SECURITY at the Olympic Sailing Venue at Weymouth and Portland is in the safe hands of servicemen and women under the command of Brigadier Piers Hankinson Commander 43 (Wx) Bde and Joint Military Commander for Dorset.

As a volunteer at the venue, it is a pleasure to go through the tight, airport-style security, where you are welcomed with a smile, eye contact and often a joke and a laugh, a far call from the grim reception at any of our London airports.

The services are supporting the venue security on land, sea and air in an integrated joint effort in support of the Home Office and Dorset Police.

“It is very impressive, the way that all the agencies have come together,” said Brigadier Hankinson.

“The Venue Security Force was requested by the Home Office to help LOCOG, and we have supplied 210 military personnel for this task.”

“Unlike London, we are not dealing with the general public, just the athletes and support staff for the games, which means the force does not get that buzz of dealing with the public.

“The majority of the force are Royal Marines recently returned from Afghanistan and soldiers from The Royal Wessex Yeomanry (RWxY) and 6 RIFLES who volunteered for the task.”

Lieutenant Colonel Dickie Trant, Commanding Officer RWxY was pleased with the operation. “It has been great for my guys who live and work in the south west to be a part of this, and we see this as a great honour and opportunity to be a part of London 2012,” he said.