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Introduction
The Headquarters, The Directorate Royal Logistic Corps is situated at the Corps home in Deepcut Camberley. It has three main functions:
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Logistic policy for the whole Army |
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Policy for the future development and present running of the RLC |
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The maintenance of the heritage, traditions and private financial
aspects of the RLC and Corps that formed it. |
The Headquarters itself is formed into three main functional areas that reflect these activities and a Colonel heads each:
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Chief of Staff - Present activities and policy. |
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Colonel Force Development - Future activities and policy. |
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Regimental Colonel - Matters concerning the traditions and heritage of the Corps |
Each area has a number of branches, which handle the detailed work of the Directorate and are in turn led by a Lieutenant Colonel. Officers and Warrant Officers drawn from the RLC staff these branches.
Personnel and Logistic Policy
Operations and Deployments (O&D) Branch. This branch deals with the organizational structure of the RLC and how it operates at a policy level. This does not include day to day operations or field deployments that are dealt with at HQ LAND. Examples of branch work include the review of soldiers’ trades, how they might change and the effect this has on their operation and structure within the Corps, to how logistic support for the future Army might be structured.
Training Branch. Not surprisingly this branch deals with training policy for the Corps and in some areas, such as Driver Training policy, for the whole Army. In a Corps with many technical trades this is a large and diverse task covering the content, delivery and quantity of training required for over 20,000 personnel. Within this branch a specialist-monitoring unit reviews all training within the Corps. Known as the Training and Development Team it is staffed by highly experienced military and civilian staff who carry out this mammoth task.
Force Development
Doctrine and Development Branch. At a conceptual level all personnel require to have a clear idea of how the Corps intends to do its work so that activities can work together and operate logically alongside one another. This doctrinal clarity then allows work on structures and working practice to take place that eventually filters down to the production of procedural manuals and direction for soldiers on the ground. Doctrine and Development branch is divided into Force Development, the future structure, and Tactical Development, the future working of the Corps.
Equipment and Logistic Systems Branch. Equipment and Logistic Systems branch look at the development of future equipment to meet the RLC's needs and the logistic requirements of the whole Army. Dealing with the future technical demands of logistic support is a complex and expensive activity and the officers involved tend to be specially qualified. The branch looks at logistic vehicles, computers and communications along with specialist equipments required by particular trades.
Regimental Headquarters
The Regimental Colonel leads the Corps Headquarters that has responsibility for the Regimental business of the RLC and the original Corps that were amalgamated to make the RLC. RHQ includes four functional branches:
Recruiting. The Corps Liaison Officer along with a small team carries out activities to recruit officers and soldiers into the Corps and to foster good relations with other organisations who interface with the Corps. This interesting and people focused branch looks after the Corps Mobile Display Team and visits literally hundreds of locations each year to brief on Corps activities and opportunities. The contact telephone number for help on these matters is 01252 833379.
Policy. Regimental policy for the RLC includes ceremonial, heritage and protocol issues and their handling within the Corps. This is a broad range of activities that cover regular contact with members of the Royal Family on ceremonial issues to issuing policy on standards of behavior and discipline within the Corps.
Secretariat. The largest branch of the RHQ, The Secretariat, has responsibility for supporting both serving and former members of the RLC and retired personnel from the forming Corps (Royal Army Service Corps, Royal Corps of Transport, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Pioneer Corps and the Army Catering Corps) Activities include management of the Corps magazine ‘The Sustainer’ (Editor 01252 833303) and Corps sport to benevolent work and administration of the Corps charity.
Museum. Looking after the historical records of the Corps is a growing and active museum. With a full time staff, archive service and modem museum building the Corps Museum offers an interesting and stimulating insight into the history of logistics as well as the Regimental history of the RLC and its predecessors. It also houses an excellent Regimental shop selling badges, uniform, gifts and memorabilia. Contact telephone number for opening times and services is 01252 833371.
Conclusion
Headquarters, The Director Royal Logistic Corps is a forward-looking organisation charged with developing the Corps in the 21st Century whilst maintaining the very best ethos and traditions. It is a busy and expanding Headquarters that welcomes outside interest and is determined to serve the logistic needs of the Army with the highest standards.
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