Page 27 - Journal Compilation

The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars 13
C Squadron
Where to start – what a diverse year. Two (concurrent) periods of readiness, four live re periods, two CT4 deployments, numerous RAAT exercises, parades and AT have kept the Sqn on its toes constantly from Jan until Dec, with only Dec spent wholly in camp. The focus has undeniably been readiness, and this has seen deployments at the front end of the year on Ex TRACTABLE (a 5 week test deployment onto Salisbury Plain alongside 1 YORKS Lead Armoured Battle Group (LABG), and culminating in an 8 week deployment to Poland, rstly to the old Regimental Stomping ground of DROWSKO PERMORSKIE Training Area (DPTA) in Western Poland, a place that many will remember, and nally to ORSYZ Training Area (OTA) in Eastern Poland, a mere 40 km from Kalingrad and the Russian border.
The year started with the Squadron utilising the 3rd Divisions 2000 round underspend of SHP (120mm ammunition) and deploying to Lulworth to conduct some re-landscaping of the range. Records aplenty were set with more ammunition being red on the rst day than in any previous month for decades, and the destruction of every target pit on the range. Importantly this allowed us to bed in new gunners, prove the KRH Challenger eet and set the conditions for a very successful range package later in the year.
The Sqn prepares for ranges
As soon as we returned there was a brief opportunity to get 20 soldiers away on a ski trip under the outgoing SQMS, SSgt Rigby. The trip was a huge success, for all except Tpr Topliss, and allowed some brief respite before the next wholesale deployment of the Sqn onto Salisbury Plain on Ex TRACTABLE. Huge plaudits were received for being the only sub unit within the division to provide the requisite vehicles and people in the right place at the right time, and with a view to equipment care, being the only sub unit to complete the exercise, including the 50km route march without a breakdown (and therefore defying the odds book). The Exercise tested diplomacy as the Sqn coffers were boosted by the deployment of SSgt Bain and his exceptional burger tent. No other C/SQMS’s from across the BG had deployed (bizarre) and this meant that there were some 1200 hungry (and bored) indi- viduals wanting sustainment for 5 weeks, to the annoyance of 1 YORKS BGHQ. How the C Sqn SQMS team didn’t win the Regtl burger award competition will remain a mystery – but certainly the GOC, Bde Comd and 3XX master chef, as well as assorted military and civilians rated the SQMS’s efforts highly.
The exercise nished at Warminster, where the 2IC had to re- template Salisbury Plain to deliver an ambitious combined arms live re demonstration. This saw integrated Delay and Defensive phases, Salisbury Plain a ame and the viewing area too close to