Inspection teams ensure that the Field Army maintains its peak performance
Picture: Cpl Rupert Frere, RLC

Report: Cliff Caswell

HAVING led some of the most ferocious combat operations since the Korean War, Lt Col Carew Hatherley is well qualified to cast a critical eye over military procedures throughout the British Army.

After engaging the Taliban in a series of high-intensity actions in southern Afghanistan during a tough tour in 2008, the former commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards is now using his wealth of experience of command in the Army Inspectorate.
And he is delighted to be at the

forefront of an organisation set up to be the watchdog that is constantly reviewing the military and encouraging best practice.

“Most of the team here have completed at least one Op Herrick tour, so we are all pretty much up-to-date with what is going on in theatre,” Lt Col Hatherley told Soldier in an interview at the Inspectorate’s base in Upavon, Wiltshire.

“However, all of us are very mindful that what we do is not just about Afghanistan. We can’t take our eye off the ball in other areas – we still have troops in places around the world including Cyprus, Sierra Leone and the Falklands.”

The Army Inspectorate has a key role to play in making sure the Service is continually striving for improvement and that all the relevant procedures and policies are implemented.

Formed nearly two years ago in the wake of the Blake Report into the deaths of young recruits at the Deepcut base in Surrey, the team has been responsible for ensuring the Army is meeting all obligations to its people.

But following a reorganisation at the top level of command, the 31-strong squad of experienced personnel, which is made up of different cap badges and a handful of civil servants, has recently undergone a key change. The group now reports directly to the Chief of the General Staff, Gen Sir David Richards, giving the Army’s boss a thorough awareness of all the key issues.

The Inspectorate is made up of four different teams, including the individual training branch, which looks at the work of development establishments, and the pan-Army branch, which has a broad remit to examine specific issues such as the governance of cadets and prisoner of war handling.

The pair are complemented by two other specialist teams tasked with examining policy and managing information.

As Army Inspector, Brig Robert Purdy is responsible for overseeing the entire scrutiny operation. He is delighted with his staff’s performance and the positive way they have been received by commanders and soldiers.

The artillery officer, who produces a report for the executive committee of the Army Board each year, stressed that his organisation took a mentoring approach to its work.

“We are all on the same side and our role is to ensure that we look after our people better.

“But I want it to be very clear that we are doing this job on behalf of the Chief of the General Staff and that he sees our function as very important.

“It might be easy for a critic to say that I am not truly impartial because I am part of the Army – obviously I wear the uniform – but I am independent of the chain of command, and I should, and need to, be prepared to speak up if things are not going well.”

Brig Purdy is confident that the Army is firmly on the right path in looking after its staff and experience is vital to achieving this goal. The personnel in the Inspectorate have a huge breadth of knowledge of a variety of arms and trades and have a keen awareness of the importance of the mission to strive for excellence.

For Lt Col Hatherley, who has been heading up the pan-Army team, using skills forged over many years to help keep the military aware of where it is performing well and areas on which it can improve forms an important part of his overall job satisfaction.

“Obviously I miss being in the battalion, but what we are doing here is very satisfying as we’re asking probing questions and effectively acting as the Army’s conscience,” he said.

“Our work is all about helping the military to be better.”

There is a great enthusiasm to achieve this mission. Having taken on the recommendations of independent reports, Army Inspectorate staff are embracing the spirit of their ethos and are genuinely committed to making a difference.

Their efforts are also clearly having an impact. From identifying areas where improvement is needed to sharing best practice, their work is endorsed by the highest levels of
the military.