No two days the same: life as a Reservist during the pandemic
A chartered marketer in the unchartered territory of the pandemic, Royal Naval Reservist Lieutenant Fiona Porteous-Ford found her civilian skills being used in a new way when she was deployed as part of the UK Armed Forces support to the pandemic.
Working by day as a marketer within the oil and gas industry, Lieutenant Porteous-Ford spends every day navigating economic challenges and changing customer behaviours. In June she was called up to serve in the Royal Naval Reserves, and found herself working as a Military Liaison Officer (MLO).
As an MLO, Fiona worked with local councils and businesses to plan how they would deal with the pandemic in the winter months. Speaking to many different organisations, her networking and coordination skills were in high demand.
Shortly after this, Fiona was moved into the Staff Officer role in the Navy COVID cell, right at the heart of the Royal Navy support operations. Operating out of the Royal Navy’s Headquarters in Portsmouth, the focus of the cell is to prepare and protect people whilst continuing to deliver operational commitments.
As Staff Officer, Fiona’s job was to make sure that people heading out on operations were protected, working closely with ships and units that were getting ready to deploy to ensure they were scheduling appropriate quarantine and testing to minimise risk.
“This was a really rewarding and unique opportunity to work in the thick of it, right the way across the Royal Navy.”
No day the same, Fiona has written comprehensive daily briefs for her seniors, contributed to swift policy making and ensured asymptomatic testing and quarantine demands were forecast and met.
Working with the Navy People Transformation team, Fiona also used detailed data to establish a weekly order of business which became a vital part of the battle against COVID-19. The cell is now 100% manned by Royal Naval Reservists.
Fiona said:
“I went into this process wanting to help. The threat to everyone from COVID-19 has been a global issue, and I am privileged to have been able to help my fellow serving personnel throughout this mobilisation. By planning and overseeing asymptomatic testing and quarantine requirements, I believe we have played a significant part of this crucial process.”
Usually based at HMS Calliope in Gateshead, Fiona is part of the Mine Warfare specialisation. While deployment at sea allows Fiona to be focused on delivering a single task, working in the centre of the Royal Navy gave her a unique insight, right across the Service at a strategic, operational and tactical level.
“The makeup of the cell is a success story for the Royal Navy and the Maritime Reserves. We are a small team with a clear and focused objective, in an evolving landscape. For me, it has demonstrated the sheer resilience of the Royal Navy and its people, both Regular and Reserve.”
Speaking of her experience as a Reservist, Fiona said:
“Being a member of the Reserves has provided me with countless experiences, participating in multi-national military exercises in addition to the opportunities I have been given to develop many other skillsets along the way.
“I feel I have grown as a person, as an employee and as a contributing member of society. I cannot wait to see what the future holds and look forward to the next opportunity.”
The incredible work of Lieutenant Porteous-Ford and other members of the Royal Naval Reserves has been vital in the battle against COVID-19 in the UK.
