BOSSES from Wiltshire have been honing leadership and teamwork skills with help from the Territorial Army.

Target shooting, first aid, survival and problem solving along with reconnaissance flying in army helicopters and driving military vehicles were just some of the skills bosses and their staff from all over the south west got to try.

They were taking part in the annual Leadership and Teamwork Challenge at Chepstow and hosted by SaBRE (Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers), part of the Wessex Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.

The event, organised by Bristol University Officer Training Corps, attracted nearly 60 people including Paul Grugeon, from Warminster.

Mr Grugeon, 45, is a deputy land agent for Longleat Enterprises.

The event gave all those taking part an insight into the territorial army and the high levels of training that reservists undergo, while also giving them a taste of the serious fun that is part of the attraction of the TA.

Alec Dunn, Wessex RFCA's regional adviser for the SaBRE said: "I worked in the telecoms industry for 30 years and often found reservists in my workforce. Whenever there was a crisis, these individuals came to the fore."

As well as firing more than 1,000 rounds in a marksmanship competition, participants also learnt how humble weeds can offer essential nutrition, how to treat casualties caught up in a roadside booby trap and how to manoeuvre a Land Rover and trailer.

For many the most memorable part of the event was the chance to go up in a helicopter off 666 Squadron, a TA unit of the Army Air Corps.

The TA is staffed on a paid voluntary basis by part time personnel, who are everyday people with some time to spare and who want to experience new challenges.

More information of the TA is available at www.ta.mod.uk.