To Eddie McLellan, the award signifies success in two different careers: one in the military and one in the civilian world. He reflects: “It tells me that I managed to successfully achieve two very different careers with an accomplished end role – though I’m not done yet, I’m only 55.”
Fifteen years ago, before all of this had happened, the transition to civilian life seemed much more uncertain. He remembers: “I was genuinely nervous leaving the military. Have I got another career in me? Can I succeed at the same levels? The answer was yes – and this is a message to anyone serving in the forces. The British Armed Forces, and especially the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), developed me both a soldier and as an engineer.”
McLellan had been an Army Cadet from the age of 11, in the Scottish regiment of the Black Watch.At 18 he joined the British Army’s Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. After basic training, McLellan initially served at the rank of Craftsman (the REME private soldier rank). Over the next 22 years, he progressed through six further ranks (Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Warrant Officer Class 2) culminating as Warrant Officer Class 1 – Artificer Sergeant Major, the highest non-commissioned rank attainable on the REME (trade) route.
Over the course of his military career, he had an itinerant life, serving at various locations: Germany (six tours), the home counties (four tours) and deployed on operational and war fighting duties in Northern Ireland (two tours), Iraq (two tours) and Bosnia (four tours). His work involved being a soldier first but maintaining ‘anything with wheels or tacks including plant.’He served in Logistics Regiments (RAOC, RCT and RLC), Equipment Support Battalions (REME), Brigade Head Quarters and Signal Squadrons as well as serving with Infantry Regiments (The Gloucester Regiment, The 2nd Battalion the Light Infantry, and the 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment).
A key point in his military career was being selected to train for the Artificer role, a prestigious maintenance management position in the Corps. “The Corps recognises people that put themselves forward,” he adds. Artificer training involved 18 months of classroom, workshop and field training.On passing out as a Staff Sergeant Artificer in 1995, he completed an HNC in engineering.
Speaking of his training, McLellan says: “The military developed me as an engineer and encouraged me to participate in all aspects of engineering, including being a member of a recognised society. REME in particular were paramount in making sure that as a tradesman I was qualified for my roles in both military and then ready for civilian society. McLellan joined the SOE as a Member in 2000.
His final job in the military was in 4 Logistic Support Regiment, where he assisted to manage one of the largest British Army logistics workshops. “There were thousands of wheeled vehicles and plant and I was also responsible for the tradesmen in the workshop: mechanics, electricians, welders, recovery mechanics, storemen and armourers.It was a detailed job. I was basically running a large multidisciplinary workshop.” He was in charge of all technical aspects of the 100(+) person operation, with an officer above him.
RESETTLEMENT
Military careers usually come to a hard stop at 22 years. Knowing that after his own transition he would relocate to Northeast Scotland (a region dominated by North Sea oil and gas) McLellan decided to train in project management to develop his skillset for civilian life. He knew he was willing to take a backwards step in his career if it gave him a foothold in the 0ffshore Industry and that’s what happened – “I was lucky,” he modestly observes.
Recruited by a global engineering contractor Subsea 7, During his six-week conversion course for employment, he was invited to leave the course early and start work immediately on a project requiring additional support. McLellan was sent home that day to pack and placed on a flight to Norway that same evening; next day he was sailing onboard the Edda Fjord vessel toward his new career. “The offshore manager was ex-military, and we got on well. He said, ‘stick by me and I’ll look after you.’” Four months later, he came back to shore and his recruitment interviewer claimed him back to his employing department, where he works to this day.
Since entering its offshore resources department, McLellan has had a wide-ranging of roles, and now resides as pipelay technical authority for Subsea 7, performing both engineering and project package management as well as ensuring the company maintains compliance in standards and legislation.
“We manage complex pipelay equipment and mobile asset systems that we install both permanently and semi-permanently onboard vessels. We do everything from the mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and controls connections; sometimes there are also vessel engineering upgrades and repairs. My team puts equipment on to the vessels to ‘deliver subsea pipelines’ as we say.We also support the company vessel fleet with its maintenance programme, including repair and upgrade to live assets as and when required. We support the projects from tender – win – mobilisation – delivery – demobilisation - closeout. We also control all pipe ‘friction testing’ for the company. It is an extremely busy department.”
Tasks can however be very complex with high level budget, or very basic Q&As.He is often contacted to assist in considering basic squeeze pressures for pipelay systems, so the client’s product does not get damaged during pipelay. Despite the different field of operations, McLellan points out structural similarities between his military and civilian roles. Both involve responsibilities for managing complex plant, as well as people in global locations. He also observed that the tensioner systems (which are tracked) strangely have a number of structural similarities to main battle tank drives systems. Thanks to trades, military personnel have very transferable skillsets – something all leavers should consider and remember.
McLellan qualified as Incorporated Engineer (IEng) in 2005 through the SOE based on his military career within the technical report and selection route. He migrated from membership with IRTE to IPlantE, as his civilian career took him in a different direction. That change puts him in a special category of SOE members who has been associated with more than one professional sector.
“I think SOE offers me a grounding for everything I need in my role in industry. I decided to maintain my professional certification through the SOE. It’s an excellent society that does what I need; hopefully this award recognition means I also do what is expected for it.”