Page 48 - Journal Compilation

The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE
Settled in Catterick and giddy from the overpowering North Yorkshire Summer heat, Autumn dawned with fresh and excit- ing challenges. With the sense of professional accomplishment and a natural spring in the step that accompanies an Equipment Care Inspection, B Sqn immediately prepared to deploy to Spain to form part of the 1 R IRISH BG for Ex TRIDENT JUNCTURE – a key NATO exercise that took place across Italy, Spain and Portugal and involved around 40,000 troops. As part of this big- ger picture B Sqn deployed to Chinchilla training area in Spain to spend a month in the sun (and occasionally hail) and face numer- ous challenges. RHQ and Command Troop were also out in force, no doubt doing some very valuable work behind the scenes, while a Troop from A Sqn under 2Lt Smith provided HQ 4th Infantry Brigade with a force protection function.
The immediate challenge was dealing with the harsh, precipitous and rocky ground across the training area. We started the exer- cise with a warning, when a JACKAL on tow behind an SV(R) overturned due to the severe camber on the mountain track. Fortunately the only thing dented was the nameless Recovery Mechanic’s pride, but it served as an important warning to us all to respect the terrain. Since nothing and no one had been dam- aged the incident served as a valuable recovery task, with its own signi cant training value. Subsequently the only other incident was a mischievous trailer that overturned behind a nameless com- mander’s PANTHER in the middle of the night on a near vertical slope. Final score: Recce Mech 1, Squadron Leader 1.
LCpl Astwood, not about to transfer to the Royal Irish
The meat of the exercise was the ve day Field Training Exercise, during which B Sqn took on a platoon of Danish infantry recon- naissance and became Task Force JANUS, named in honour of the Roman god who presided over the beginning and end of con- ict (none of this was our idea I might add. At least everyone was entirely respectful of the TF name, with no mispronunciation whatsoever...). Part of the challenge of working as an independ- ent recce task force here was working ahead of a very enthusiastic armoured battlegroup that didn’t always have the patience to wait for recce pull, especially when given the chance to get one over on their own recce platoon.
Meanwhile, incarcerated at Stalag Cement Factory, the SQMS packet faced daily abuse at the hands of the Stasi, who had cun- ningly disguised themselves as NCOs and of cers from 6 Regt RLC. Ri es had to be in straight lines, total silence for 18 hours a day and daily swearing of allegiance to whomever the glorious RLC leader of the moment was. Anyone who refused to kowtow to the regime received a red card and was made to sleep outside in the permafrost, some never being heard from again. But they got three meals a day and the cosy company of some fruity logisti- cians, so there wasn’t much sympathy from the rest of us really.
Going home was the most miserable part of the trip, not because of the having to close the door on the wonderful times we had enjoyed in Chinchilla, but because the RAF managed to delay our ight for around 57 hours (not that anyone was counting), includ- ing an extra 24 hours in the RLC’s Cement Factory Detention Facility under rigid lock and key. We all returned home tired, but enormously grateful for the opportunity to experience foreign cultures on training areas outside the UK.
PCE
44