Page 100 - Light Dragoons 2023 CREST

Captain Bobbie Buchan joined the British Army on 10 January 1997 at the age of 16. As a young boy he walked into Sunderland Army Careers Office with absolutely no knowledge of the military at all, unable to afford driving lessons. With that in mind, he fancied himself as a driver of some nature. He explained that to the recruiter who immediately asked him what he wanted to drive? “What can I drive?” he replied. He was directed towards the glossy ‘brochures’ in a display stand and immedi- ately spotted tanks. “I want to drive a tank” he claimed, immediately dismissing being a REMF with disgust. “OK what kind of tank do you want to drive?” replied the recruiter. Puzzled, young Bobbie asked, “what kind of tanks are there?” The recruiter realised at this point how wet behind the ears this young man was and explained “There’s big slow ones with big guns, or little fast ones with little guns.” Bobbie smiled, “I’ll drive a little fast one.” “The Light Dragoons it is for you my boy!’ At this point Bobbie had no idea he would go on to spend the next 25 years in the fin- est Cavalry regiment in the world.
Bobbie initially struggled to adapt to mili- tary life finding himself in hot water in basic training and Phase 2 Training for many a misdemeanour. Nonetheless, he managed to pass out of training and arrived at A Squadron, The Light Dragoons in Bergen Hohne in Germany on 19 November 1997. He immediately found himself selected for Christmas duties, found guilty of the crime of being a Snaptin. He slowly settled into regimental life and was selected for the regimental football and boxing teams.
In 1998 A Squadron deployed to Bosnia, based out of Banja Luka Metal Factory as a Sabre Troop driver for an outstand- ing Corporal, Mick Reed. This is when Bobbie’s education officially started. After a successful tour and several ‘drinking bans,’ Bobbie returned to Hohne with his first medal on his chest. His second tour was a deployment to MCTC (Military Corrective Training Centre) Colchester where he continued his development. It was here where he learned the essential skill of bulling boots!
Whilst he was deployed in MCTC, the regiment had arms plotted to Robertson Barracks, Swanton Morley, Norfolk – the place he now calls home. Not long after his return from MCTC, Bobbie proved that although he was not the model in camp soldier, he was an exceptional field soldier and was promoted to Lance Corporal. A dismount in A Squadron Support Troop, he thrived on being in the field.
A Squadron Support Troop were stood up to deploy on Op TELIC 1, The Gulf War but long afterwards, were stood down.
Instead, there was a merger between A and B Squadron Support Troops to make a 24-man Troop who would deploy on Op TELIC 2 in 2003. Deploying to Al Amarah, the Troop enjoyed an excellent tour spending time patrolling the streets of Al Amarah, Baghdad among other hos- tile areas. It was here that Bobbie had his first taste of live combat. Although a young Lance Corporal at the age of 23, when his Troop Sergeant was injured, he took over to command the vehicle for the remainder of the tour which was a huge show of faith from the Squadron Chain of Command.
In 2005, Bobbie was again deployed in Iraq, this time selected as one of the Commanding Officer’s close protection team. After a quiet but enjoyable tour, Bobbie returned to attend the Armoured Recce Commanders course where he excelled and was selected as top student.
Posted to C Squadron, he immediately deployed on PDT (Pre-Deployment Training) to prepare for Op Herrick 5, Afghanistan again in 2005, his sec- ond tour in 9 months. This time a recce car commander in C Squadron, Second Troop and although a newly qualified commander, was selected as lead callsign – C22. Throughout the tour, C Squadron were engaged in fierce fighting with C22 often in the thick of it and the first Light Dragoon callsign to be engaged in contact in Afghanistan.
In 2007 Bobbie attended the Joint Terminal Air Controller course, promoted to Sergeant then deployed on Op Herrick 10 in 2009, attached to Charlie Company, The Royal Welsh as their JTAC in Musa Qala. In an extremely kinetic AOR, the Company were engaged in fierce com- bat on a daily basis. As a very competent
JTAC, he was highly effective, he neutral- ised multiple enemy commanders. During one particular contact, his C/S had lost a sniper to enemy action and was being overrun, bayonets were fixed, pinned down. He took the initiative with the 2x A10 Thunderbolts in the skies above, he called in multiple 30mm strafing missions, danger close, within 25m of his own C/S and neutralised the enemy. Bobbie found himself working with UK Special Forces and it was at this point he decided he would attempt SF selection himself. On his return from Afghanistan, he attended the SF briefing course and started SF selection in January 2010, just 4 months after returning from Afghanistan. With little preparation time, test week proved to be too much, and Bobbie failed 2 out of 5 tests. Disappointed and exhausted Bobbie decided he would attempt selection again 5 months later in the July.
Now captain of the Regimental football team, against his better judgement, Bobbie played in a Corps football competition. In the first game of the competition, he rup- tured his ACL which meant game over..... not just for this tournament but more importantly for the SF career he desper- ately wanted.
At this point, Bobbie was a Troop Sergeant in the newly formed B Squadron, Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF). Hoping to recover in time for the next Op Herrick deployment in 2012, his recovery did not go as planned and instead, was posted to MT Troop. Trusted implicitly, as a Sergeant, he deployed as the Brigade Troops MTWO and was not found want- ing. He was rewarded with promotion to Staff Sergeant and posted to the Training Wing as RGSS.
The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
Capt Bobbie Buchan
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