REPRESENTING a garrison town is an honour and I believe it means I have an obligation to try my best to understand those who serve in our armed forces.

Colchester is not just home to any Army regiment, it is home to 16 Air Assault Brigade, the elite of the British Army and a rapid reaction force.

Although I had some understanding of the military before being elected both through meeting with current and former serving personnel and as a former governor at Montgomery Junior School, I know there is so much more I need to learn.

That is why in Parliament I have been keen to engage with as many military activities as possible including briefings at the Ministry of Defence, events with service personnel and giving tours of Parliament to groups from the armed forces.

However, top of my list was to sign up to the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme.

The scheme opens a unique window into the world of everyday life in the armed forces and the tasks they are asked to undertake on our behalf.

The objective of the scheme is to help parliamentarians understand the work of the armed forces and help MPs make informed contributions when participating in defence debates.

This year I was fortunate enough to secure a place and I have now attended my first two days away with the Army at the Defence College in Shrivenham. This involved lectures from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Joint Command and a live firing exercise of current British issue weaponry on the range.

In order to blend in as much as possible and break down any barriers with the troops, we are issued with full combat uniforms and boots.

This is also because we are given the opportunity to visit those currently deployed on Arctic training in Norway, in the Falkland Islands and in Cyprus and we are encouraged to get stuck in and live and work alongside the regular soldiers, sailors and airmen as they go about their duties.

There is the opportunity to visit armed forces personnel deployed across the UK and abroad and I am hoping to spend a considerable amount of time here in Colchester at the garrison with 16 Air Assault Brigade.