Page 26 - 103RA 2018-20

103 Regiment Royal Artillery
2018
Departing on the long trip north to Otterburn training Area (OTA), the Bty arrived in the early hours of the morning.
Unlike most ‘Annual Camps’ 2018 was to be a Courses camp. This in practice meant that a broad range of courses were conducted in order to train and qualify soldiers and officers across 103RA with the skills they need to undertake their roles within a Light Role Gun regiment.
Within 216 Bty, troops completed Gunnery courses, Arty logistics courses, OP Level 2 and 3 courses to name a few.
In addition to taking part in courses, Maj Young and 2/Lt Walker directed a PNCO course, aimed at teaching Potential NCO’s from across the Army Reserve the necessary skills to command soldiers, and simultaneously to develop their under- standing of the principles of leadership. Once the classroom phase was complete, progressively difficult fieldcraft lessons and training exercises on OTA tested the students’ ability to demonstrate that they had absorbed the relevant knowledge and, more importantly, that they could put these skills into practice under the physically and mentally demanding situa- tions imposed upon them by the courses Directing Staff.
Also, of note, Sgt Aitchison led the instruction of the Command Post Officer (CPO) course for Junior Officers from across the Royal Artillery, teaching them the fundamentals of Commanding a troop of Light Guns in the field as well as the technical knowledge required to underpin their Gunnery overall. Again, following an intense instructional phase during which SSgt Aitchison pushed the YO’s technically and intellectually, the students were then expected to demon- strate that they had assimilated what they had been taught in order to receive their qualifications under the watchful eye of RAGTT SMIG’s who had travelled up from Larkhill for this purpose. Their subsequent success as a cohort was in no small part due to the intricate detail with which SSgt Aitchison prepared their course and the depth of knowledge which he drew upon to ensure they were all well trained prior to their assessments.
Finally, the Regiment came together to deploy once again into the hills of OTA to consolidate the learning that they had gathered over the previous 10 days of instruction and practice across all disci- plines, allowing everyone from Arty Log operators, Signallers, Drivers, CPO’s and OP’s, to the Gun Detachments them- selves, to utilise and train their newly gained qualifications with immediate effect, in a demanding scenario.
Overall, the concept
of a courses camp was
one that, whilst it felt very
different to the traditional
‘Annual Camp’ format,
proved extremely valuable
in ensuring the personnel
of all ranks within 103RA
not only gained the qual-
ifications they needed
for technical and profes-
sional progression, but allowed them to actually practice those skills immediately at a Regimental scale, to the benefit of everyone involved.
Sgt Woods continues. ‘I completed my level 3 observer course at Otterburn for two weeks in September 2018. I was a bit apprehensive initially as I had been on the guns for two years, so was a bit rusty! But I couldn’t wait to pick up the skills again as an Observer. There were two of us on the course and it was very well set up with a virtual training simulator in a converted hanger we could use to practice Fire Missions in.
The course started with a day just refreshing up on level two skills and theory. This involved lessons on theory in the morning then straight into the practical
on the simulator which allows you to endlessly practice the full range of missions including regis- tration, smoke, illumina- tion and finally danger close. We also spent a few days getting up close with the Target Acquisition equipment.
The course ended with two days live firing, this was quite fast paced as myself and another student took it in turn to practice the different missions live. The course was excellent, and the instructors really made me feel more confident and in addition it was great to learn from their experiences on operations. Since the level 3 course I have gone on three live fire exercises and the Annual Deployment exercise where I put my training to good practice during live firing
as a Fire Support Team Assistant.
I am now looking forward to carrying on with future live fire exercises and becoming increasingly confident as my experience grows and am able to pass my knowledge on to the new Gunners who are just starting out their careers within
the Observation Post world.’
I was a bit apprehensive initially as I had been on the guns for two years, so was a bit rusty!
2019
Another long drive to OTA, more bad weather... except it wasn’t! Clearly the length of the drive didn’t change but astonishingly (and so rare as to warrant a mention) the weather upon arrival at OTA for Annual Camp 2019 was fantastic.
leadership and combat skills through platoon attacks, ambushes and recon- naissance patrols. This phase ended with a navigation competition which emphasised the use of bearings over features and/or landmarks, to ensure
Desperate to avoid doing anything that might have jinxed this fortuitous start to camp, all ranks of 103 RA settled into a range package, allowing all members of 216 Bty to get extensive time firing their personal weapon systems, the SA80 A2, but also to get familiarised and practised in using pistols and GPMG’s over the first few days, all the more enjoyable under the summer sun.
(And so rare as to warrant
a mention) the weather upon arrival at OTA for Annual Camp 2019 was fantastic
that the troops were honing their land naviga- tion skills whilst pushing themselves physically.
The reward for all this hard work (during which the aforementioned glorious weather had, predictably, deteriorated) was the beginning of the next phase of the camp.
A cultural visit to Edinburgh, along with Adventurous Training either Mountain Biking
Following this, 216 Bty deployed as an Infantry Platoon for a short exercise to re-visit basic soldiering skills such as navigation, the deployment into, main- tenance, and defence of, a Harbour Area, as well as to give Commanders at all levels the opportunity to stretch their
or trekking along a stretch of Hadrian’s’ wall and a relaxed night out in Newcastle later (...) the Bty conducted some of its own PT under the guidance of Bdr Panaro to help shake out a few cobwebs before preparing to deploy back into the field for a period of live field firing.
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