MILITARY minded residents will be given a taste of what life is like on the frontline during a regimented event filled with everything from army helicopters to bomb disposals.
The 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team and Colchester Garrison Show will take place on Abbey Field, located next to the Merville Barracks, this Saturday.
The occasion will mark Armed Forces Day, an annual celebration which gives the country the chance to show its support to the military.
Starting at 11am, guests will be able to marvel at special equipment used by the combat team, including an RAF Puma support helicopter.
There will also be a field hospital that can be deployed by parachute and a 105mm Light Gun on display.
An insight into the garrison’s history will also be led by living historians who will show the kit and weaponry of First and Second World War soldiers.
In the main arena, British Army Band Colchester will perform a musical march before The Parachute Regiment’s Red Devils freefall display team drop in.
In celebration of the military’s older and young generation, a marchpast by veterans and cadets from across Essex, accompanied by BAB Colchester, will also take place.
Troops from the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment will be dramatically stage an explosive combat demonstration.
Lieutenant Colonel Ed Rankin, Commander of Colchester Garrison, said: “Armed Forces Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the link between the military and the civilian community in which they live and work.
“The residents of Essex are hugely supportive of soldiers and their families – which we in uniform are hugely appreciative of - and it is important that the Army gives something back in return.
“The show promises to be an exciting, interesting and entertaining day and I warmly invite everyone to attend.”
The fifth staging of the show will also feature children’s rides, refreshments and limited free parking.
Road closures will be in place for the duration but there will be vehicle access via Napier Road off Mersea Road.
Dogs on leads are welcome, but owners are warned there will be potentially startling explosions during the combat demonstration.
To find out more information visit facebook.com/16AirAssaultBrigadeandColchesterGarrisonShow.
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