Page 6 - QDG Volume 9 No. 2 2021

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1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
reinforcement. The relationship has been further enhanced by the healthy growth of the Welsh Yeomanry Troop based in Cardiff, which is mainly made up of QDG Regimental Comrades. It is proving to be an excellent opportunity for those who leave the Regiment but wish to continue to serve part time.
C Squadron deployed in May and came under the watchful eye of another QDG, Colonel Dan Duff, the Commander British Forces
in Mali. The Squadron had
a very successful tour as
many of you who read their
‘Mail from Mali’ updates
will have ascertained. They
deployed hundreds of kilo-
metres from their base at
Gao and for long durations
and the Squadron was
involved in the first combat
action of the British Army
(less Special Forces) since
2015. The Sun called the
action on 20th October the
Battle of Devil Dune with a
headline of “Crack British Troops on world’s most dangerous peacekeeping mission tell of their deadly battle with ISIS terrorists” and as we would expect, the officers and soldiers involved performed superbly and with great professionalism. C Squadron recovered back to the UK in November via a very brief decompres- sion in Gibraltar and were able to enjoy Christmas with their loved ones.
Meanwhile, Regimental Headquar- ters, A Squadron and elements of HQ Squadron started their preparation for deployment to Mali. A Squadron (Major James Curry) trained in Cyprus and on Exercise RATTLESNAKE in Fort Polk Louisiana and then joined the remainder of the force for a mission rehearsal exercise in October. They all deployed to Mali in November and it was wonderful to see the Regimental family come together to bring them and their families a little Christmas cheer. Regimental comrades, principally led by Mark Ashley-Miller and our RCA Chairman, Chris Gibbons, raised funds to buy Christmas hampers, which were then delivered in person to the families across the UK. A gift to each member of the taskforce was also sent out to Mali and gratefully received just in time for Christmas. The generosity of those of you who helped raise the funds for this initiative was truly humbling.
Other members of the Regiment deployed in 2021 to provide Force Protection for the British Army Training Unit Kenya and individuals attended the Operational Tracking Instructor Course in Brunei and conducted capacity building in Ghana and Gambia.
For the first time in many years, the Regiment is 100% manned, but we
have work to do to increase the flow of Welsh and Marches recruits. Being based in Norfolk makes this a challenge and made our future basing solution top of my priorities, which I will return to below. To ensure we have a higher profile across our Recruiting Area, the Commanding Officer has formed a Regi- mental Engagement Team of a SNCO +1, reinforced by the Farrier Major and
our mascot LCpl (Longface) Jones as required, all with branded 4x4s, trailer and pop-up stands. Regimental social media presence has been enhanced, with some talented young photographers and content creators. I also applaud the Commanding Officer’s initi- ative to post some of our brightest and best Senior and Junior NCOs to AFC Harrogate, ATR Pirbright and Bovington to nurture young recruits. The Regiment has also been proactive in
supporting our badged Cadets across Wales and raising money for our Welsh charity, Dreams & Wishes.
The wider regimental family has main- tained contact during the pandemic with virtual and some physical events. An all-ranks reunion in Cardiff in October was so eagerly awaited that for some comrades a Saturday night event started on the Thursday – impressively, though being out of practice very few, if any, seemed to peak too early! We also held a delayed Annual Officers’ Dinner in November, which was well attended. I very much hope that 2022 will see a return to some semblance of normality, enabling us to hold the full spectrum of social events and gatherings.
The long-awaited ‘Future Soldier’ announcement of the structure of the Army following the Integrated Review came in late November and is a broadly positive outcome for the Queen’s Dragoon Guards. The move from 7th Infantry Brigade and 1st (United Kingdom) Division to a new 1st Deep Recce Strike Brigade within the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division (with effect from Sept 2022), reflects the Army’s desire to enhance its ability to prosecute the Divisional Deep Battle and returns QDG to a role akin to the Medium Reconnaissance we had at the end of the Cold War and espe- cially familiar to our Operation GRANBY (Gulf War 1) veterans. It should give the Regiment the best of both worlds – continued opportunities for overseas operations and training but also access to the best Combined Arms Training to maintain warfighting skills. The only downside is the loss of 16 QDG posts as we move towards a leaner structure with
greater dependency on Reservists. ‘Future Soldier’ also included confir- mation that our future station (not before 2027) will be a new build two-unit barracks at Caerwent, near Chepstow, which we will share with 1st Battalion, The Rifles. This is most welcome news as it is clear that recruits increasingly wish to serve close to home and a Welsh posting will make it far easier for us to attract recruits from Wales and the Marches. Furthermore, a UK-based Army places less emphasis on family mobility and accompanied service and the direction of travel is away from service provided accommodation. So, there is a real advantage for our soldiers to serve close to their families and homes and this can be positive for retention. We will need to scrutinise DIO’s plans for the site to ensure that we preserve Regimental integrity in messes, accommodation,
and offices etc.
As the only Welsh regiment based
in Wales, it will keep QDG firmly in the public eye and place us in pole position for major civil engagements as well as facilitate our support to our badged Cadet detachments. Ultimately, it will secure our identity as the Welsh Cavalry and I know that Wales will be delighted to welcome us home and I look forward to the opportunities we now have to enhance our profile as an icon of Wales in the UK and of the UK in Wales.
Looking ahead to 2022, we hope to return to a full programme of Reunions, Dinners and RCA Branch events. We expect a return to a traditional Cavalry Memorial weekend with our Officers’ Dinner on 6 May and Cavalry Sunday on 8th May. The Regiment is also planning a series of homecoming events in the Summer for the troops returning from Mali. Parades are being planned for Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Hereford so keep an eye on the www.qdg.org.uk website and your RCA Newsletters for further information.
Thank you all for what you do to keep the Regiment First and Foremost!
AR
The Regiment has also been proactive in supporting our badged Cadets across Wales
Lt Col Tyson receiving his regimental medal from the Colonel of the Regiment.