Page 70 - Mercian Eagle 2013

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Headquarter Company
AGC DETACHMENT by SSgt Clare
Again a busy period getting the Battalion G1 ready for HERRICK 19. The Detachment as always have thrown themselves into Battalion life, striving to be embedded arms as opposed to attached ones.
New arrivals since British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) have been the Financial Systems Adminstrator (FSA),
SSgt Clare, arriving from HQ 19 Brigade
in Northern Ireland, Senior Systems Administrator (SSA), Sgt Perrott, coming from 24 Cdo Regt RE, and Privates Cox and Bettridge from Staff and Personnel Support Training School (SPSTS) Worthy Down (The depot). We await the imminent arrival of the new Regimental Administration Officer (RAO), Capt Docherty from SPSTS and the Det Comd Lt Stockham from 21 Sigs Regt in Bath and welcome them to
3 MERCIAN.
Farewells to SSgt Lalley who is now with
HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) in Gloucester, Sgt Broadhurst to HQ Aldershot Garrison; Cpl Garrod to the Falklands; Cpl Junior to 1 LSR in Gutersloh ; LCpl Lake on maternity leave, and finally LCpl Tikoisuva to 2 RIFLES in Northern Ireland; good luck to all.
AGC TRIPLE CROWN CHALLENGE
The Clerks’ annual Military Skills Competition was held in Winchester in March; we managed to send 2 fire teams to compete in the 12 Mile March and Shoot competition. Three of the eight had competed before, however, for most it
was the first time they had covered this distance whilst carrying Combat Equipment Marching Order (CEMO).
The journey from Fallingbostel was conducted in two minibuses, which thankfully went without mishap. The evening prior to the event brought along a crazy
mini hurricane that blew away the female marquee accommodation at 0300 hrs! The ladies seemed happy enough to be
relocated to the gym mind you. The blokes roughed it out – getting almost no sleep that night.
The route was the same as last year, 8 miles out followed by a 100 metre fig 11 shoot, then four miles back. Thankfully, unlike last year the weather was much kinder, in that 2012 had an unprecedented heatwave, not the best thing for a tab.
All went well and both fire teams managed to complete the tab. Fire Team 1 included WO2 Drury, SSgt Clare, Pte Cox and Pte Wynne and Fire Team 2 consisted of Cpl Asquith, LCpl Wraight, Pte Oakley and Pte Paul.
The only mishap came 150 metres from the finish line when SSgt Clare, who thought he would be a hero and carry two bergens for the last four miles, managed to trip over an invisible boulder and ‘face plant’ the ground. Still in true SPS fashion, he got up, dusted down, picked up the bergens and cracked on to the finish line whilst bleeding from the head like a stuck pig. A fun afternoon was spent in
the med centre having
gravel removed with
tweezers – lovely.
The exercise consisted of 12 students with two Instructors setting off for a ride out to the base of the Brocken (the highest peak in the National Park). After an introduction to the bikes and a quick “set up” we headed out on a single track which, after seeing an unusually high amount of rain, was “swampy” to say the least.
After stopping for lunch mid-way up, we split into two groups. Those that felt more confident tackled the Brocken, to be rewarded with some awesome views and a fast descent, successfully dodging the masses of German holiday makers!!
After a hard but rewarding day’s riding we headed back to the lodge for a few well deserved bevvies!!
HIGH ROPE CONFIDENCE COURSE
In June the detachment went to
Walsrode to a ‘Go Ape’ style high wire confidence course. Set in the forests just outside Fallingbostel it provided an ideal opportunity to gain a break from the office
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
As ever, the
importance was not only
of the warrior spirit and
‘soldier’ first mentality
but that of Esprit de
Corps. The two days
were a fantastic opportunity to meet up with old friends from the SPS and to make new ones. The Triple Crown is always a great catch up. Roll on next year.....
MOUNTAIN BIKING
Cpl Martin is our resident Mountain Bike (MTB) instructor and was able to support the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (RSDG) MTB exercise in the Harz Mountains, Pte Bettridge of our Detachment was able to join them.
After stopping for lunch mid-way up, we split into two groups.
whilst carrying out a physically and mentally demanding challenge. A few were very unsure at first and not so keen on the heights involved, but after confidence was gained, and lots
of encouragement and
ribbing from the others, all were swinging around like extras from a
Tarzan movie.
Our current and immediate focus is the
Battalion’s deployment on HERRICK 19. We have already conducted A Coys MCCP and will shortly be starting C Coy’s. We have tried to make the process as pain free as possible (less the injections), however, the Battalion, are well aware and are fully on side with getting the G1 ducks in a row before deployment.
Cpl Asquith, Pte Wraight, Pte Poole, Pte Oakley
SSgt Clare, Pte Wynne on a Tab