Page 134 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

Cambrian Patrol Competition
Pre-Cambrian
Last year E Company 6 RIFLES won the right to represent the Battalion and enter a team for Ex Cambrian Patrol 2016.
For those just starting out on their military careers Ex Cambrian Patrol is seen as the “premier patrolling event of the British Army” which sees teams from any arm or service (including international teams from places such as the US, Georgia and Pakistan) suffer through circa 55km with 25 – 30kg on their back for around 48hours with little sleep or respite while negotiating the toughest terrain Wales has to offer and completing a variety of patrol based scenarios along the way.
FITTING,
ADRENALINE
FILLED, FINAL
CHALLENGE
FOR OUR
PATROL
WHICH
TESTED OUR
SECTION AND
INDIVIDUAL
SKILLS AND DRILLS TO THEIR LIMIT
once in their career; it encompasses all the skills and qualities that we, as Ri emen, pride ourselves on. With the reducing opportunities to deploy operationally the need to ensure we remain at the top of our game has never been more relevant this exercise will undoubtedly push us to our limits and regardless of the outcome we will become better Infantrymen because of it.
Post – Cambrian
I’m proud to be able to report that the 6 RIFLES Cambrian Patrol Team 2016 achieved a SILVER medal nish. In true Army Reserves spirit the nal team was selected from across the Battalion with Ri emen volunteering from the South Coast all the way up to Shrewsbury in the Midlands.
Special mention should go to Rfn George who, having only recently passed out of phase two training, stepped up with a week to go before the competition and more then pulled his weight from start to nish... his rather unique oundering animal ‘tactical’ river crossing style brought some much needed morale during a particularly challenging period and is proving rather hard to forget (no matter how hard we try).
Cambrian Patrol 2016 didn’t disappoint; we were challenged with chemical attacks, downed helicopters and multidimensional warring factions. The patrol action culminated in a QBO style night-time raid on the HVT’s compound using simunition. This proved to be a tting, adrenaline lled, nal challenge for our patrol which tested our section and individual skills and drills to their limit.
The biggest takeaway from the patrol and a huge source of pride for me is the astonishing way that 6 RIFLES reservists seem to have a knack for ‘pulling it out of the bag’ when it matters with a fraction of the time and prepa- ration our regular counterparts get.
I stand by what I said prior to the compe- tition; I believe every member of the patrol has come out of the exercise a stronger and more con dent infantryman and I urge
every Ri eman to put their name forward for Cambrain
Patrol 2017.
2Lt Tom Constable, E Coy
THIS PROVED
TO BE A
Although throughout the exercise we will most likely see other teams it is stressed from the outset that Cambrian Patrol is NOT a competition (yeah right!) and each team is in fact competing against themselves in order to secure enough points to earn themselves a coveted bronze, silver or gold medal.
The selection for the team started in earnest in mid-March (Image 1) with a gentle march up, down and around Pen-Y-Fan. Throughout this year the training has been designed to be progressive in nature however there has been special focus on simulating the arduous nature of the exercise itself in order to help with selection; physical tness and military experience is all well and good but I see the need to be mentally robust as the key attribute for all aspiring Cambrian Patrol team members.
The closer we get to the exercise itself the training will move away from the physical and on the practical/theoretical military skills needed to ensure we score well on each stand these include (but not limited to!): navigation, rst aid, CPERS handling, C-IED, patrol skills, recce skills, vehicle/weapon recognition and the dreaded river crossing scenario!
In my opinion the Cambrian Patrol is an exercise that all Ri emen should aspire to complete at least
The 6 RIFLES Cambrian Patrol Team 2017
132 SIXTH BATTALION
THE RIFLES