BFBS Daily Dits

Recruits at ATC Pirbright marked a major milestone with a pass-off parade after completing 13 weeks of training. 

Natasha Reneaux from BFBS Aldershot talks to Ryan Galpin about the big day.  

🎉 In this episode: 

• Ice cream, cheer masters, and proud parade-day moments 

• A name change for the 1 Fowler Squadron 

• Look ahead to Armed Forces Day in Aldershot 

📻 Useful Links 

• SITREP 

🎟️ Join the fun on AFD 

• Get a Ticket 

Government plans for new restrictions on social media use for under 16s are likely to change how those in service families keep up with their friends overseas. 

BFBS’s Joe Carden tells Ryan Galpin what this could mean for the Armed Forces Community.  

📱 In this episode: 

•  Insight from Clare Shere MBE, CEO of the Naval Children’s Charity  

• The shift to safer communication – the return of blueys  

• Advice and support for parents navigating the changes  

🎮 Sign up to the BFBS Pro League  

• Pro League 

Edinburgh commenced Armed Forces Week with a flag raising ceremony at the City Chambers.

BFBS’s Mark McKenzie tells Lauren Mitchell all about the day and how he is spotlighting the reserves by making them radio stars.

☀️ In this episode:

• Celebrations in Edinburgh
• Scotland’s Armed Forces Week Plans
• Mark gets some new co-hosts

📱Watch the Flag Raising on our socials:

• @bfbs.scotland on Instagram 

• @BFBS Scotland on Facebook

📻 Catch Mark's breakfast special:

• Scotland Breakfast

📢 Join our social media course

• Social Media Specialists

Gibraltar is home to a unique Armed Forces community, it’s a great posting with plenty of things to get involved with.

BFBS’s George Ryland recounts her recent adventures in Gibraltar for Lauren Mitchell.

☀️ In this episode:

• A look into the Royal Gibraltar Regiment
• Gibraltar’s unique runway
• Life with the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron
• Photobombing the royal navy

📱Follow the journey on our social channels:

• @yourbfbs on TikTok

• @bfbsradio on Instagram

• @BFBSRadio on Facebook

🎧 Listen to Northern Ireland’s Armed Forces Day

• Saturday Catch up

Armed Forces Day celebrations kicked off in Coleraine in Northern Ireland on Saturday. 

BFBS’s Rachel Cochrane has all the highlights for Lauren Mitchell. 

🫡 In this episode: 

• The Royal Marines abseil from the top of the town hall 

• Rachel chats with Sergeant Luke Riddell from the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team 

• A flypast from The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight 

• Rachel gets “military band goosebumps” 

📱Watch the highlights on our social channels: 

• @yourbfbs on TikTok 

• @bfbsradio on Instagram 

• @BFBSRadio on Facebook 

🎧 Listen to BFBS Pro League: The Lobby for Father’s Day gaming fun! 

• The Lobby

At RAF Odiham, the Royal Air Force Chinook Role Demo Team are making final preparations ahead of appearances at several airshows across the UK this summer. 
 
Richard Wyeth has been chatting to the air crew and shares some behind the scenes insight with Lauren Mitchell.  

🚁In this episode: 

• Hear how the RAF aviators wow the crowd, demonstrating the aircraft's versatility and capability to the public  

• What does it take for the hardworking crew to get the Chinooks off the ground and into the air 

• How do they balance the commitments of being a frontline operational squadron with staging displays? 

• Hear how a boyhood dream came true for the Team Manager who captains the crew   

• Plus, what are the BIG orange hands 
   

📺Plus: 

Listen to the latest episode of BFBS Esports: The Lobby:  

🎧 bfbs.com/radio/podcasts  

Discover more armed forces stories, listen to BFBS Radio: bfbs.com/radio

Major Ed Rutherford of the First Fusiliers is awarded the prestigious Member of the British Empire in the King’s Birthday Honours.   
 
BFBS Germany’s Jade Callaway catches up with Lauren Mitchell to share more about the service personnel being recognised. 

👑In this episode: 

• What does it feel like to see your name on the Honours list? 

• Find out about the Combat Ready Training Centre, Germany (CRTC) – the Army’s training for current & future operations. 

• More on the military community recognised with honours  

• And, what’s the best award Jade’s won?  

📺Plus: 

Catch up on all the World Cup action with BFBS TV Player: BFBS TV Player | BFBS 

For more armed forces stories, listen to BFBS Radio: bfbs.com

The Royal Navy  Aquatics team have held a training camp in Gibraltar as they prepare for the inter services competition later this year. 

Training is underway for swimming, water polo, diving and open water swimming. 

BFBS’s Jacob Dyer was poolside with the swimmers and tells Lauren Mitchell all about it. 

🏊In this episode: 

• Hear how training is going 

• Find out about the team building and training opportunities a trip to Gibraltar offers forces sportsmen and women 

• Learn more about inter-services Aquatics competition 

• Plus, what’s Jacob’s thoughts on the rock’s resident Barbury Macaques AKA the monkeys! 

  
  

📻Also: 

Discover more on the Royal Navy Aquatics on Instagram: @rn_aquatics  

Share your Father’s Day messages: Father's Day | BFBS  
 
For more stories like this listen to BFBS Radio: bfbs.com 

There’s a 3.6% pay rise on the way for military personnel. But what does this mean for you? James Wharton from BFBS Forces News breaks down the numbers. 

📈 In this episode: 

• What does this mean for salaries? 

• The Savvy Squaddie gives his view 

• There’s also an increase in accommodation expenses, what’s the impact? 

• How to find out your exact increase. 

Useful links:  

gov.uk 

forcesnews.com 

🎸 Also: Listen to our Embrace music special: bfbs.com/music-specials 

June 14th is Liberation Day in the Falklands, commemorating the end of the 1982 Falklands War.  

Tom Paine was there for BFBS and tells Lauren Mitchell all about it. 

🐧In this episode: 

• Padre and Reverend Micheal Lock remembers the sacrifice Falkland Islanders and British Forces made for freedom. 

• Hear from Brigadier Charlie Harmer, Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands. 

• A Typhoon fly-past. 

• A military parade featuring the 5 Rifles Band. 

• Tom’s Falklands experience so far. 

📻Also: 

For more stories like this listen to BFBS Radio: bfbs.com 

Soldiers have been enjoying a masterclass in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as part of a three-day martial arts camp at Marne Barracks in Yorkshire. 

BFBS’s Chris Kaye, who is no stranger to martial arts, tells Lauren Mitchell what went down at the dojo. 

🥋In this episode: 

• What is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? 

• Hear from Captain Tom Woodman, the BJJ discipline lead in the Army. 

• Did Chris use his “very particular set of skills?” 

📸See the photos: facebook.com/bfbscatterick 

Also:  Listen to the latest episode of BFBS Esports: The Lobby: 

🎧 bfbs.com/radio/podcasts 

The Royal Brunei Air Force are celebrating their 65th Anniversary. 

667 Squadron Army Air Corps, the British Army’s only jungle aviators, headed to Rimba Air Base for a Birthday air show. 

BFBS presenters Honor Mant and Tamsin Robson tagged along. 

🚁 In this episode: 

• Honor tells Lauren all about their trip 

• Aviators from around the world show off their aircraft. 

• Tamsin gets the low-down on favorite cockpit snacks! 

⚽ Also:  

Plan your World Cup viewing here: bfbs.com/worldcup 

If you are serving overseas, you can catch every game on your BFBS TV box and BFBS MiPlayer.

The cookhouse at Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn has had a huge refurb. 

It’s part of the EATS programme to improve junior ranks messes. 

Lauren talks Rachael Price from BFBS Northern Ireland who’s been to see it. 

🍳In this episode: 

• Who’s serving at Thiepval Barracks? 

• What’s changed at the cookhouse? 

• What’s for breakfast lunch and dinner? 

• Hear from the team who made it happen plus Brigadier Piers Ashfield, Commander 38 Brigade and Joint Military Commander Northern Ireland. 

• There’s more to come with different menus and “grazing” throughout the day. 

Also: 

What do our Armed Forces mean to you? 

Leave a message ahead of Armed Forces Day here: bfbs.com/noticeboard

21 infantry soldiers have been put to the test to find the Army’s Best Infanteer. 

They’ve been through four days of intense physical and mental challenges in an event aimed at making the infantry more lethal and more survivable. 

Lauren Mitchell talks to BFBS’s Toby Pickard who went along to watch. 

In this episode: 

• Hear from Colonel James Loudoun OBE who master-minded the event. 

• WO2 Delehunty explains how the soldiers were tested. 

• How the event sharpens skills to be battle ready. 

• Find out which units won bragging rights! 

🎥  Watch the videos on Instagram -  @bfbsradio 

Also:  Join the BFBS Fantasy Football League ⚽ bfbs.com/fantasyfootball ⚽ 

Sitrep is BFBS’s longest running podcast and radio series and now you can watch it! 

The weekly show explaining all things defence has gone visual.   

James Hirst, the show’s editor, joins Lauren to explain what it’s all about and why you should watch. 

In this episode: 

• Hear how Sitrep provides trusted defence analysis which cuts through complicated jargon to make it understandable for everyone. 

• The latest episode’s big topic is military spending and what it could mean for equipment, accommodation and future capability. 

• The weirdest defence stories Sitrep has covered including balloons and K-Pop on the Korean border 

📺 Where to watch: YouTube 

🎧 Where to Listen: bfbs.com 

Also: 

🎮 Subscribe to BFBS Pro League: The Lobby: bfbs.com 

We go behind the scenes of Exercise Rhino Storm, a large-scale NATO training exercise taking place across Germany and involving an additional 3,500 UK troops.

BFBS Germany’s Jade Callaway tells Ryan Galpin about her day on the ground during the final test exercise.

In this episode:

• Inside Exercise Control (EXCON) — the operational hub coordinating the exercise.
• How the “Red Forces” (enemy simulation) actively create challenges for the troops.

• Bombardier Neil Strachan (105 Regt RA) explains his role firing simulated artillery at friendly forces to test their responses.

• The farmhouse barn turned battlefield hospital.
• The frontline responders explain what they do.
• Urban Warfare at the now derelict former British base (RAF Gütersloh / Princess Royal Barracks) which closed in 2016.  (Jade describes it as “The Last of Us meets military training”!)

📱 More from BFBS Germany

For extra behind-the-scenes content 👉 @bfbs.germany on Instagram

Also on BFBS

• Don’t miss the Sitrep podcast

  • Deep dives into defence and military strategy
  • New episodes every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts

  • And on youtube.com/@forces_news

• Next week on Daily Dits:
  👉 Sitrep editor James Hirst has more on their new video episodes.

We’re buzzing to tell you how soldiers have moved thousands of bees to a new hive at Keogh Barracks in Aldershot.   

Ryan Galpin is joined by BFBS Aldershot’s Natasha Reneaux to talk all things beekeeping in the British Army. 

🐝 In this episode: 

• How beekeeping is supporting wellbeing, sustainability, and community across defence sites. 

• Why it’s becoming a popular hobby in the British Army with servicemen and women increasingly keen to set up their own hives. 

• How you can get funding support for this via the Lived Experience Fund. 

📸  BFBS Aldershot on Facebook 
 
Also: 

Watch the latest episode of Ratpack Roulette on our YouTube channel:     youtube.com/@BFBS_Radio 

Essential upgrades are underway at RAF Brize Norton where improvements are being made to the passenger terminal. 

Ryan Galpin is joined by BFBS Brize Norton’s Gemma- Leigh James who takes us behind the scenes at the RAF Station where thousands of British Servicemen and Women pass through on their way to deployments and postings. 

 In this episode:  

• Learn about the logistics involved in getting passengers and kit into the air and onto postings, deployments and ops tours globally.    

• News on the major new upgrade to the baggage handling system. 

• Plus, why Gemma- Leigh took to the skies with 300 toy giraffes!    

🔗 Useful links:  

• For more real-life forces stories, listen to BFBS Radio  bfbs.com 

• AI Skills for military Partners: sms.bfbs.com 
    

📲 Stay connected:  

Follow BFBS Daily Dits for more forces stories, updates and behind‑the‑scenes content.  
🎧 New episodes every weekday.  

Rat Pack Roulette—is a BFBS video series combining military ration tastings with in-depth conversations with veterans.  

Today Lydia Tester talks to the host Karl Lambert about the latest episode featuring Jordan Wylie MBE.  

Jordan is a veteran, adventurer, and ambassador for the Army Cadet Force but is probably best known for appearing on Channel 4’s Hunted. 

In this preview, Jordan and Karl discuss: 

• The heightened awareness that comes with combat and how it compares with extreme adventure. 

• Why many veterans seek new challenges after leaving service to regain a sense of purpose. 

Karl also shares the three-course tasting menu which includes dishes from Spain, Latvia and Germany and why he struggled to eat a French ration pack. 

📺 Watch Rat Pack Roulette 

• bfbs.com/rat-pack 

• BFBS Radio YouTube 

🎮 There’s just three F1 25 races to go in the BFBS Pro League   

👉 Sign up at bfbsesports.com 

Welcome to the first episode of BFBS Daily Dits!

Today, we head to The Rock, where BFBS’s Jacob Dyer takes us aboard HMS Stirling Castle which has become the first Royal Navy ship affiliated with Gibraltar.

In this episode:

• Jacob tells host Lauren Mitchell about his visit onboard where he caught up with Commander Phil Harper.

• Hear how the ship’s commercial origins give it a unique layout and features compared to traditional warships.
• How HMS Stirling Castle operates as a mine-hunting mothership, using uncrewed vehicles to improve safety and efficiency.
• Hear about the ship’s “bougie” onboard comforts.

• And Lauren shares her Royal Navy fails!

Enjoyed the first episode of Daily Dits? 
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Also...the World Cup starts next week...

👉 Join the BFBS Fantasy Football League: 
bfbs.com/fantasyfootball