25th International Military Skills Competition

1 MI Bn Team 1, comprising Lt Parsons, Cpl Woolley, and LCpls Capsey and Glenhome, finished 3rd in the International Regulars’ category.  Meanwhile, Lt Rebecca Slade, Cpls Carina Reeves and Louise Chandler and LCpl Cassandra Hibbert, the 1 MI Bn ladies team, were uncontested in the women’s category and therefore walked away with the title.  “Although we didn’t have any competition it was still worthwhile taking part” said Lt Slade.  “It was hard work but we enjoyed ourselves at the same time and I’d definitely encourage as many units as possible to enter in the future.  Even if you don’t want to be too competitive about it, you can still have fun”.   The overall competition was won by a German Bundeswehr team.

The IMM is organised by the Bundeswehr Military Regional Command 31 and run by the Reservists with the support of the Technisches Hilfswerk (technical emergency corps), the fire service and the Red Cross.  It is open to both active and reserve members of the Bundeswehr and other NATO forces and aims to promote and enhance the links and the co-operation between different NATO forces.

This year the competition was followed in the evening by the NATO Music Festival, which was also in its 25th Year.  The festival took place in the stadium of Borussia Mönchengladbach football club and was attended by some 20,000 spectators.  Before the festival, the top teams from the IMM took part in a final assault course, known as the “Iron Fighter”. In his opening speech, the Oberbürgermeister of Mönchengladbach, Herr Norbert Bude, said he was pleased to be able to announce that the NATO Music Festival will continue to take place in the town, despite the sad news about the decision to relocate the ARRC to the UK.  Amongst the international military bands and display teams to take part were The Band and Bugles of the Rifles from Winchester and Blandford-based The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals.