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Tweet A British sniper set a world sharpshooting record by taking out two Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan...
17 months ago


Tweet Finally, we can share with you what all the fuss was about. The Circuit Magazine is now available to...
17 months ago


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17 months ago


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Moreover, VIPs including the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Nicole Kidman and JK Rowlings are requesting a need for females as part of their security detail and not just as medic’s and drivers but mostly working as Personal Protection Officers (PPO’s). We blend into surroundings as well as, if not better than the men and in a variety of environments, not only at work, but in social venues too. Gone are the days where a big butch male presence is a prerequisite, the new females are feminine and easy on the eye. So, move over guys here come the girls!!

I’m currently working as a PSD/PPO/TL in Afghanistan, the only female operator for my company in country, and if it wasn’t for the British Bodyguard Association, I probably wouldn’t be here. So a massive thanks to them for giving me this opportunity. I feel really honored to share my story and hopefully inspire more women to take the challenge to become a female operator in a man’s world!

It’s taken me three years to get to a Team Leader position, which most would say is great. Sometimes I pinch myself this is all real and not a dream! It’s a dream come true for me. My security background started in the British Army. Even though I loved my work, I always wanted to do the same job as the boys and be a front line soldier! That would never have happened in the British Army or the regiment that I was serving in. My journey started in Iraq in 2009; I worked as an Aviation Supervisor in Najaf and at Baghdad International Airport. My networking started there, meeting all the PSDs and Security Contractors from all over the world, all on their way home, where I would attempt to make their journeys go a little more smoothly by fast tracking them through the airport. I loved doing that job, but talking to some of these men and a few women, their jobs sounded really exciting and I wanted to be a part of that but I needed to pick up the skills and complete the right courses.

A friend of mine told me about the Argus Europe CP course. He said the guys on it where great and the course was all practical and not death by power point. I went to meet the guys and knew straight away that this was the course for me. On the course, I met some of the most inspirational people, not only instructors but guys who were attending the course, most from a UK Military background, Ex-Para’s and RMPs, I still keep in touch with them and have met them later on while working in the sand pit.

I, like others, had to start at the bottom of the security ladder and work very hard to stay on it, before climbing my way up it. It’s up to the individual to work really hard and I was determined to succeed, being a female in a man’s world. Women can do the job alongside men and succeed, it’s all about hard work and NETWORKING…. I can’t emphasise this enough! It helps if you know the right people and by being in the right place at the right time, and if you’re willing to take chances and seize opportunities!

The skills set you need for this job are; excellent communications skills, patience, confidence and maturity, as well as great people skills. These are just a few skills required when working alongside a multi-cultural workforce. If you are ex-forces or police, then you will gain other skills through continued training, and upon the completion of a good CP course.

Argus Europe incorporated a Surveillance phase into their course which has benefitted me every day that I’m on the ground, since finishing the course. Most companies run medical training alongside their CP Course; everyone on the team should all have some form of medical and driving skills, along with map reading and knowledge of GPS, depending on the environment where you want to work, I’ve chosen to work in remote hostile environments. To work in a hostile environment you must be trained in a variety of weapons, and have good coaching/instructional skills as you will be expected to teach local nationals on your team a variety of skills for carrying out their daily duties.

Over my career I’ve had to, on occasion, put my work ahead of my personal life to achieve my goals, I love my job, and I could work all the time without taking any time off. Of course I’ve made sacrifices, I don’t get to spend much time with my family and I miss out on a lot of Birthdays and Anniversaries, but thankfully I have an understanding and supportive family. They understand my job is important and can see how happy I am but we make up for the time lost when I come home and we appreciate the quality time that we have together. They also understand I’m securing my future. My dad always said if you want the good things in life then you have to work hard for them, and sacrifice a few things to get them.

So girls, do you think you have what it takes to work as a female bodyguard? Firstly, get in touch with a reputable training provider, one that is SIA accredited, call them and go see what the set up is like. These courses are not cheap, and you want to make sure that you’re getting your moneys worth, but also you need to feel comfortable, as you will be working and living alongside these instructors for around a month. If you are not weapons trained, then you will have to go on a firearms course. Be yourself; don’t go in their pretending that you’re Lara Croft! This role isn’t for the faint hearted, you do need guts, as you will have to stand your ground with the guys, as they will do whatever it takes to make sure us females don’t take anything away from them. Some will try to show you up, but stand your ground and you will earn their respect. As well as being a team player, make sure you have the initiative to work alone.

Being a female in the security world is challenging enough - my fellow sisters who work in the UK will back me up on this one. Working in the Middle East can be more challenging, in my opinion, but I think that comes down to the individual and how you apply yourself to the role. Personally, I’ve never had any problems from the local nationals (LNs), Police or Army. My team consists of myself and three LNs; I’ve got to trust them to a certain degree. I’m armed 24/7 with a 9mm pistol. It goes everywhere with me, including the gym and I sleep with it under my pillow!

The business of protection by females is growing exponentially. The security industry has seen a lot of growth since 2008 and is expected to continue growing through into 2013. More and more middle management types are looking for protection as global threats increase.

Outside of work I’m just a regular girl who likes to keep fit, go shopping, to the movies and hang out with my friends. Oh, my favorite colour is PINK!


17 months ago


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The Circuit Magazine: January - Issue 14

The latest edition of the security industries number 1 publication, The Circuit Magazine has just gone on sale. This month the topics on discussion include:

A Tale of Two Attacks - An Objective Look at Recent Vehicle Ambushes. A debate on strategies for ending the involvement in Afghanistan. Stuart Pagett takes us into murky waters as he explores the growing industry sector that is anti-piracy. The magazine also includes some great advice from the pro’s such as Tony Hood’s article on converting currency and getting maximum bang for your buck. Amy Burrell of Perpetuity Training gives us tips on selecting the right training course and we have reminders on the importance of using social media effectively and safely by Larry Snow.

Buy It Now!


17 months ago


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25 months ago


Tweet The new BBA message board is online at last! It is fair to say that this process has taken us a lot...
25 months ago


Tweet Are you looking to get in to The Circuit and deploy to hostile environment, possibly Afghanistan?...
29 months ago


Tweet Find the Security Q & A iPhone App in iTunes:
29 months ago


Tweet One thing that is often apparent on course is that quite often even seasoned operators ‘flap’ when...
29 months ago


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