Page 8 - MERCIAN Eagle 2018

6 THE MERCIAN EAGLE
CO Foreword
Lt Col Ned Kelly
1 MERCIAN has been at the forefront of defence over the last 12 months: preparing for operations and with a leading contribution to Global Britain, by enhancing the relationship between the UK and Oman through Exercise SAIF SAREEA 3. I am, as ever, humbled by the loyalty, selfless commitment and professionalism of the soldiers in 1 MERCIAN as they deploy from continent to continent; meeting every challenge head on and sealing the Regiment’s reputation at every turn. As ever, it is the unwavering support of our families and loved ones that is so crucial to our success.
2018 began with A and Dragon Company preparing to deploy to BATUS, Canada, with the King’s Royal Hussars Battlegroup (KRH BG) in preparation for deployment to Estonia as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence in 2019. The sub-units give a detailed account of their actions later in this journal but suffice to say they performed magnificently and the KRH BG were delighted
with the professionalism and battle-winning capability delivered by 1 MERCIAN soldiers. The
remainder of the Battalion were not idle as A and Dragon Company fought their way across the Albertan Prairies, with Battlecraft Syllabus (BCS) training, mounted and dismounted live firing in Wales and support to experimentation and training keeping the Battalion occupied in the UK.
Additionally, 1 MERCIAN was central to experimentation and innovation in 1 Armoured Infantry Brigade and the Army, leading Exercise URBAN DAWN 1 and 2 where new training estates (such as tunnel fighting under the City of Bath) and new technologies and tactics (such as remotely piloted airframes or live feed cameras mounted on attack dogs) were utilised to develop the most effective means of fighting in urban terrain. The Army should reap the rewards of this experimentation for years to come.
On the return of A and D Coy from BATUS, the Battalion re-orbatted to prepare for 1 MERCIAN’s key activity of 2018; deploying 849 personnel,
168 armoured vehicles and 179 wheeled vehicles to partner with the Royal Army of Oman in the largest overseas exercise the British Army has undertaken in 17 years. With a new Commanding Officer, Logistics Officer, OC Light Aid Detachment, Warfare Officer and Signals Officer, the newly formed 1 MERCIAN Battlegroup, including Cyclops Squadron from the Royal Tank Regiment, B Battery from 1 Royal Horse Artillery and 5 Armoured Engineer Squadron from 22 Engineer Regiment, deployed on a two week Combined Staff Tactical Training Exercise, where the learning curve was rather steep! Some well-earned summer leave went by in a flash and the advanced party left for the Middle East. A colossal team effort from across 1 Armoured Infantry Brigade and 1 MERCIAN saw the Battlegroup’s armour and dismounts meet in a stretch of Omani desert 3600
Lt Col Ned Kelly / CO 1 MERCIAN summarises the orders group for the final action of Ex SAIF SAREEA, a 100km advance as part of an Omani Division of 20,000 troops / Oman / Oct 18
A (Grenadier) Company
Company HQ
2018 proved to be another epic year for the Grenadier Company with no fewer than two major overseas training exercises with two different battlegroups.
Having only just reformed as a Company in late-2017, the Company had its work cut out
to prepare for a BATUS deployment with the
Kings Royal Hussars Battlegroup on Ex PRAIRIE STORM 1. This was no mean feat, especially with nearly 40 attachments coming to us. Much work had to be done to form the team, meet the BATUS start-state, and to get us from being a group of
OC 2IC
CSM
WSM CQMS (M) CQMS (T)
Major Cooper
Capt Prettyjohn/Lt Brannon/ Lt Arnold
WO2 (CSM) Timperley/ WO2 (CSM) Brown
WO2 (WSM) Dugmore CSgt McCabe
CSgt Mills/CSgt Mason
1MERCIAN