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Reserves Day 2023

As a defence company and Gold Award holder for the Armed Forces Covenant Employee Recognition Scheme, it is not surprising we are a strong supporter of the Reserves Day.

Reservists give up their spare time to serve in the Reserve Forces, balancing their civilian life with a military career to ensure that should their country require them, they would be ready to serve as part of the military.

Our reservists make up part of our Armed Forces Community at MBDA, along with veterans and members of Service families and cadets. It is one of our Employee Networks adding value to our business by its members sharing their experiences.

What is a nice surprise is when one of our Reservists shares their exciting activities. One of our Senior Engineers, Charles, is one such volunteer.

Charles took the time to share his experience of our King’s recent coronation as part of the 1st Battalion London Guards:

“’What did you do with your bank holiday weekend?’…’I was part of the Kings Coronation’. This is not something I thought I’d ever say in reply to the usual question upon return to the office.”

“Through my role as a reservist, I had the honour of lining the Kings Coronation processional route, alongside my full-time counterparts within the Household Division, as part of the Kings Guard.”

“Situated along the Mall next to Horse Guards we had prime front row viewing of Britain’s largest ceremonial military procession in 70 years. A once in a lifetime opportunity I will certainly not forget.”

“The build up to the day entailed an intense week of preparation including many hours of kit preparation, practising arms drill and even a full overnight dress rehearsal under the cover of darkness on the closed roads of London.”

“The day itself started with a 2am departure towards Wellington Barracks before stepping off to line the processional route at 9am. The RLC ran a special train service from into London Waterloo manoeuvring over 4000 troops. Marching through the Station and over Westminster Bridge is an experience I will never forget. All eyes and cameras were on us.”

“Our role in the parade was to ensure the protection of His Majesty, patrol the route and support the police where required.”

“Presenting arms to His Majesty in a royal salute is not something I thought I’d ever experience. Fourteen hours in Tunic and Bearskin later, the sheer scale of the operation still hadn’t sunk in."

As a Gold Award holder for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, MBDA has proactively demonstrated its Armed Forces-friendly credentials as part of our recruitment and selection processes.

If you have an Armed Forces background and are looking for a new place to work, one that values your skills and experience, why not look at the roles we have on offer here.