Page 16 - RSDG Year of 2013

14 EAGLE AND CARBINE
Trooper Commons and Sergeant Canbnon at the children’s Christmas party
all about so Major Kev McDowell and WO2 (RQMS) Smith took a team of soldiers to Scotland to man a stand. It was a hugely successful event; they managed to get an array of different vehicles all in one place and put them alongside displays showing our equipment and different aspects of Regimental life. All this was combined with the music of the Pipes and Drums blar- ing out to produce a fantastic stand to which people flocked.
At the end of the summer it was our turn to host a Fallingbostel station event. The Welfare team decided this should be a Music Festival and the idea for Fally Fest was born. Captain Ian Lamb and Sergeant Cannon did a great job of organising an amazing day of live music that saw over 1500 people attend. A great time was had by all due in no small part to the ROG soldiers that put in the work to make it all happen. Whether it was erecting the backstage or bar tents, hosting the band members, parking cars or providing security it was the ROG soldiers that made it such a success.
In order to keep the soldiers sane during six months of fairly thankless tasks and guard duties we maximised participation in sport and adventurous training while the Regiment was deployed. Most of the troopers, lance corporals and some of the others were able to get away from Fallingbostel on one of the many exercises and events organised by the ROG officers. The indi- vidual events are all covered elsewhere in the Eagle and Carbine but included sailing, a multi-activity adventurous training exercise in the Harz Mountains, Regimental Stalking, Cresta, Alpine and Nordic ski- ing. There were notable successes in rugby and we won the Germany minor unit volleyball competition.
The ROG was also able to say goodbye to the last of the Regiment’s Challenger 2 tanks. After much prepa- ration to get the three tanks ready for handover, we finally saw them off in November. To mark this his- toric day a citation written by the Commanding Officer was read simultaneously in Bad Fallingbostel, Qargha and Souter before the last tank was driven from the tank park. It was a fitting tribute to the end of our time on armour and one that was emotional for many. The day also saw us receive the first of our Jackal vehicles in preparation for our conversion to Light Cavalry.
We were also able to achieve the first steps in our inte- gration with the Yeomanry. As part of the massive drive to recruit more Reservists, the ROG sent a team of soldiers to assist the Queen’s Own Yeomanry with their recruiting surges in Ayr and Cupar. The Queen’s Own Yeomanry will soon reassign its squadrons to the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry to which the Regiment will be paired. Our soldiers quickly inte- grated with the Reservists to form an effective recruit- ing team during the two, two-week surges. They were successful in their endeavours and were also able to find some potential recruits for the Regiment while they were at it!
The end of the tour saw the ROG welcome back the rest of the Regiment in a cold and crisp Wessex Barracks. An amazing all ranks party was organised in the Heide Halle by Captain Gardiner before a Medals Parade before the Deputy Colonel in Chief. Much good work has been done by the ROG over the course of the last year. From the day-to-day support to the Regiment and the running of the barracks to prepa- rations for Light Cavalry conversion and the move to Leuchars it has been an unglamorous and busy time. It has been a year where ROG soldiers have learnt they are capable of doing their jobs whilst also covering for others and have constantly strived to provide the best support possible to the deployed Regiment.