Page 14 - QDG Year of 2020

12
1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
B Squadron
A fast and furious start to 2020 saw B Sqn prepare and deploy on Ex WESSEX STORM 1/20 this was followed by the challenge presented to all, COVID-19, which changed (but did not decrease) the tempo before a more familiar rhythm in the middle and latter half of the year took hold as the Sqn supported the deploy- ment of Cassino Troop to Poland on Op CABRIT, took part (and won) the Survival Evade Resist Escape (SERE) exercise, competed in Mullens Cup (did not win!) and conducted various other activities before preparing and (just about at time of writing) deploying a Force Protection team to Kenya.
Anticipation was high within the Sqn as we deployed to Salisbury Plain to play our part in the first Regimental CT4 test exercise since 2013. The team was ready for all that was thrown at us having had a good run in the previous year through conducting OPFOR on WS 4/19 and Regimental CAST and CATT. Arguably the biggest chal-
lenge we faced was the environmental conditions a
particularly stormy February
would throw at us, as the
vehicle crews grappled with
the testing waterlogged and
slippery ground – they rose
to this challenge brilliantly.
Battlegroup operations. The rain on the CALFEX will be memorable for all who were present, rarely have we witnessed such a volume dropped in such a short
period, typically the OC had taken this moment post raid to not have any Gore-Tex on! The route reconnaissance across Wiltshire was enjoy- able particularly for the SSM, WO2 Dale Thomas, whose packet just so happened to find a rather nice farm shop and café en-route, I’ve not heard the end of how nice the Brie and Bacon ciabatta was since! Tied to this part of the exercise was the magnif- icent effort of 3rd Troop led by SSgt (now WO2) Rhys Davies, to get themselves (Troop complete) stuck in a field after Cpl Tumpale Mwamulima chose the more scenic route to recce. This would have been fine had it not been a field belonging to a man whose barn had
been destroyed a few years back by a wayward Artillery round and adjacent to a Reserve Officer’s house who took great
pleasure in highlighting this mishap to the world via the dreaded Facebook!
Moving into the Battlegroup phase after a freezing night on the Rookery we utilised the whole Plain to best effect as we sought to out manoeuvre the OPFOR. We were joined by a troop of Royal Yeomanry in the R-WMIKs who added crucial additional depth to the Sqn enabling greater freedoms in execution of tasks. The weather throughout was poor and tested vehicle crews to the max both in terms of safe driving and commanding and in sustainability and endurance with the constant rain and wind threatening to degrade the crews if they let their admin- istration get away from themselves.
As the phase began we all enjoyed the opportunity to face a relatively ‘free thinking’ enemy, no one more so than Sgt ‘Q’ Laqere of 1st Troop whose excite- ment and eagerness in taking the fight to the OPFOR was both inspiring and entertaining while no doubt being terri- fying for those ‘enemy’ he came across. A crew that had numerous near misses as ground gave way under wheel, Q’s driver Tpr Gambrill, who had only turned up to Regimental Duty the November before as a fresh faced 18 year old now carried a 1000 yard stare and significant
The exercise started with
a live fire range package to
get us to the start state for
the combined arms live fire
exercise (CALFEX) which
would follow. Lt Seb Maxwell
ran the section attack lane
with ever growing confi-
dence that he would exploit
later in the year and Sgt Glyn
Williams led an excellent
sniper package. Into the first
phase of the exercise proper
and we focused on Sqn
level activity; a raid, CALFEX
and route reconnaissance. With some standout moments this phase helped us iron out some creases ready for
The rain on the CALFEX will
be memorable for all who were present, rarely have
we witnessed such a volume dropped in such a short period
B Sqn deployed complete on the BDTA