WINDSURFING, wake boarding, snorkelling and keeping an eye out for turtles were all part of some well deserved activity training for 6 Rifles.

After completing their two weeks training in Cyprus in Exercise Lion Star and undergoing a gruelling three-day exercise in scorching temperatures, the riflemen had the chance to do two days of adventure training and sporting activities.

Activities included volleyball, swimming and the chance to go and see where turtles are nesting on the beach.

Tracy Freer, 40, is a combat HR specialist in charge of the activity training.

She said it was a great team building exercise after all the hard work in the hot weather.

She said: “It’s about building the camaraderie after the challenging exercise they have just had.”

“They will be able to have a laugh and a joke as a team.“It’s an opportunity the army can offer for them to experience something different.”

Corporal Robert Clymer, 35, from Bournemouth, said adventure training and the sports was a great wind down from the last few days.

He said: “It’s good for the blokes to relax and chill out a little bit.”He said that everyone got the chance to build bridges and get to know each other a little bit.

He said out in the field the weather had been really hot.

He is a qualified Serjeant and is just waiting for a space to be officially promoted.

Back home in Bournemouth Corporal Clymer works in the security industry.

He has been on four tours with the TA – to Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

He said the three-day exercise in Cyprus had been excellent.

He said: “It’s been very good and very realistic as far as I’m concerned.”

He said the best bit about the TA was the banter.

He said: “It’s the sense of humour. It’s the guys working together and getting on.

“I’s good, the sense of humour you get, you don’t find it anywhere else.”

He said looking to the future, the new recruiting drive for the TA, Army 2020 would be good.

He said: “The integration is there. The old perception has gone.”

Corporal Clymer added: “There’s always going to be banter between the TA and regulars – it’s harmless.”

He said the regulars had good respect for the TA.

In the future he will be working helping to train the TA recruits.

On behalf of himself and all the regulars and TA in Cyprus he said they wanted to send their regards to the family of Lee Rigby in London.

Dorset's army reserves to play bigger role

IN the future Dorset’s army reserves will play a more significant role and be integrated fully into the Army.

The government will soon be publishing a white paper that will outline its vision for the future of armed forces reserves and whole force integration.

Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2011 the government has said it wants to redesign the armed forces to meet new security threats at home and abroad.

It will be investing £1.8billion over the next 10 years to revitalise the forces. The TA could be known as the Army Reserve to reflect its future role and will increase from around 20,000 to 30,000 by 2018.

Reservists like those from C Company 6 Rifles from Dorchester, who are currently in Cyprus having completed an intense three-day operation designed to test their skills as infantrymen on the battlefield, could see themselves routinely deployed both at home and abroad.

Lance Corporal Andrew Stoddart, 33, inset, is a member of C Company and lives in Bournemouth.

He said: “I’m looking forward to the change.”

He added: “As long as they give us what they said they will give us – the integration.”

LCpl  Stoddart said he was looking forward to greater deployment opportunity, including perhaps working with the UN and in Cyprus.