Page 78 - MERCIAN Eagle 2018

Overseas Exercises
Members of HQ Coy have provided a healthy contribution to overall numbers able to deploy on overseas training exercises throughout the last training year. Ex WARRIORS CRAFT in BATUS saw 4 members of the coy deploying as OPFOR in support of the KRH BG and 8 members of the company able to deploy on Ex SAIF SAREEA III attached to the 1 MERCIAN BG. Most recently,
4 members of the coy deployed with 4 YORKS to Lithuania on Ex IRON WOLF. These deployments provide invaluable experience to our soldiers who return more confident in their soldiering ability and keen to contribute to improving our own training.
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HQ Company
Manning and Recruitment
During the last 12 months HQ Coy has
seen a significant turnover of key personnel with the following appointments, seeing a change of personality or welcoming a new arrival into a vacant role:
CO – Lt Col Fraser Cuttle MBE
XO – Maj Frankie O’Connor
OC HQ Coy – Maj Nigel Bradley QGM
QM – Maj ‘Trapper’ Travis
RAO – Maj Jason Mantle
OC RRMT/QM(V) – Maj Brian Johnston MBE BCMO – WO1 Tyrer
RQMS – WO2 Chamberlain
QPSI – CSgt Hudson
Despite what might have proved to be a disruptive period, HQ Coy has continued
to operate with little or no impact despite wholesale change. Numbers have remained
Military Training
Training during this year has concentrated on Battle Craft Syllabus in line with CFA’s intent. The Annual Training Exercise was a Cadre Camp including driving, JNCO Development, Javelin, Guns and shooting and fieldcraft courses. These resulted
in a total of 74 HQ Coy personnel being awarded a Certificate of Efficiency in training year 2017/18. This training year will culminate in March with an ambitious LFTT package in Warcop Training Area which
will take our reservists from individual CQB lanes through live platoon attacks by day and night.
During 2018, HQ Coy congratulated LCpl Fradgley from Kidderminster on his promotion to Cpl as well as WO1 (RSM) Tony Hopkins who has been selected to commission in 2019.
healthy throughout what has proved to be a turbulent time throughout the Army in terms of recruiting and retention and credit for this must go to the Coy Recruiting team who cover Wolverhampton and West Bromwich in the North of our area and Kidderminster and Worcester in the South. Worcester
has provided some notable successes
with the location opening in September 2017 and 12 months later has now seen four soldiers attested and in Phase 1 training with a further four regular attending applicants waiting to attend recruit selection at Lichfield. HQ Coy are located in 3
ARCs, Wolverhampton, Kidderminster and Worcester and are currently 102 trained against a liability of 106 trained strength.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
4 MERCIAN HQ Coy GPMG Training Cadre weekend held in Kidderminster ARC in November 2018
HQ Coy GPMG SP Cadre HQ Coy CSM, WO2 Paul Bywater from Rugeley (L) and Pte Andrew ‘Sid’ James (3rd from R) from Bewdley attended the GPMG SP Cadre held during the Annual Training Camp at Warcop Training Area ing Jul 18