Page 49 - QDG Year of 2020

1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
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COVID-19
COVID-19 had a significant impact on the QDG this year and throughout the year we deployed on a number of tasks associated with the military response (OP RESCRIPT). Some had expected to be on a training mission in
ambulances. 60 personnel deployed along with Lt Cooper and Sgt Evans to provide the command structure. Drivers took a two-day ‘crash’ course in ambu- lance driving (no they weren’t allowed
Over the chin, nose and eyes, apparently
they broke down, it’s unlikely his kick of the tyre and hope it starts, would have had much effect. During this period many of those that had been stood down from TF DOOGAN began delivering and collecting tests at care homes.
A Squadron hit the jackpot when they were tasked to support mass testing in Liverpool! A month in Pontins at the taxpayers’ expense as Real Life Support (RLS) was apparently not as glamorous as it sounds... It’s unlikely that QDG will be booking many more winter trips to Pontins where locals firing fireworks into the camp and the battlefield promotion of Capt. Brockless by the Camp Comman- dant (A Sqn Ldr) indicated tough times. Although they did all get a free Pontins polo shirt which must have raised morale for at least 15 minutes! Some even have the Pontins logo on their Linked In profile to this very day....
ECCC
Nigeria for the summer but instead they made it to even more exotic locations such as Cromer or Dereham. The luckiest even managed to have an extended stay at Pontins Resort! Whilst it might not have been what many expected, everyone involved gave their all to support OP RESCRIPT, whether that was driving ambulances, working on testing sites or providing Real Life Support for the Army’s support to mass testing in Liverpool.
Some had expected to be on a training mission in Nigeria for
the summer but instead they made
it to even more exotic locations such as Cromer or Dereham
to use the lights or sirens!) before TF DOOGAN began taking the strain off EEAST. Luxury was absolute in the Cambridge Holiday Inn, a big improvement from cot beds in Colchester gym which was one plan! The Task Force ran for about three weeks and although everyone wanted to make transfers we were (luckily) underused as the hospitals didn’t have anywhere near the congestion predicted. EEAST were great to work with and QDG, as ever, made a great impression on all that they worked with.
Military Testing Units also used a lot of the QDG work- force during the summer. Teams deployed across the East of England and though not the most glamorous of jobs, all recognised the
The first large task was
Task Force DOOGAN, where
we aptly provided mounted
support to the East of
England Ambulance Service
Trust (EEAST). The aim was
to transfer patients in critical
care between hospitals
(generally from areas near London to the more rural hospitals) to prevent the East of England requiring a Nightingale Hospital. QDG were perfectly placed to do this as the C Licence required to drive JACKAL was necessary to drive
necessity and went about their work with good humour and professionalism. In a quest for good news stories Sergeant Morgan’s Military Testing Unit fixed a car that had broken down at their site. Luckily it wasn’t at Lt Barham’s MTU that