Page 56 - 103RA 2018-20

103 Regiment Royal Artillery
Epilogue
By WO1 (RSM) JD Mallinson
It falls to me to mark the end of the Regi- mental Journal. 2020 has been a strange and difficult year in what I can only describe as challenging for both the Regiment and our families. This year has seen us deal and live with a global pandemic, never seen before in our history. The impact has been felt by all parts of the Armed Forces and the wider population, across the world. We have had to adapt in how we train, communicate and deliver our day-to-day business whilst maintaining Force Health Protection Measures and Government Guidelines in place for COVID-19. The way we have adapted and implemented the changes have been remarkable, especially the way we conducted ourselves on ADE in STANTA, Sep 20.
Since I arrived in Sep 20, taking over from WO1 G Fetigan I have been immensely proud of the Regiment. I made it my main effort to attend as much training as possible to meet you, speak with you and have a better understanding of the Regiment and how I could make it better and improve the lived experience of the Reserve Soldier. I would like to thank you all for engaging with me and making it easy for me to
highlight the problems, concerns and pass them up the Chain of Command.
The Reserve Soldier is exceptional. The knowledge, experi- ence, skill set, and your
enthusiasm show the wider Army what we are capable of and what we can offer to our Regular cohort within the Royal Artillery. I have been greatly impressed by you all when we conduct training, in particular Live Firing and can honestly say we could give any Regular Light Gun Bty a good run for their money. You are profes- sional, experienced, skilled and disciplined which you should all be very proud of. I would also like to highlight the amazing work done by the LAV Band and Pipes & Drums over the last year supporting numerous events in person and virtually.
From a wider Royal Artillery prospec- tive we have supported a vast number of exercises and sporting events over the last couple of years. Exercising with 104 Regt RA in Mar 21 in SENTA
was a key highlight and
showed 1 Arty Bde what
we can deliver from a
Reserve perspective. The
3-year Training Read-
liness Mechanism will
cement our capability in
support of the Brigade
whilst maintaining your
own career and trade progression within the Reserves. In sport we have personnel representing the Regiment in the Gunners Football Team, both male and female. We also have soldiers doing amazing things and representing the Army, Regiment and local civilian clubs in Boxing, Horse Dressage, Table Tennis and Clay Pigeon Shooting.
In the Regiment we have seen C Troop grow in capacity in Nottingham as part of 210 Bty and the formation of RHQ Troop under 209 Bty in St Helens with the OP Troop and Gun Troop. Recruitment is healthy and I ask you all if you can help and assist with recruitment then please do, even if you get one person interested and attending a Drill Night to look at life within
the Reserves will help and assist in recruiting future members of the Regiment.
As my time as RSM draws near, I can honestly say it has been an absolute honour and privilege to be the RSM of 103 Regt RA. You should all be very proud of yourselves in
what you have achieved and contributed to over the last few years. I wish you and your families the very best of luck for the future.
You are professional, experienced, skilled and disciplined which you should all be very proud of
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