Page 31 - Bugle No. 17 Spring 2021

4 RIFLES
Zoom. Skype. Teams. This has occupied a great deal of our time on the contingency cycle. A period where we would normally reset, conduct career courses and assist wider Battalion tasks.
A year ago, very few in the Company knew these online tools existed, let alone how to use them. However, over the past 10 months
all Riflemen in A Company have become accustomed to working in the virtual
domain. Like everyone, we have had to make drastic changes to how we work, be that delivering team-level training
from behind a camera or spending two weeks isolating in an aircraft hangar in the USA. Where possible, we have met face-to-face. In the physical domain, A Company managed
to showcase our prowess at shooting, by claiming second place behind the Regimental Shooting Team at this year’s Operation Shooting Competition. Another notable event
was the opportunity to participate in the Chief-of-the-General-Staff’s (CGS) media event on the upcoming Integrated Review, where the Company was able to demonstrate what the Battalion could look like in the future. Whatever the challenge, all ranks from across the Company have shown what it means to be a thinking Rifleman and rise to the challenges we face. A Company are now well prepared
to commence their training cycle in April 2021 and this is due to the hard work and innova- tion of our thinking Riflemen.
Capt Wood
A Company support CGS’s Integrated Review
media event in late 2020
...we have had to make drastic changes to how we work
Officers’ Mess Matters
Despite the current pandemic and restrictions, the professional endeavours of our Officers have remained fast paced to ensure we continue to train for and deliver on operations. However, the Officers’ Mess normal activities of hosting guest speakers, large social events, and parties have not fared well in the current climate. There have rightly been no large events, whisky nights, or country music appreciation evenings. Despite the disad- vantages, the livers-in have managed to make the most of the culinary situation. Dinner, with the help of our beloved head chef, Barry, has been spiced up! Of particular note were the poussins and guinea fowl evenings. Truly spectacular!
As always, we have said goodbye to some of our fellow officers and welcomed new ones. We look forward to the arrival of A Company 3rd Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles into the Mess in the coming months. They will make a valuable addition.
Capt Kemp
Officers embrace the new-normal of life in the Mess
and ensure morale remains high
RIFLES The Bugle 31
A COMPANY CONTINGENCY CYCLE