A TAVISTOCK Royal Navy Reservist is swapping his day job for a year in a Fast Patrol Squadron in Gibraltar.

Alex Harper, a former Tavistock College student now living in Plymouth, has spent the past eight weeks serving in Gibraltar with the Royal Navy's fast patrol boats. When not serving with the Navy, Alex works as a trainee chef in Plymouth.

Alex, 22, works as a coxswain on one of the Royal Navy's Pacific rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RIBs) where he is seconded to work for the next year.

The RIBs are part of the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron comprising two similar-class patrol boats HMS Scimitar and HMS Sabre alongside three Pacific Rigid Raiders.

The role of the boats and people of the Gibraltar Squadron is to safeguard Gibraltar's shores, while contributing to joint operations.

In addition, the Gibraltar Squadron provides a maritime Quick Reaction Force to support ships in the local area, and keeps a watchful eye over shipping passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. The craft of the squadron are often busy supporting British and NATO exercises in the region, or indeed other nations' maritime forces.

Alex said: 'I am really enjoying my time at the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron. It can be a challenging maritime environment to operate and so far I'm finding it particularly rewarding.

'Joining the Reserves has been an excellent opportunity for me to learn new skills, take part in exciting activities and transform my spare time.'

Commanding officer of HMS Scimitar, Lt Tom Knott, said: 'As the Royal Navy looks to the part the reserves play in manning as part of Future Force 2020, the Royal Naval Reserves will have a more significant role.

'Mutually beneficial, using reservists adds flexibility to the Squadron while providing the reservists with depth and experience patrolling in a challenging environment.'

The Senior Naval Officer of the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron and Commanding Officer of HMS Sabre said: 'We're delighted to have Able Rate Harper as part of the Squadron, I have been particularly impressed with the dedication and commitment he has shown to the Squadron.

'The enhancement they have provided to the operational capability of the Squadron reflects highly of him and the wider contribution that the Royal Naval Reservists are making to the Future Naval Force.'

Alex has been a naval reservist at his local Reservist Unit in Plymouth, HMS Vivid, since 2006. In the short time since joining, he has had an action packed career conducting anti-piracy patrols onboard RFA Wave Knight and Force Protection onboard RFA Lyme Bay. He has also been awarded an Iraq medal for his time spent on Operation Telic in 2010. Since joining he has also managed to travel to the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Kenya.