Page 85 - MERCIAN Eagle 2015

embarked to Chilwell on ‘Exercise Mercian Stag’ to put them through their paces, an event thoroughly enjoyed by all.
The introduction of Drill Training Days has allowed us to put on more diverse training, 30 members of the Company visited the National Arboretum in Alrewas as part of our wider Regimental Education, while August saw WO2 Mee lead the way in using his Pioneer skills to construct a new skills house at our Nottingham Reserve Centre. The skills house is designed specifically to be our own in house training facility for our soldiers to practise their skills and drills for operations in a built up environment. The annual training exercise departed for Croatia in August on Exercise Sava Star and our own Cpl MacDonald headed up the Medical cover, while Pte’s Firth & Caton went out
on their PJNCO Cadre with Cpl Henshaw instructing.
This year has also seen us welcome several new members to C Company including Capt Karol ‘Ski’ Koniarski who after serving with 3 MERCIAN as Adjutant makes the jump from Regular to Reserve and 2Lt Nat Newman who transferred from the East Midlands Officer Training Corps (EMUOTC) taking over Alma Platoon, training our new recruits. Sgt Stuart Laurie, after leaving 2 MERCIAN in 2012 re-
started his military career this time with the Reserves and joins C Company alongside 2Lt Newman in Alma Platoon as the Platoon Sgt. Sgt Gordon Hardy also joined us, another former 2 MERCIAN soldier, who takes up the challenge as the ‘Recruiting Senior NCO’ within the Company. While LCpl Benjamin Wayte, after leaving
1 MERCIAN for civvy street, looks to keep up his green training now with the reserves.
Pte / Daniels / Boxing for C (Kohima) Company / Nottingham / Jan 15
L-R: Fus Deakin, Cpl Terry, Maj Gen Munro, Sgt Leverton, LCpl Leatherland / Altcar Camp / 03 May 15
Several soldiers have also made the transition to Regular service including Cpl Garbett who is our first Reserve to Regular soldier, joining the Royal Artillery, while Pte Price and Pte Hearne leave us to start their regular basic training. We wish them the best of luck with their future military careers.
Sport has also played an important part of the Company’s success this year
With the Company receiving such a large number of ex-regulars through its doors and the army’s desire to forge closer bonds between its regular and reserve forces under Op FORTIFY, C Company has been at the forefront of exploiting opportunities
to get our soldiers to train alongside our counterparts of 2 MERCIAN. Exercise Grim Grenadier run by A Company 2 MERCIAN in Leek saw Sgt Orton, Cpl Stuart and Cpl Kerry set the trend by joining the exercise and gaining valuable experience along the way. September 2015 saw 2Lt Sansom, Sgt Leverton, Sgt Laurie and Cpl Terry continue in this manner by attending
2 MERCIAN’s Machine Guns Cadre run in Brecon. Sgt Laurie’s belief that he would never have to see Brecon again lay shattered and broken in his hands. The Company’s hope is for this trend to continue into the future and establish a permanent connection with our Regular Mercian counterparts.
Sport has also played an important part of the Company’s success this year, with Pte Daniels heavily involved in junior weight boxing matches across
the Nottingham area and LCpl Wayte continuing to play ice hockey both for the Army and the Regiment. Lt Moulding & 2Lt Newman have been raising money for the Mercian Benevolent Fund indulging
in ‘Ultra Marathons’ and cycling from
John O’Groats to Lands End respectively. Adventure Training has been a huge part
of this activity and in August 40 soldiers from Nottingham and Burton went to Capel Curig, conducting a mix of mountain biking along the Marian Trail, hill walking up Mount Snowdon and rock climbing on London Crag. The soldiers also thoroughly enjoyed a day at the Wake Lake Activity Centre, with power boating, inflatables, wake boarding and paddle boarding on offer.
September also saw us say goodbye to WO2 Dave ‘Shove’ Lovell who after serving with C Company as SPSI departs for ITC Catterick to take up the role of CSM. Sgt Pywell joins us from 1 MERCIAN to replace Shove at C Company.
Finally, a huge congratulations has to go to our very own former CSM, now WO1, Mick Hancock who was presented with
the Queens Volunteer Reserve Service Medal (QVRSM) by Prince William at Buckingham Palace for outstanding service to the Reserves in May 2015, a fantastic achievement, very well deserved and
the Company is naturally very proud of him. With members of the Company deploying to Kenya in October 2015 alongside
2 MERCIAN on Exercise Askari Storm,
the Company looks to consolidate the gains it has made in 2015 and make 2016 another exciting year.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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