Page 20 - RSDG Year of 2021 CREST

18 EAGLE AND CARBINE
The Spirit of the Wadi
the fundamentals of soldiering. It also gave the oppor- tunity for new members of the Squadron to show off their skills. Newly-arrived Cfn Doherty gallantly stepped up to lead a live section attack at night. This was followed by two weeks on Castlemartin ranges, seeing the Squadron progress from static crew shoots to bounding troop advances at night. These were vital weeks for crew cohesion before Ex WESSEX STORM.
After Easter leave the Squadron took full use of some empty space before deploying on Ex WESSEX STORM by running a training cadre. This ranged from trooper level in the first week, with troopers taken through a series of training serials from medical scenarios, patrolling tests and IED lanes. This culminated at the end of the week with section attack lanes and finished off with one of Cpl Dance’s iconic stretcher races. This then ramped up to troop level by the final week, see- ing all three troops conducting CTRs and raids, which gave troops their first opportunities to work together in a dismounted capacity. There was also ample chance to practise human intelligence and soft posture patrol- ling on several days. Support for this was provided by the Pipes and Drums, and run by Capt Peppiatt
as 2IC and 2Lt Davit, an AAC officer briefly a part of C Squadron.
The regiment deployed to STANTA for the start of EX WESSEX STORM in early May. This saw C Squadron deploying without an SSM; for the first frantic week Sgt Christie stepped up as SSM as well as keeping down his normal job of SHQ Tp Sgt. It was a task he performed with his normal high degree of profession- alism, for which he was rightly awarded a CO’s coin. Much to the excitement of the Squadron, the chal- lenge was then taken up by one SSgt Mitchell MC, who brought his infamous good humour to the role and started kicking the Squadron into shape.
The regiment spent four weeks at STANTA, where troops learnt to work together and in a wider squadron context. Useful lessons were learnt in hides, leaguers, communications and general R2. The culmination of our time in Norfolk was the troop lanes, where all three troops travelled the length of the training area on a route recce, conducting KLEs, exploring numer- ous NAIs, calling in fire and of course tactically cover- ing the ground. With many lessons learnt and success capitalised on, the regiment then moved to Salisbury Plain for the main part of the exercise. Mercifully the weather significantly improved with our move south- west. From nightly torrential downfalls to 30C in a matter of days. The exercise gave the troops several exciting opportunities to practice our deep love of screening Copehill Down for days on end and fight- ing for comms. The Squadron advanced all the way across the plain and, as dawn broke, a host of T80s carefully disguised as C2s and CVRT’s from the QRH rolled over the hills into our carefully laid trap. Sgt McGoochan’s Javelin Screen claimed many scalps, as did an incurably enthused Lt Maclachlan, whose brav- ery on any other day would have won him at least a DSO (he had to settle instead for a CO’s coin). The remainder of the Squadron then fought a wonderful fighting withdrawal over the bridges, which were in turn blown. The whole exercise culminated in a dar- ing raid over the border into Wales. The Squadron mounted up on chinooks and flew into Carewent, where it fought a brilliant advance, clearing buildings along the route to the main FOB. Mission success was achieved when Cpl Preston and Sgt Connell denied the SAM missiles, after which we slipped back across the border to Salisbury Plain.
WESSEX STORM ended and straight away the Squadron was rolling into its next challenge, march- ing down the Royal Mile for SCOTS DG 50. This also saw a change in personnel as Capt Peppiatt bowed out after a very successful time as Squadron 2IC and was replaced by another man of high stature: Capt Dzwig.