Big Battlefield Bike Ride 2013: Training Commences

The following is a guest blog by Col Fred Hargreaves from the British Embassy. Col Hargreaves, in his first blog, talks about the UK/US Service Personnel, Veterans and Families Taskforce and the latest venture organised by the Embassy of sending a joint UK/US team to cycle from Paris to London in the late Spring.

When President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron announced the launch of a UK/US Service Personnel, Veterans and Families Taskforce on 25th May 2011, they cemented a shared commitment to ensure that the very best service is delivered to UK and US troops, veterans and their families. The Taskforce shows a deep recognition of the partnerships the UK and US have shared together on the ground in various conflict zones. Brits and Americans have strengthened the commitment by having served, been wounded and helped pave our bilateral defence relationship with their service together. Reflecting this, the Taskforce brings together UK and US experts from government, charities and businesses to share and develop best practices across both nations. It supports all levels of assistance, which includes looking for a way for blokes and gals who have served side-by-side to also recover and excel together through sports and friendly competitions.

There are several related national initiatives at the highest levels of each country with which the British Embassy in DC is involved, including the prominent UK charity Help for Heroes, which has committed over £135 million over the past five years. Help for Heroes currently works with US charities like Fisher House and the US-UK focused Allied Forces Foundation with increasing closeness by finding ways to cooperate more closely on a range of issues affecting service members and to deliver the very highest level of care and opportunities to remarkable individuals.

Under the Taskforce umbrella, a great deal of transatlantic activity includes many winter and summer sports camps and competitions that focus on highlighting and encouraging excellence in recovery for wounded service members. The latest venture adding to this enthusiastic drumbeat is being organised by the British Embassy, designed to highlight the synergy and solidarity between our nations in supporting the Taskforce. The Embassy will send a joint UK-US team to cycle from Paris to London in the legendary Big Battlefield Bike Ride from 27th May – 2nd June 2013, with the support of UK and US stakeholders. ‘Team British Embassy Wounded Warriors’ , comprising four British Embassy staff members, will be raising funds and awareness for Help for Heroes Help for Heroes, Fisher House and the Allied Forces Foundation, taking eight US Wounded Warriors from Walter Reed and USMC Wounded Warrior Regiment with them on a ride of a lifetime.

Training for the ride started in earnest just recently with the UK element heading out on their first group ride together. Seen here, the British Defence Attaché, Major General Buster Howes, officially sends them off next to the iconic statue of Sir Winston Churchill on Massachusetts Avenue. As one of many who embody the spirit of our ride, Sir Winston once famously said:

“It is not given to us to peer into the mysteries of the future. Still, I avow my hope and faith, sure and inviolate, that in the days to come the British and American peoples will for their own safety and for the good of all walk together side by side in majesty, in justice, and in peace.”

We salute him on our launch, hoping that our ride in some small way responds to his call. Speaking during the launch, Major General Buster Howes said, “I am delighted to support this intrepid Anglo-American group who will be participating in the Big Battlefield Bike Ride this year.  They are emblematic of the close co-operation, common values and shared sense of responsibility, which defines so much of the relationship between our two countries.  I wish them every success and fun and challenge on their peddling adventure. ”

Leading the training, Commander Gavin Edward, a rider for Arlington-based Squadra-Coppi, said that he is, “excited by the opportunity to raise money for Help for Heroes and also to forge stronger links with our US colleagues through cycling.” He added, “our US teammates have been training right throughout the winter and are well ahead of the curve – we’ll have our work cut out just to keep up!”

Having been closely involved with the UK’s wounded programmes for over five years since the inception of Battle Back, I am really pleased to now enhance the relationship with US wounded fraternity. Having fought alongside each other in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is fitting for our wounded to recover alongside each other on events like this ride.

Follow the progress of Team British Embassy Wounded Warriors on Twitter (@ukinusa) and learn more about each of us. See our routes and follow along in our journey that will take us on a globetrotting tour to support our troops, veterans and their families. 

More about Col Fred Hargreaves

Colonel Fred Hargreaves is the Head of Joint C4ISR (Command Control Computers Communication Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance) in the British Defence Staff, Washington DC. He is responsible for relationships across the US Operational, Staff and Intelligence Communities to improve UK/US interoperability and mutual understanding.  He is also the lead for the UK/US Service Personnel, Veterans and Families Taskforce which President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron launched in May 2011; which aims to bring together UK and US experts from government, charities and business to share and develop best practice across both nations.

A keen mountaineer and skier, with a passion for ensuring our wounded Service men and women are offered the same opportunities as their able-bodied colleagues, Colonel Hargreaves designed the first disabled skiing exercise for wounded Service personnel in March 2008. From this he created a formal programme of adventurous training and sport for seriously injured Service personnel, known as Battle Back, for which he was made an OBE.