Page 17 - Light Dragoons 2023 CREST

The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
Another beautiful day on the Plain, not bogged in
a roaring success for The Guards from all points of view. The training benefit was superb, with a little over 4 week’s worth of exercise time, operating as a bona-fide Lt Cav Sqn, as part of a Mechanised Infantry Battle-Group, in the vast open plains of the Omani desert - real Jackal country. It was as good as it gets for sub unit level training and I believe the sqn benefitted enormously from it. When not honing our desert survival skills there was also plenty of opportunity to explore the country with cultural trips to Muscat, sports tourna- ments, AT expeditions and much more. It really was one of those experiences that will stand out for most of those who deployed, as a career highlight- a genuinely enrich- ing experience that brought The Guards back well trained, well rested, but criti- cally, immensely well bonded.
Outside of our core business of exer- cises and operations The Guards had much to be proud of in personal achieve- ments across the squadron. Early in the
Wild Bill McDonald living up to his name
year Cpl Biggins achieved top student on his Crew Commanders course, shortly before Tpr (now LCpl) Menzies was nar- rowly beaten to top student on the PNCO cadre to take second place. There were two notable commendations in the form of a Joint Commanders Commendation for our Tiffy, SSgt Ham and a GOC 1XX Commendation for Lt Elkington. Cpl (now Sgt) Atkinson came top of the regi- mental board for promotion to Sgt, much to ‘Uncle Thirla’s’ pride, and having only recently handed over the reigns of B SSM, WO2 Cawthorne was selected as the next RSM Light Dragoons (which B Sqn takes all credit for). I am also thrilled to report that Tpr Flannery was awarded the inau- gural ‘B Sqn Top Trooper’ prize for his performance during our time in Oman. It will be the first of many annual awards to highlight our brightest and best Troopers within the Sqn and he thoroughly deserved the top spot. For parity across the ranks I should also note that 2Lt Erskine was for-
tunate enough to promote to Lt this year- no mean feat at all...
So as we turn our attention to what prom- ises to be another busy year, B Sqn is in fine fettle. We received the disappointing news late in 2022 that Op Newcombe (6 months in Mali from May 2023), which B Sqn was aligned to, was cancelled due to wider Army commitments. Whilst this was an obvi- ous blow to Sqn morale and focus, I must commend the indelible spirit shown by all members of the Sqn. In true Light Dragoon form we collectively came to terms with the disappointment and turned to face whatever new challenges were to come our way, without so much as a rearwards glance to what could have been. The good news is that the 6 month gap in the forecast of events was quickly filled and we now have the promise of more European focussed activity throughout 2023 – a challenge that I know The Guards will ably rise to.
RPG
Mid battlefield tour beers
Sun, sand and selfies – Oman summed up
15
LCpl Clayton-Reed with questionable tash-sunglasses combo