Page 6 - Light Dragoons 2023 CREST

The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
Foreword by Colonel Commandant Royal Armoured Corps
Imust begin by paying tribute to Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Much has already been said but it bears repeating that she set an extraordinary example of service over a remarkable seventy years. It was a privilege for all of us to have served under her as twentieth and twenty-first century Elizabethans and we can only strive to both remember and emulate her calm, stoical and dedicated example.
It was a great privilege to watch so many of our officers and soldiers from across the RAC play such an important and impressive part in the funeral service and procession. The special relationship Her late Majesty had with so many of our Regiments meant that as well as the Household Cavalry the following were all admirably represented: QDG, SCOTS DG, RDG, QRH, RL and RTR. I am grateful to all of you for the fine example you set.
As well as being so heavily committed to Op BRIDGE, the RAC has seen a huge amount and variety of deployments this year. All of which speak to our continued relevance, the desire across Defence to employ our unique skill set and the adapt- ability and resilience of our people. From continued deployments to Estonia, both at BG and sub unit level, to Mali, to Poland, to meeting the migrant crisis and the very real outputs in support of Ukraine’s fight against Russia to name but a few, our peo- ple have continually risen to the challenge. We should take heart that there is little that RAC soldiers cannot do and when there is a job to be done we are ready, useable and highly effective. That we are so is down to the continued professionalism and dedica- tion of our people and I thank you for it.
The outcomes of Future Soldier are not without their challenges, nor has the equipment programme delivered in the way we would have wished. Further, the cost of living crisis poses us all yet more challenges. However, I am heartened by the CGS’s determination to create a more lethal, agile and survivable Army; for what is more lethal, agile and survivable than well led, well trained and highly motivated
RAC units unleashed upon the battlefield? Recent events in Ukraine have served to highlight the importance of maintaining significant mounted combat capability in order to successfully prosecute large scale ground manoeuvre warfare. This is true both in Defence – particularly providing the wherewithal to remain offensive – and, perhaps more visible at this stage of the conflict, in the taking of ground. This has not gone unnoticed and there is good rea- son to believe that our USP of delivering violence rapidly over significant distance with minimal orders and maximum fire- power will reinforce - to others - our rel- evance on the field of battle.
Finally, I cannot end without thank- ing two people in particular. Firstly, my predecessor Lt General Sir Ed Smyth- Osbourne, for his exemplary steward- ship of the Household Cavalry and RAC. We were lucky to have an officer of such wide-ranging and distinguished service as General Ed as our Colonel Commandant and I hope that I will be able to continue to champion our people and our capability as successfully as he did. And secondly, I would like to thank you, the people who make up the RAC; you make it special, you ultimately are the battle winning entity that will secure us victory I wish you all a very successful and safe 2023.
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