There are many career paths available within the Army, some 140 trades to be precise, with most offering recruits the chance to burn off their excess energy. Whether you work in combat or not, the Army is a place for adventure.
 
Enter Captain Dale Taft: I am an energetic and outdoor character who enjoys all
activities in the elements including hockey, triathlon, sailing and SCUBA diving. The Army offers me the chance to partake in all of these during work time where I have been involved in a number of adventurous training expeditions around the world organised through the Army.

What is your current role?
Dale: I am the Operations Officer of the Helmand Information Command Systems Signal Squadron, on a six-month operational tour in Afghanistan. I have the responsibility to manage and control the strategic and operational communication assets in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
 
What skills are needed to undertake your role?
Dale: You need to be able to process information and have the ability to remain composed while making informed decisions in a dynamically evolving and complex environment. I have an operations
team used for operational planning and decision-making: the team requires my leadership through the demanding stresses and conditions they are exposed to.

What do you enjoy most about your role?
Dale: The Royal Signals has offered me a wide variety of roles and diversity of command opportunities. It may seem like a cliché, but in my five years of service I have experienced a range of jobs from the
frontline to strategic operations in a variety of theatres, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
The responsibility placed on a 26-year-old within this environment can be exhilarating; the pressure is something someone with my mindset thrives on. The Army is a busy machine and at times postings in the UK, adding value to the non-deployable element, are appreciated.

When did you know the Army was the right career for you?
Dale: There's a soldier in every boy but as Igrew older I noticed the unique opportunity the Army offers: leadership. I was fortunate to be successful on the Army Officer Sixth Form Scholarship programme and this entailed being sponsored to a university and study subject of my choice. I have always had an interest in subjects of a scientific nature and enjoy the outdoors; I chose to read Geophysics at university as it was a point where the two meet. My choice was not based on vocational direction, but was purely for personal interest.

Following university, I was guaranteed one year's military leadership training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) and three years of Commissioned Service - I was fortunate to have this security of future employment while at university. I felt many doors were open
to me as I grew up, but only Army Officer really seemed to offer the challenge of command that I found incredibly appealing. The required skill set to do the job lies innately within you. The Army allows the ground to test yourself under the stresses and strains that you find within military service. In the five years following university the Royal Signals has tested me in a variety of roles and theatres, all challenges that I would never be able to find elsewhere.

What motivates you to work?
Dale: I'm motivated by all things involving cerebral pressure and physical challenge - something the Army provides in abundance! The feeling of being professionally credible and capable strives me to try and achieve the highest of standards. However, for me it's more about being part of a team, leading a team; knowing how to pull from the front and push from the back to get the most from people.

What do you hope to be doing in ten years' time?
Dale: The Army has provided me with some amazing experiences. The diversity of employments the Royal Signals has offered me has constantly pushed and challenged me, broadening my personal development over a wide spectrum. I am confident that wherever I am in 10 years' time it will be widely attributable to the foundations the Royal Signals have laid within me as a Troop Commander.


 

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