Wonder what it’s like to be an Army Reservist?
Private Jenny Jakeman from 4th Battalion The Royal Yorkshire Regiment shares with us her experience on deployment in Kenya and the programme that strengthened her resilience, endurance and confidence.
Reservist deployments provide a unique opportunity to participate in activities and experiences that are not offered anywhere else. Read more below from Jenny about her time in Kenya.
“Time is flying by out here in Kenya. As I near the end of the deployment, the experience has been everything I had hoped for. We spent the first week in various briefs, acclimatising and getting familiar with camp before taking over the Force Protection duty at Nayati Barracks.
“Our shift pattern consists of three days on, and three days off, giving us plenty of time to explore the local area. The town Nanyuki where the Barracks are located is a situated close to the base of Mt Kenya and has multiple wildlife conservancies close by.
On duty
“The Force Protection Platoon provides security and the first line of defence to the Barracks. We man the sangers (a temporary fortified position) , assist in the Operations room, and are part of the Quick Reaction Force (QRF). We also get two hours a day to do physical training which is great as the gym facilities and track on camp are amazing.
Adventurous Training
“During my time in Kenya, I have had the opportunity to do lots of Adventure Training. I spent three days at Savage Wilderness where I did archery, kayaking, a dinghy trip down the river, rock climbing, and white-water rafting. The facilities, staff and activities at Savage were great. The white-water rafting was my favourite; having done some rafting before, I was really looking forward to this and it did not disappoint!
“I also enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to climb Mount Kenya. This was a three-day expedition led by experienced local guides who managed to get all 16 of us in the group to the top and back. The first day we climbed up to Old Moses Camp, which is at 3,300m above sea level. The second day was a longer with a steady hike up to Shiptons Camp, located 4,200m above sea level.
Adapting to our surroundings
“The altitude at this camp took its toll, with the team experiencing several symptoms of altitude sickness, and finding it hard to sleep. However, we all set off at 2:30am the next morning for the steep final ascent to the summit for sunrise. The altitude and freezing conditions made it a challenging climb, but at 5:55am, we all made it to the Lenana Peak, 4,985m high, for an amazing sunrise. The view from the top and the feeling of accomplishment is something I will never forget; sharing that with the team was such an invaluable experience. Back at camp, there was a huge feeling of accomplishment and some sore legs, but what an experience it was!
Next chapter
“With my time approaching its end in Kenya, I am excited to make the most on and off camp and continue with the consistent training. I am hoping to go on my promotion course early next year, so training for that has been one of my main goals which I have been working towards.”