MP's four days with Army on NATO exercise

12.00.00am GMT Thu 29th Nov 2007

Bob Russell MP examining plans during a NATO exercise

Colchester MP Bob Russell has spent four days "embedded" with a unit of the British Army taking part in a major NATO exercise in a desolate area of Germany, sleeping under canvas amid rain and snow.

He was based at the tented command headquarters where military personnel from 17 different NATO countries took part in a computerised simulated battle involving more than 200,000 troops in one of the largest NATO exercises in recent years. He worked alongside military analysts in the 120 strong "intelligence cell".

Mr Russell was invited to participate in "Arrcade Fusion 2007" as part of a year's attachment to the Army under the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme which is designed to give MPs an insight into military life. Britain is the lead country of NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) which is based in Germany.

Commenting on the four days of round-the-clock operation, he said that it provided a rare opportunity for Parliamentarians to witness a war fighting exercise at close range.

He added: "I was immensely impressed with the professionalism and dedication of the men and women of HM Armed Forces, and those from our NATO Allies, whom I met and who I witnessed engaging in a very convincing display of engaging in war fighting. They were a great bunch to be with. I felt honoured to be amongst them."

During his four days in Germany, based at the Sennelager Training Centre at Paderborn, he met several soldiers with either past or current association with the Colchester Garrison, including some members of 16 Air Assault Brigade. He also met a British civilian working as a photographer for the Army in Germany who is a follower of Colchester United!

Last year Mr Russell visited Iraq as a member of the Armed Forces Bill Committee. This year he was "embedded" for two days with soldiers training on Salisbury Plain before deployment to Afghanistan, and more recently he spent three days on the Brecon Beacons in association with the "Cambrian Patrol" competition for military teams from the UK and overseas. Earlier this month he spent a day at the Defence Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood, Middlesex.

Mr Russell is a member of the Liberal Democrat Defence Team in the House of Commons. He is also a Parliamentary Advisor to The Royal British Legion.