Huge silhouette ‘giants’ have been installed on the Salisbury Plain Training Area.
The 10ft silhouettes have been created to inform and educate the public about the dangers of accessing military land. They are modelled on soldiers from 5 Rifles, which conducts its military training on Salisbury Plain, as well as figures representing members of the public.
RFN Isabel O’Malley, one of the soldiers on which the ‘giants’ were modelled, said: “Training is key to our safety when on deployment, and it can be frustrating when we have to stop mid-exercise because a member of the public has strayed into an area they shouldn’t be, putting both themselves and us at risk.”
They were designed by the Standing With Giants charity, which aims to raise awareness of the Ministry of Defence’s "Respect The Range" campaign. This campaign aims to inform the public that military land’s primary use is for military training and that accessing it when it is in use is extremely dangerous for both the public and soldiers.
The CEO of Standing With Giants said: “Our ethos is about honouring and respecting those who have continued to make the ultimate sacrifice. The freedoms we enjoy were hard fought for, and our military needs to train to ensure those freedoms remain."
Military training takes place at all hours of the day and night, and the area can go from quiet to in-combat at a moment’s notice, putting anyone in the vicinity at significant risk.
Brigadier Gavin Hatcher CBE, Head of the Defence Training Estate, said: "Where permitted, the public can access and enjoy the unique and varied MOD estate, but only when and where it is safe for them to do so."
He added: "By working together, we can ensure the public and our military keep each other safe” and re-emphasises that military training is “imperative” for soldiers to be able to undertake “safely and uninterrupted."
To help keep themselves and others safe, the Ministry of Defence is asking the public to follow these steps when accessing military ground:
- Look out for red flags and observe all signs and information
- Check live firing and training times online at Gov.uk before visiting a military training area
- Stick to footpaths, bridleways, byways, and Public Rights of Way
- Keep dogs under close control and pick up after them
- Never touch any military debris (UXO), report it for safe removal
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