Celebrating our Armed Forces

Global
- China
- Japan
- Germany
- North America
- South East Asia
- United Kingdom
- India
- Korea
- Hungary
- Arabic
- Brazil
- Global contacts

We develop and deliver complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land.

Our products and service packages enable our customers to connect people, societies, cultures and economies together.

Products & Services

We develop and deliver complex power and propulsion solutions.

For more than 100 years we have been at the forefront of innovation. Helping to power, protect and connect the modern world.

About

Create your future with us

Help us deliver better power for our changing world.

Doing more with less

We have a fundamental role in meeting the environmental and societal opportunities and challenges that the world faces.

Sustainability

Rolls-Royce Half Year results

Rolls-Royce announced Half Year results on Thursday 1 August 2024.

View Press release

News centre

Updates and news from around the Rolls-Royce businesses.

Home

Media

Our stories

Back

Saturday 24 June 2023 07:00 AM

Celebrating our Armed Forces

Across Rolls-Royce, we have a deep connection to our armed services, and for more than a century, we have proudly delivered the power to protect.

Armed Forces Day is an opportunity to show our support for the men and women who make up the armed forces community and thank them for their bravery and service. We’re privileged to work alongside veterans and reservists and spoke to some of them to mark the day.

Lara Small, Submarine Disposal Manager, Rolls-Royce Submarines and British Army Reservist

What has your armed forces experience given you that you bring into work?

The Army has presented challenges to me that have pushed me to my absolute limit. One of these examples was achieving a Silver Medal on EXERCISE CAMBRIAN PATROL, the world’s toughest patrolling test. The team and I endured 48 hours of patrolling with 35kg of kit in mountainous Welsh countryside.

We dealt with rigorous military scenarios enroute which included river crossings, reacting to enemy fire, chemical attacks, and minefield clearance. The patrol highlighted where I am strong and where I can motivate others, but where I need support from the team around me, no matter the environment. Being aware of my strengths and capabilities with my fellow colleagues at Rolls-Royce makes us an even better team, whatever the goal.

James Fletcher, Global Asset Lifecycle Manager and Royal Navy Veteran

What has your armed forces experience given you that you bring into work?

My forces experience taught me to have a keen eye for detail and to break down functional silos so we can succeed together.

This has driven my work ethic daily, sometimes the small things can cause the largest issues. The military taught me that if I do the small things well, the larger elements will fall into place.

The military is a machine with lots of moving parts, all parts have an interaction with one another in some form, similar to asset management. I use my experience and learning from the military to break down silos to ensure with all teams.

Jonathan Holdsworth, Head of Talent Acquisition & Attraction Strategy and British Army Veteran

What skills from your experience in the Army have you used in your work for Rolls-Royce?

There are so many transferable skills that anybody who has served with the armed forces will bring. If I was to pick 3 areas, I’d say:

Planning. The ability to distil complex and/or ambiguous information into a clear, simple plan and to ensure that everybody know what their part in the plan is.
Empowerment. Nothing will get done if you don’t trust the people around you. It’s OK not to have all the answers. It’s OK to make mistakes. We learn and move on.
Communication through transformation. ‘Hearts and Minds’ is often overlooked in the pursuit of goals. Empathy, understanding and a real interest in the people around you build bonds which will enable great outcomes.