Roscoe Manning’s rounded Devon drawl faltered. He gasped as burning sand trickled down his windpipe. Standard issue military full -face visor was powerless against the inexorable seepage of desert dust.

Not a good idea this open- air presentation, he thought.

Hawking an ochre flume of spittle, he re-placed his face- mask and resumed.

“Imagine….. I didn’t know what a Hesco was before this deployment and now I’m training you.”

Experience had taught Roscoe that modelling his own learning curve built trust with the trainees. So necessary in the field where operational success and minimum casualties depended on orders being instantly obeyed.