Page 84 - MERCIAN Eagle 2015

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The New Year was then upon us and
saw a raft of promotions for 4 of our CSgt’s who all picked up their Warrants. The newly promoted Warrants; WO2 Mee takes over as Assault Pioneer WO here at C Company, WO2 Walker picking up RRMT Commander at C Company, while WO2 Coulson moved to F Company as their new CSM and WO2 Hill replaced WO2 (CSM) Simcox as our CSM here at C Company. This was huge scoop for the Company and tremendous news for all those chosen for promotion. Training resumed in the New Year and saw the focus return to Section and Platoon level offensive operations. Despite having
to endure the drive to Brecon what seemed like every other weekend, members of
the Company enjoyed getting back to the more ‘greener’ aspects of training.
April 2015 saw the start of a new training year and the usual STTT to Uganda depart, this time with 2Lt Moulding, 2Lt Sansom, WO2 Lovell, WO2 Mee and Cpl Terry deploying from C Company supporting the 4 MERCIAN lead team. Despite best efforts by WO2 Mee to antagonise and break Mr Sansom’s morale the trip was not spoilt and the team enjoyed a successful 2 weeks in Uganda. The Company conducted its usual MATTs training and enjoyed some time on the ranges at Strensill in York firing their ACMT. In a busy period WO2 Lovell also deployed to Kenya for 4 weeks to support 2 LANCS and 4 YORKS on Ex Askari Storm. May 15 saw a team led by Sgt Leverton including Cpl Terry, LCpl Leatherland and Fus Deakin (A Company, 4 MERCIAN) do extremely well at UKRFA Exercise Altcar Challenge; a Shooting and Military Skills Competition, collecting silverware in the ‘Break Contact Competition’ and the ‘TES Stand’. The awards were presented to
the team by Major General Munro, the most senior Reserve Officer in the Army at present. This was a fantastic achievement amid hard fought competition from across the army.
Soon after this 2Lt Sansom departed on the Regular Platoon Commander’s Battle
L-R: CSgt Coulson, Lt Watts, CSgt Hill, 2Lt Moulding, CSgt Walker / Colour Party / Gheluvelt Memorial Gardens - Worcester / 31 Oct 14
Course (PCBC) completing all eleven and a half weeks of the Tactics course and gaining a competent pass, showing that Reservists can step up to the mark of our Regular counterparts. This year’s annual pilgrimage to the Crich Memorial was marked not only
The introduction of Drill Training Days has allowed us to put on more diverse training
for its horrendous weather, but also for it being the first time members of C Company were able to attend the event without having to do the setup work for the event or man
the car park, as has been the Company’s traditional responsibility for the weekend. Instead this was taken on by F Company
– our thanks and commiserations to
them – and we were able to don suit and regimental tie to enjoy the brief spell of good weather and a hastened ceremony.
Recruiting as ever has been at the
heart of the Company’s activities, with
2Lt Moulding and WO2 Walker running
two separate ‘Look at Life’ Weekends
for the Battalion, aimed at showing potential recruits to C Company and
the wider Battalion what army life is like. The Company’s recruiting efforts allowed us in July 2015 to seize upon the opportunity to work alongside Mansfield Town Football Club, ‘The Stags’, who were keen to put their players through some basic Military Training. Thus a small team lead by WO2 (CSM) Hill took the football players and
Mansfield Town Football Club Players / Ex Mercian Stag / Chetywnd Barracks / 06 Jul 15
THE MERCIAN EAGLE