A line in the sand

摘要

Engineering requires a lot of skill but engineering under fire? That's a completely different ball game. Several of the lads from the REME speak to Gareth Jenkins about the difficulties of 'spannering' in Iraq. FOUR-AND-A-HALF YEARS since the UK and USA invaded Iraq, British and American troops still find themselves embroiled in day-to-day battles for the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people as well as those at home. Soldiers do a difficult -and at times - thankless job but it is an important role and one that requires large amounts of support, be that personal, administrative or engineering based. 3 Close Support Company REME (the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) is currently on an operational tour in Basra (Iraq's second city), offering engineering expertise - as well as further soldier capability - to the remaining British forces in the city.