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Sgt ‘H’ Higgins passed
out of commando training in 1983 and since then spent his entire service
career in the Third Commando Brigade Royal Marines. His first draft was
to K Company 42 Commando Royal Marines where he spent a very successful
four years becoming AWT (Arctic Warfare Trained), JWT (Jungle Warfare Trained)
and completed two tour in Northern Ireland. He joined 40 Commando Royal
Marines, or ‘The Sunshine Boys’ as they were known at that time, and took
part in a cross training exercise in the Mediterranean with Special Forces.
Sgt Higgins enjoyed the exercise and experience immensely has very fond
memories of Portugal! His return to the UK was followed by a draft to 45
Commando Royal Marines in Scotland. Sgt Higgins served ten years in 45 Commando
qualifying as a sniper and JWI (Jungle Warfare Instructor). During the Gulf
War he was involved in Operation Haven where 45 Commando helped the Kurdish
people return to their homes from the hills where they were taking sanctuary.
Sgt Higgins returned to Belize, where he had undertaken his jungle training,
for six months as a member of the last Operational Tour the British Forces
carried out. He returned to the UK, suntanned and with just enough time
to unpack his kit, before going back to Northern Ireland during the cease-fire.
In 1998 the Corps called for Sgt Higgins’s professional skills at the Commando
Training Centre Royal Marines where he served for two years prior to joining
Headquarters Band Service. During his two years at CTCRM he helped train
over 210 men to successfully pass for duty. In his new post as one of the
training team at the Royal Marines School of Music he is responsible for
the daily instruction of the recruits in the skills that they need such
as map reading, signals, field craft and weapon training he said “It is
now my turn to help keep the skills and standards within the Corps with
your sons and daughters”. |
