Feb 17 - New RSM for the Regiment
WO1 Alex Stone handed over his pacing stick to WO1 Julian Valverde, new Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.
The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ivor Lopez addressed the troops and thanked WO1 Stone for his continued commitment to the Regiment, stating, ‘he has taken every single opportunity to train or deploy that has been offered to him, as RSM he is the number one soldier in the Regiment and as such the Commanding Officer’s right hand man, he has been very loyal to both myself and Lieutenant Colonel Colin Risso, and his advice is always sound; if you look at what he has achieved he should be your inspiration.’
WO1 Stone was never in any doubt that his future career would be in the Regiment and has fond childhood memories of his father’s time in the military ‘At the age of 10 I was already polishing my dads boots, we lived up near Moorish Castle and there were some steps that led to our house, every lunchtime I used to enjoy watching my dad come up in his uniform. We used to attend Regimental events and I dreamt as a teenager that one day I would be part of it’.
WO1 Stone joined the Regiment in December 1990 and was trained at the Royal Artillery Training Depot in Woolwich. He was one of only 23 recruits that had been selected for training from 103 potential candidates.
His career has been diverse and he has served in a number of locations including Germany, Canada, Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone and Kenya but his appointment as RSM in April 2012 fulfilled one of his youthful ambitions.
WO1 Stone will remain with the Regiment and will now take on a Staff Officer role within Headquarters British Forces Gibraltar based in the Tower, on his successors appointment he said: “I wish Julian all the best, I have known him for a long time and he is the best man for the job, he has all the attributes to be a truly great RSM.”
WO1 Valverde is proud of his achievement and said: “It’s a bit overwhelming in some respects and has really dawned on me today with the parade and handover. It is a natural progression for me and I’m so glad to have picked up the position of RSM after 20 years service.”
WO1 Valverde joined the Regiment in 1994, he initially went along to join the TA but found the recruitment presentation so inspiring that he decided to join the Regiment.
