THERE are new faces at the Headquarters of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers at The Castle, Monmouth.
Captain Bruce Springett has joined the regiment as the new Adjutant and there is also a new RSM - WOI Dave Richards.
Capt Springett was commissioned in the Corps of Royal Engineers from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in August 1995, having been a Sixth Form Scholar with the Army and holding and Army Cadetship to study Civil Engineering at Nottingham University.
A tour as a Troop Officer in Cyprus with 62 Cyprus (Sp) Squadron, including a six week exercise in Kuwait, was followed by the Royal Engineers Troop Commanders' Course. He was posted as a Troop Commander to 35 Engineer Regiment based in Hameln, Germany, in August 1996 and then completed a tour of Bosnia as well as Brigade exercises in Poland and Canada.
Capt Springett was posted to 51 Field Squadron, 38 Engineer Regiment, in Ripon, Yorkshire, as the Squadron Operations Officer in November 1998. He completed a tour as Officer Commanding South Georgia Detachment in the South Atlantic before returning to Bosnia to work in Sarajevo as the SO2 Mines HQSFOR, responsible for the SFORabd Entity Army de-mining programme.
He attended Junior Command and staff course this year where he achieved the top result, before being posted as Adjutant RMRE.
A keen skier, he was captain of 35 Engineer Regiment Nordic Ski Team for two years, winning the British Army Championships both years. He is also a keen snowboarder, mountain biker and climber. He has been a team member of a mountaineering expedition to the Yukon, Canada, and also to Crete. His home is in Dartmouth, he is 28 years old and single.
RSM Richards has been in the Army for 20 years, starting as an adult recruit at the RoyalEngineers Training Regiment at Southwood Camp, Cove, Hampshire.
He has served in Germany, the Falkland Islands, Canada, Belize, Brunei, Jordan, Spain and Cyprus ad been on a number of operational tours of service which have included the Gulf War and two tours of Bosnia.
His last posting was as the Squadron Sergeant Major of 62 Cyprus Support Squadron, Royal Engineer, in Dhekelia, Cyprus.
"I'm really enjoying living and working in a tight knit community similar to my home area in Yorkshire" said RSM Richards. He is at present living in Crickhowell. He is a keen golfer and hill walker, having recently hung up his rugby boots due to injury.
He is married to Viv, a PS/Secretary working in Abergavenny and they have a three year old son Ben.