Page 62 - QDG Year of 2020

60 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
1st Reconnaissance Regiment Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
The year 2020 kicked off with optimism as the Regiment was performing excep- tionally well with the tasks entrusted. In the field of rugby, the Regiment became the champions of the Inter Regiment Rugby tournament of year 2020. Further the Regiment was honoured to present a Guard of Honour to the visiting Russian Land Forces Commander in March 2020. Yet with the Covid-19 pandemic engulfing the nation the Regiment had to adjust as per the prevailing situation and assist the national requirement.
The 36th Commanding Officer Lt Col S J Samarasinghe psc continues to command 1st Recce while Maj A S B Hapuvinna USP psc is in Second in Command and Capt D T R Dantha- narayana holds the appointment of Adjutant. HQ, A and B Squadrons are located within the Rock House Camp premises while the C Sqn continues to be located at Keravalapitiya just north of the capital city, providing security to the vital economic and energy hub. Contin- uing its operational commitment from 2018, 11 BTRs along with the troops of A Sqn are being deployed in Mali as the Armoured Column of the 2nd Combat Convoy Company. The rest of the A Sqn is entrusted with deploying Commandos attached to the Regiment, in response to any security threats that emerge within the Capital. Though the B Sqn HQ is located at Rock House, 1st Troop of the Sqn has been deployed and is co-located with the Special Forces Camp in Seeduwa closer to Bandaranaike International Airport to facilitate the rapid deployment within the area and the 2nd Troop is deployed at Dombagoda co-located with the Regi- mental HQ of Sri Lanka Army Ordnance Corps in view of quick response to the natural disasters which occur in the area.
Representing one of the largest contri- butions of Sri Lankan Forces in United Nations Peace Keeping Missions, the 2nd Combat Convoy Company is deployed in Mali providing protection to the UN convoys which are continuously targeted by the rebel groups and this mission is considered as one of the most dangerous UN Peace Keeping Missions ever to undertake. As the deployment of the 2nd Combat Convoy Company comes to its end, the 3rd Company is gearing up to its task with continuous training on convoy protection. They have been training on mock convoys running through the country and had been training on threat simulations based on the expe- riences of the 1st and the 2nd company. Apart from the inherent duties tasked, in addressing the national requirement in
the wake of the pandemic situation the Regiment was tasked in establishing and operating a Quarantine Centre at Siyane National College of Education, 30 kms from Colombo and has been success- fully managing the Centre since October 2020.
Though the 65th Anniversary of the Regiment was on 15th October 2020, the re-emergence of the pandemic halted all the planned celebrations and the award of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards Trophy which is annually awarded to the best all round Squadron of the Regiment.
We envisage that the next year will be a year where we can continue our long-lasting traditions and wish to congratulate 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards the best on their anniversary and the coming years ahead.