Brand new multi-million pound accommodation for troops training to drive military vehicles on the frontline and elsewhere has been officially opened at the Defence School of Transport in Leconfield.
The Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Kevan Jones MP, opened the new three-storey accommodation building for 144 personnel in training at the Defence School of Transport.
Constructed under Project SLAM, each storey in the newly named £6.8m 'Mu
lberry Block' contains 48 bed spaces, a common room, laundry room, locker room, and accommodation for a duty of care officer.
During their Phase 1 training, personnel are accommodated in 12-man rooms, to instil camaraderie. But during Phase 2 they move into four-man rooms with a greater level of individual privacy; each new SLAM bed space at Leconfield has its own study area, desk and intranet connection for the desk-based part of the recruits' training.
Kevan Jones said: "There has been a legacy of under-funding in Armed Forces housing, so today's opening ceremony is another in a series of improvements that are driving up standards. There is no quick fix, but the evidence of progress that we are now starting to see speaks for itself.
"Troops trained at Leconfield go on to undertake vital transport roles for the Armed Forces – including on operations – and these new facilities help them to train, learn and relax, to maximise the benefits of their training."
Colonel Paul Brook, the Commandant of the Defence School of Transport said: "Personnel on courses here undergo rigorous training which can be both physically and mentally challenging. This new accommodation provides an environment in which they can relax and recuperate, while also learning to live together as a team."
During his visit to the Defence School of Transport, Mr Jones also unveiled Phase 2 of the new Leconfield Memorial, which was marked by a fly-past by aircraft from 72 Squadron RAF. The memorial is dedicated to RAF personnel who defended what was then an RAF Fighter Station in World War II, when it came under attack from the Luftwaffe.
Mr Jones said: "As Minister for Veterans, it's good to be unveiling this new memorial as a fitting tribute to the bravery of our Armed Forces personnel, who defended this country in its hour of need."
