Lee was a member of the Special Defence Gr...

Our guest on Pod #010 is Chris Lincoln-Jones.  Chris was the Battery Commander of the then 73 (Sphinx) Special OP Battery when it deployed on Operation GRANBY, better known as the first Gulf war.  He describes the deployment of the unit, the training in theatre and its role as part of Divisional recce attached to 16/5 Lancers during the 100 hour ground war.  Chris also covers his time in 3 Command...

On the second part of this podcast Jimmy Morham recounts the bloody battle for Mount Longdon and the recovery back to the UK following the Argentinian surrender.  He then moves on to the lessons learned from the war and how he applied them to the training environment of the STA Patrol's Selection Course. On desert island dits Jimmy's choice of book is Three Days In June by James O'Connell.  His fi...

On this episode we talk with Parachute Regiment Veteran Jimmy Morham who came to the Special OP Troop from 3 PARA in the late 1980s as the chief instructor on the patrols selection course.    Jimmy covers his motivation for joining the Parachute Regiment and his 22 year career as an Airborne soldier.  We then move on to Op CORPORATE and discuss the invasion of the Falklands, how 3 PARA prepared fo...

We love a book on the podcast so if you are wondering what to do with those Amazon vouchers this is the episode for you.  In a break from the normal format we talk about our books of choice with guest Simon Vincent. Along the way we discuss how the need for hunting hawks led to the Islamification of a part of Pakistan, Spike Milligan's PTSD, a bank robber's escape from Devil's Island in French Guy...

On this episode we talk with Neil Hogg about the British Army's Operation BANNER which ran from 1969 - 2007.    300,000 British troops served in Northern Ireland during this period with more than 20,000 deployed at its peak.  In the first part of the pod we cover a brief history of the troubles, the effectiveness of the Provisional IRA, how we trained for a 6 month tour and what it was like to con...

On this episode we talk with David Jones a Troop Commander in the 1980s who came to the Special OP Troop from 148 (Meiktila) Commando Forward Observation Battery.  A specialist Naval Gunfire Support Forward Observation unit within 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines David covers the Troop Commander’s perspective of the unit including how the Troops in 32 and 5...

Our guest on Pod #005 is Pete Walsh.  We talk to Pete about joining the Army in 1978 and subsequently volunteering for the Special Observer selection course in 1982.  In this episode we cover mandatory training and other courses conducted in the 1980s at the International Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol School which was the centre of excellence for the training of Special Operations Forces in Ger...

Our guest on Pod #004 is Sammy Nicholls.  Kev and Colin talk to Sammy about joining the Army in 1980 and subsequently volunteering for the Special Observer selection course in 1984.  In this episode we cover the challenges of siting and digging in large underground hides known as mexes and the forward deployment of two sub surface observation posts (OPs).  Sammy describes the routine in the Mexes...

Our guest on Pod #003 is Iain Strachan.  Kev and Colin talk to Iain about joining the Army in 1979 and volunteering for the first stay behind Special Observer 22 week selection course at the height of the cold war in 1982.  We cover the content of the course, the type of person required and the backgrounds of instructors from units such as the SAS, Commando and Airborne Brigades and Iain discusses...

Our guest on Pod #002 is Major General Anthony Stone CB the founder of the Special Observer concept at the height of the Cold War. The "stay behind" Special OP Troop consisted of selected soldiers in 6 man patrols whose task was to dig in large underground hides known as "mexe" shelters along the inner German border. They would then allow the main Soviet forces to pass over them before deploying t...

Meet your hosts as they grapple with new technology and attempt to master the challenges of podcasting.  Follow their journey to covert Surveillance & Target Acquisition (STA) patrols via the jungles of Central America, the Far East, Canada, Denmark, Northern Ireland and Germany.  Along the way they will discuss the merits of 58 pattern webbing, jungle soldiering, Aussie ponchos, hammocks and Assa...