Hampshire soldiers prepare for exercise in Cyprus

PVTE SARAH BEARD, 33

FITNESS fanatic Sarah joined the TA in 2010 craving an adventure and wanting to make new friends.

Now she is preparing to deploy on her first overseas mission and said that being given the opportunity to work for the UN is a huge honour.

Sarah grew up in Lordshill, Southampton, and attended Sinclair Primary School and Regents Park Girls School.

Now her main job is as a marketing assistant for local firm Mansell Construction, an arm of Balfour Beatty who have thrown their support behind Sarah as she prepares to leave them for the next six months.

She said: “They’ve been really supportive and I’ve been reassured that my job will be there for me when I get back.

“It’s a bit strange as I’ve got a lot of friends there but while I’m sad to be leaving the norm, I am also excited and a little nervous about my first tour.”

PVTE SAM MONTAGUE, 26

HE’S spent virtually the last six months training and preparing for Cyprus and now he’s looking forward to getting there.

This will be Sam’s first deployment since signing up to the army two years ago, choosing Marchwood as his first preferred option as he had family close by in Dorset.

A keen sportsmen, Sam says he gets to spend a lot of time out in the field in between preparations for departure later this month.

He said: “I’m really looking forward to it but I don’t want to make any mistakes.

“It’s a nice sunny time of year to be out in Cyprus and I will be involved with patrols but there are a whole range of things we could be called on to do as we are trained in many areas.”

ZAC WILLIS, 20

JOINING the army was a childhood dream for Zac, who signed up not long after his 16th birthday.

The former Blackfield and Hardley schools pupil, who wanted to be a mechanic, has since had the once in a lifetime experience of helping at the London 2012 Olympics.

But at the end of this month he will go abroad for the first time in his career.

Zac, whose parents Collette and Malcolm live in Fawley, said: “Getting out there, working with people from different countries and doing the job on the ground which I’ve been trained to do will be great.

“I am a soldier first and foremost so while I understand it can be a little dangerous at times, it will be our job to make sure we resolve situations peacefully.”

AARON BRYDON, 34

FOR almost two years he has been in the TA, having missed the job when he left the regular army and settled down to have a family in 2003.

Dad of two Aaron, who used to serve in the Household Cavalry, decided a more parttime role would fit better around life at home with wife Katherine and their daughters Isabelle, nine, and four-year-old Kitty – and although he’s going to miss them he is also looking forward to Cyprus.

Now a member of 266 squadron in Millbrook, Aaron said: “We’ve got to know each other well over the past two years but particularly during training.

“Obviously there are some dangers but there is not anywhere near the threats there are in Afghanistan.”

MATTHEW SYMMANS, 28

IT COULDN’T be further removed from his current day job, but that’s much of the appeal of being a TA soldier for Matthew.

A pharmacy technician at St Mary’s Hospital on the Isle of Wight, he had always considered an army career but was enjoying his home life on the island too.

The former Carisbrooke High School pupil, who grew up on the island but did his pharmacy training at Highbury College, said: “I joined the TA to find out what it was all about and went on a six month tour of Iraq although that was a different regiment back then.

“I thought that if I could do a tour of Iraq I would join up when I returned, but I got quite settled so this is a good way of having both.”

Matthew, who lives with partner Jane, said: “When people think of Cyprus they think of a holiday destination, but the buffer zone is a ceasefire line which has a verbal agreement but there is no signed deal.”