Page 51 - QDG Volume 9 No. 2 2021

1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards 49
exercising troops. Secondly the US Army has not developed its own version of our own light cavalry doctrine, which meant that they were able to provide an inter- esting outside perspective on the way that the QDG operates in the
field. As the exercise started, the Three QDG Musketeers were moved from the British FOB in the Texan desert to the luxury of Fort Bliss, El Paso. Goodbyes were said to the FIBUA bedrooms, portaloos and solar showers and a very warm welcome given to the soft mattresses, air conditioning and proper indoor plumbing within the vast US base.
There was not much
time to enjoy the full array
of restaurants and bars
however, with the exercise
kicking off immediately. It
was all hands on deck with
Captain Martel taking the
lead as the UK 7X/US 1XX
Liaison Officer, Lt Upward stepping up several ranks to become virtual QDG CO and Tpr Sheal keeping the whole thing running as an RLS driver (the most
vital role as the camp itself is bigger than Reading!). Lt Upward performed valiantly and successfully forced the Russians to unmask their gunline - earning many
(regrettably posthumous) medals in the process.
The exercise itself was a success and demonstrated the importance of regu-
Lt Sam Upmountain
larly integrating with our allies, especially in the face of renewed Russian aggres- sion on Europe’s eastern border. The Three Amigos finally returned to the UK with new tans, new US Army merch and a new perspective on the role that light forces can play in a wider strategic context.
SLU
The American 1st Division, for starters, has in its arsenal more helicopters and artillery that the combined British Armed
Forces