Date started at MPCT
April 2020
Experience
John Hughes joined the Army at the age of 18 where after completing training, he joined the 1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Wales (1RRW) in 1993.
John spent 10 years with 1RRW which included postings to Northern Ireland, London on public duties and Germany in an armoured infantry role before being posted to the Infantry Training Centre Catterick (ITC(C)) in 2000 as Section Commander training adult recruits. During his infantry career he was fortunate to have gained a broad range of experience in roles such as foot soldiering, peacekeeping, covert surveillance, reconnaissance, armoured infantry and as an instructor – roles which enabled him to visit countries such as the Falkland Islands, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, America, Canada, South Africa, Germany, Bosnia and Ukraine on exercises and operations.
In 2002, he transferred to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) as a Regimental Specialist before being posted to the Army Technical Foundation College (ATFC) in Arborfield, Berkshire as a Section Commander, training 16-17 year old apprentice trainees wishing to join the various army technical Corps.
On promotion to Sergeant in 2005, he became a Platoon Sergeant at the School of Electronic and Aeronautical Engineering (SEAE). A responsibility of his was to lead on non-technical military training for phase 2 trainees during the periods between their technical courses.
In 2007 John was posted to 1 Close Support Battalion REME in Osnabruck, Germany on promotion to Staff Sergeant and immediately commenced pre-operational training for a deployment to Iraq (Operation TELIC 11). Soon after arriving at the battalion, he was appointed Company Sergeant Major (CSM) for the deployment in acting Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) rank. This followed by a posting to the Army Foundation College, Harrogate (AFC(H)) in 2008 as a Quartermaster Sergeant.
On promotion to WO2 in 2010, he was posted to Bielefeld, Germany and became the CSM of 2 Field Company, 101 Force Support Battalion REME and deployed to Cyprus as Operations Company CSM of the British contingent of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and later to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) as CSM of a REME vehicle fleet and equipment Summer Repair Programme (SRP).
John’s final assignment before completing his 22 year Colour Service was as a Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) in the appointment of Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of 4 Close Support Battalion REME.
On transitioning from the Army, he broadened his career portfolio in operations and facilities management before becoming the London Regional Operations Manager (ROM) at MPCT in April 2020.