Page 16 - 103RA 2018-20

103 Regiment Royal Artillery
Annual Deployment Exercise
2020 ‘Gunnery Week’ By Maj Mark Greenhalgh RA
Rumours abounded that the Regiment was still undecided as to how and where the next Annual Deployment Exercise (ADE) would take place. With the location now confirmed, this latest ‘annual training event’ was just another part of a busy and exciting year for 103 Regiment RA.
After an excellent pre-ADE training period that involved numerous STRIKE and ANVIL gunnery exercises the Regiment deployed on ADE 2020 to Stanford Training Area (STANTA) in Norfolk. The advanced party deployed in good order and secured the range complexes that would serve as EXCON and A2 Echelon whilst concur- rently the WOCIS (WO2 Phillips) estab-
lished the Regimental Operations room and BC/SPSI 210 Bty TAC marked the route in ready for the Regiments arrival.
tactical deployments whilst practicing individual field craft.
The vast expanse of the Stanford
On 12 September the The next seven Regiment deployed on ADE
20, the Special to Arm Artillery
exercise, under the helpful
guidance of the Regimental
Gunnery Staff, IG support
from 221 Battery, Royal
Artillery Gunnery Training
Team (GTT) and fired the L118
Light Guns for the first time
in 6 months. The Regiment
found itself learning (or relearning) L118 Light Gun recce and manoeuvre practices,
Training Area provided the opportunity for more realistic training than is ever possible in Otterburn or Sennybridge and the most was made of this. The next seven days saw a programme of progressive training and newly appointed SPSI 210 Bty (SSgt Exelby) wasted no time in gathering the nominated recce party
personnel and putting them to task. Lessons began in earnest with recce and
days saw a programme of progressive training
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