Armed Forces Day 2026: Three Services, Three Careers, One Partnership
Nick Ward, Fire Team Manager, John Littler, Mechanical Engineer, and Jason Burt, Project Manager, each served in a different branch of the Armed Forces before joining Arc Partnership. In this final instalment of 'Three Services, Three Careers, One Partnership', they reflect on their service, the lessons they have carried with them into civilian life, and the valuable contributions that veterans, reservists and Armed Forces families make across our business today.
Tell us about your time in the Armed Forces
Nick – I joined the Royal Navy in 1977 and spent my entire career aboard HMS Hermes which is an aircraft carrier. I worked in the engineering department and was the ships diver so spent a lot of time inspecting the ship’s hull, and I loved it.
Jason – I joined the Royal Engineers in 1987, and I was deployed out to Germany. I started out in life as a combat engineer, specialising in bridge building, bridge demolition, minefield laying and breaching, I also did high risk search and part of a specialist team to find traps. I trained as a Design Draftsman and Class 2 and I went on to do my Class 1. I loved it, but after 13 years and back-to-back tours, I left.
John – I just fixed land rovers for a few years; I don’t know how I follow that. I joined the RAF in 2010; I was 19 when I signed up. I deployed all over the world, to the Falkland Islands, Oman, a lot of time in the middle east, outside of Dubai and Abu Dhabi – met some friends for life and had a really good experience. Good times were good but bad times were bad, a lot of isolation.
What initially drew you to serve?
Jason – for me it was a fairly last-minute decision, I’d been in the Army Cadets for a while and I was originally going to be an electrician at school and it wasn’t until I left school that it all felt a bit daunting, so my mum and I went down to the careers office and I did all the tests and it came up with the options. My first choice was helicopter pilot, but I had to wait for nine months for the next intake, so I went with my second choice which was the Royal Engineers and that was a two-month wait – and that’s how I ended up in the forces and what I do today. I fell into it is probably the most accurate way to describe it.
Nick – I went to a careers talk at school and said I wanted to be a mechanic like my dad. They told me about the engineering opportunities available in the Royal Navy and that set me on my path. So yeah, I fell into it and I'm really glad I did. It set me up for life.
John - I think we all fall into it in one way or another, don't we, to be fair. I used to love mechanics and toys when I was a little boy, six-seven years’ old. And then I never really gave it a second thought after that until I was 18 when I bumped into an old school friend who had joined the RAF, and he sold me the dream.
What's the biggest challenge after service?
Jason - I think the challenge for servicemen and women who leave is when they've had their accommodation at a reduced rate, and lived in camp with food provided, there's very few that would tend to save money for when they leave the forces.
So, the jump, isn't just the ‘what am I going to do? How am I going to transfer my skills? Who's going to want to take me on?’ it’s the ‘how am I going to provide a home for my family?’. And, there's still a lot of businesses that don't quite get what those in the Forces do.
Nick - I think the biggest challenge that I faced was lack of status, because in the services, you were somebody. And, when you came out, you definitely weren't. You've left an organisation that tells you what to wear, what to get up, what to eat, where to go, what to do, along with hundreds of other people. And suddenly, you're on your own. And it is a lonely place, and it can be depressing.
John - I think it's that, when you leave the forces too, you go from being able to trust people implicitly, even whether you like them or not, anyone that you work with, you know you can trust them. And then when you start a job in ‘civvy street’, your eyes are opened very quickly.
In the Forces, you learn to trust the people around you implicitly because you’re all working towards the same goal. Civilian workplaces are different and it takes time to build those relationships and understand how different teams and organisations operate. I've noticed people say ‘I'll do that’ in a meeting, when they've got no intention of going away and doing it. Whereas in the forces, if you say you're going to do something, you do it - no questions asked.
Did you find the skills you gained from the Forces were transferable?
Jason - Yes, very transferrable. I carried out design all over the world, so carrying out design in a civilian capacity, was easy for me, but I consider myself lucky. I think as much as we have technical abilities and skills, I think there are softer skills, people skills, leadership skills, management, timekeeping, punctuality, and confidence, for the most part, in the forces. You're sure of yourself 100%.
Nick - Yeah, my skills were directly transferable. As a member of the ship's firefighting team, it was a natural transition for me to join the Fire Service when I left. But in total agreement with Jason, it's all the other skills that come with that, the timekeeping, the way to carry yourself, and there are a lot of soft skills that are definitely transferable.
John - I had loads of technical skills that were transferable, but unfortunately, I decided to have a complete change of jobs when I left. I went from being a hands-on mechanic, fixing land rovers and fire engines and all sorts of equipment, to a desk job at a computer, and I had to learn how to type again, because I'd not typed for seven years. It was tricky getting used to that, and then being in an office as well. I'd never had an office job, so that was quite difficult.
What support made the biggest difference during your transition?
John - The new Armed Forces Covenant Working Group at Arc Partnership is a really positive step. I'm really pleased we've got this now. When I left the RAF, there wasn't really that sense of a veteran network in the workplace, so it's great to see that support and recognition developing now.
Nick - The group kind of gives us a recognition, and it allows us to speak about the benefits of employing armed service people.
And, you know, it gives us an opportunity to talk about ourselves and our time in the forces, which, going back to the original question, we don't. When we had our conversations, that was the real first time I spoke about my time serving for years, because we're just not those sort of people and we don't talk about ourselves.
Jason - When I left the Army, there was no sort of real support to help with the transition to civilian life. Generally, there are various charities that are set up for those who are coming out and struggling post-war, veterans or the like.
I literally, I was in Kosovo on a Friday, handing the kit in on a Monday and a civilian on the Wednesday. That's pretty much how it went. I had no courses or support, but I feel very lucky for the group of mates I made when I was in the Forces. My last post was here in Nottingham, and other guys were either still based here or had also left and settled in Nottinghamshire, so I've got that core group of friends, and we still meet up once a month.
What advice would you give to someone leaving the Armed Forces now?
John - You've got to back yourself a little bit more. It's really hard, but don't undersell yourself. I remember when I left, I was happy just to take any job at the time as long as I had enough to cover the mortgage. And if I could go home every night, that's what I wanted to aim for.
The new Armed Forces Covenant Working Group at Arc Partnership is a really positive step. When I left the RAF, there wasn't really that sense of a veteran network in the workplace, so it's great to see that support and recognition developing now. It's just having the confidence to know that you could step into it and do it. It's a hard life in the forces, and it's regimented and quite rigid. You know exactly what to do day to day. And it was, oh, if I've not got that day-to-day routine, am I going to be able to cope with it? So, I think a lot of it is the fear of the unknown. Nothing that I've done outside of the RAF has been anywhere near as challenging as some of the things that I had to do in the Forces.
Jason - I think joining a professional organisation, if possible, would be my key piece of advice. I managed to get a membership through BIAT, (previously referred to as the British Institute of Architectural Technologists), it later became CIAT (Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists). But what that allowed me to do is when I left, UK employers can’t really relate to building bridges in Kosovo for example, so having those membership letters after my name, they could immediately place me at a competency level, and where they could utilise me within their business.
Nick - I think it also depends on who you're talking to, how old they are and how they leave the Forces. For instance, someone in their 20s will have a very different perspective on life as opposed to someone who's left in their 30s or 40s.
When I left, I didn't appreciate what I had to offer. It wasn’t until I joined the fire service that I realised just how valuable those standards, discipline and habits I learned in the Navy really were.
Looking back now, I’d say don’t underestimate yourself. You have far more skills than you probably realise. And later in your career you could even find yourself mentoring others and helping prepare them for the next stage of their careers.
What does Armed Forces Day mean to you?
John – It’s the recognition isn’t it. I think that people don’t mean to do it and public opinion of the Armed Forces does tend to sway back and forth, over time, but hopefully it’s a little reminder to people that the Armed Forces are there and it’s the sacrifices that have been made day to day by hundreds of thousands of people all across the UK. And yeah, it's a day for people just to reflect, hopefully, on those sacrifices that are being made.
Jason – It’s a reflection of the sacrifices that those working in the Armed Forces make. Very often do you get one or the other - Christmas Day or New Year's Eve – and birthday’s don’t happen. They may be small sacrifices, but when you're spending six months or even eight months of the year away from your family, its recognition of everything you miss - first words, first walks, all those sorts of things, which you can't get back. They're very real sacrifices, as well as the ultimate sacrifices.
John’s right, it is a good day to reflect. I know people use the 11 November for that, which is a very poignant day, but a separate Armed Forces day in June, when you can have a barbecue, is great. Barbecues aren't too good in November.
Nick – For me, it's about celebrating, and about remembering. I think we should have more Armed Forces days - Armed Forces Week, that's what we need.
In 2018, Arc Partnership signed the Armed Forces Covenant, showing its commitment to supporting those who serve or have served, and their families. That commitment was recognised with the Ministry of Defence’s Bronze Employer Recognition Scheme Award in 2021, followed by the Silver Award in 2022.
As we mark Armed Forces Day 2026, we thank Nick, John and Jason for sharing their stories with us. Their experiences highlight the skills, resilience and commitment that veterans bring to our workforce every day. We are proud to stand alongside our colleagues whose service continues to make a positive difference across Arc Partnership and the communities we serve, delivering real value, together.
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