Woman with a magic touch for Apaches 13.12.11
7An officer who has kept the British Army's Apache attack helicopters flying in the demanding environments of Afghanistan and Libya has been named Young Woman Engineer of the Year. Aircraft engineering officer Captain Charlotte Joyce, of 4 Regiment Army Air Corps, was honoured by the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Capt Joyce's job is to manage the day-to-day maintenance of Apaches, both back at the unit's base in Wattisham and on operations. This summer the 29-year-old served onboard HMS Ocean as part of NATO's Operation Unified Protector to protect civilians in Libya. It was the first time Apaches have flown strike missions from Royal Navy ships and presented unique maintenance challenges. She also served in Afghanistan in 2010. Capt Joyce said: "It's a great honour. I was nominated by my line manger for the work I have done in the last 18 months on operations. I will act as an ambassador to promote women in engineering, visiting schools to inspire young women to think about engineering as a career. "Historically there have been barriers to women in engineering and a lack of positive role models. I've never faced any issues as a female engineer in the Army and a career in engineering has given me excellent opportunities." Capt Joyce worked at the British Army Training Unit Suffield in Canada for 18 months and helped to train soldiers at the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering before joining 4 Regt AAC in 2009. The two operations she has deployed on have presented very different challenges. She said: "Afghanistan is very hot and sandy, whereas on HMS Ocean we had to deal with damp, cold and salty conditions and the confined spaces of a ship. But the aircraft is extremely robust and has been very successful at operating in these very different environments, and the technicians I manage are just as capable and well-trained to deal with whatever is asked of them."