ARRC NEWS
HEADQUARTERS ALLIED RAPID REACTION CORPS NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT DAY – LONDON
Sergeant David Chilinda
On the morning of 23 November 2022 , 25 members of HQ ARRC attended a noncommissioned officers ’ ( NCO ) leadership and development event in London .
The NCOs departed from Imjin Barracks at 0750hrs and arrived in London at approximately 1100hrs in good time to commence our first activity at Churchill War Rooms .
The primary focus of this event was to provide the NCOs with an opportunity for professional development through the lens of the historical and academic study of great leadership .
The academic platform used to deliver the lessons on leadership and development was a group visit to the Churchill War Rooms to study the leadership style of Sir Winston Churchill which was without doubt critical to the success of the Allied Forces during the Second War .
The NCOs also had an opportunity to visit the Royal Hospital Chelsea where the life experiences of World War 2 veterans gave them a different perspective on how our veterans cope with the aftermath of military service - further deepening our understanding of leadership in today ’ s contemporary environment .
CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS
The Churchill War Rooms are of historical significance because it was within this underground nerve centre that the leaders of the Allied Nations plotted their route to victory during the Second World War . This section of the visit was split into four elements :
The Map Room – The group visited the Map Room , which was in use 24 hours a day throughout the War . It was here that vital information for King George VI , Prime Minister Churchill and the UK Armed Forces was collated . Learning about how Sir Winston Churchill galvanised the nation to victory through his remarkable robustness and resilience was aweinspiring .
Churchill ’ s bedroom – Here we discovered that Winston Churchill had his own private bedroom in the Cabinet War Rooms , located next to the Map Room . The Prime Minister was known to use it for work , to host meetings and not forgetting his hour-long afternoon naps . NCOs were able to learn how Sir Winston Churchill put service for others at the forefront of his leadership style , and he never relented in pushing everyone around him to work hard to ensure victory was as certain as could be possible for the Allied Forces .
Churchill Museum – The great insights found here relate to extracts from Churchill ’ s rousing wartime speeches . The visit provided insight into some of the hundreds of letters Churchill exchanged with his devoted wife , Clementine and delved into Churchill ’ s personal life story .
The main lesson drawn from this part of the visit is that in leadership , courage is the first virtue as Sir Winston Churchill himself said : ‘ Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees all others ’.
ROYAL HOSPITAL CHELSEA
After a break for lunch our second activity was a visit to the Royal Hospital Chelsea . At 1430hrs we were met by two amazing living-in pensioners who were available to take the group on a tour of the beautiful historical site .
The Royal Hospital Chelsea is the home of the iconic Chelsea Pensioners , who are all retired soldiers of the British
Army . Since 1692 it has offered care and comradeship for veterans in recognition of their loyal service to the Nation . We had an opportunity to visit the church and the museum on site and were truly overwhelmed by the massive historical resources available on site since its inception .
WINTER WONDERLAND
To enhance team cohesion and comradeship among the HQ ARRC NCO cohort , the group visited the Christmas market at Winter Wonderland . Appreciating the local culture and embracing the festive mood by sampling a few drinks and tasting some of the Bavarian sausages on display .
In summary , the HQ ARRC NCO Leadership and Development event in London provided an excellent professional opportunity for participants to gain valuable knowledge through the historical study of the leadership of Sir Winston Churchill and appreciate the wealth of experience and great insights provided by the interactive engagement with the pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea .
The visit to London also provided an opportunity for team cohesion and enhancing esprit de corps .
8 WINTER 2022-23 the imjin @ HQARRC Allied Rapid Reaction Corps