Page 8 - Light Dragoons 2023 CREST

The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
Introduction by the Commanding Officer
After twenty years of low-intensity operations the British Army is again training to defeat Russia in Europe. Light Dragoons remain in the vanguard.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine defined 2022. The battlefield there echoes the past but resonates with modern technology. The trenches would be familiar to those who fought at Flanders and the tank action evokes the battles of the Bocage. Drones, electronic warfare, sophisticated satellites and cheap cameras make it hard to hide, while modern munitions, both dumb and smart, make surviving even harder. To be relevant we must be prepared to fight in these conditions.
The Light Dragoons started the year train- ing to fight in this scenario and were vali- dated as combat-ready. The test exercise saw our three sabre squadrons fight as a battle group against an enemy simulat- ing Russia. And we succeeded. We did the basics well, made simple plans, and fought to win. The foundations of our success will be familiar to any Light Dragoon: straight shooting, equipment care, vehicle recogni- tion, camouflage and concealment, good drills and some recce neck. The exercise set the tone for the rest of the year.
Throughout 2022 we were prepared to deploy from Catterick at between ten and
thirty days’ notice as part of the national deterrence plan. Squadron deployments to Poland and Oman contributed to this strategy by reassuring allies and deterring adversaries. Constant training maintained the Light Dragoons’ fighting edge through the year but we were to be tasked to help others too.
On the 14th of June we received orders that we were to train the Armed Forces of Ukraine, starting before the end of the month. Within a fortnight the first batch of 200 recruits had arrived at the North Yorkshire training camp we established. Companies from 3 Scots, 4 Scots, 1 Royal Anglian, Netherlands and Norwegian Armies, and a squadron from the RAF Regiment, came under command to assist. All were superb. By Christmas we had trained 2554 Ukrainian soldiers. This was the most relevant task I feel the regiment could have done in 2022, short of fighting Russia in Ukraine.
We took last year’s tasks deadly seriously but I’m glad to report that we did not take ourselves seriously. I have seen our peo- ple soldier with classic Light Dragoons spirit, determination and humour all year, whether A Squadron on the attack on Salisbury Plain, B Squadron manoeu- vring in the Omani desert, C Squadron scaling mountains in Poland, or HQ
Squadron everywhere, making things hap- pen. To paraphrase Clausewitz; the Light Dragoon’s character may change but its nature does not.
I am very proud to reflect on what this reg- iment has achieved this year. We have so much to look forward to in 2023, including a squadron deployment to Kenya, a battle group deployment to Estonia, regimental training in Germany, and operations on NATO’s eastern flank in the winter. I am honoured that I have the opportunity to command the Regiment for another year and a half.
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CO and RSM at 2 SCOTS Assaye Colour presentation