Page 62 - The Wish Stream Year of 2022 CREST

The first practical exercise involved work- ing in teams of four, conducting Pairs Fire and Manoeuvre. Halfway along the lane, fixated on the enemy position 40 metres ahead, gunfire rang in my ears from a position slightly behind to my left. Having momentarily lost situational awareness, I had drifted ahead of my partner and perilously close to his arc of fire. Important lessons had been learnt; know where your team- mates are and communicate your intentions pre- cisely and clearly.
Section attacks followed and were introduced to us by a fantastic demonstration conducted by the onsite Ghurkha contingent. Beginning to fight in teams of eight allowed us all to start develop- ing our leadership ability as we cycled through various command positions. Over the course of the day, I feel we really started to gel as a sec- tion. Together we worked through four challeng- ing lanes, covering varying terrain and obstacles. Whilst half of the Section laid down covering fire, the other half would enthusiastically outflank and storm the enemy position. Precisely describ- ing an enemy’s position can make or break the chances of a successful assault, so I’d advise anyone about to embark on such
nated Platoon Commander, who was assisted by a Platoon Sergeant and Radio Operative, the three Sec- tions of my platoon joined forces to conduct attacks as a collective. At this point of the exercise, we were all starting to feel more confident in our individual roles and excited to be working together in a larger group. Regrettably our radios didn’t enter the final day with the same vigour we did; cold, damp and hindered by the
an exercise to really think hard beforehand about how you would describe different geographic positions. Having a good working vocabulary can help save time in the field and maintain momentum.
The final day of Browning Storm was devoted to Platoon Attacks. Under the command of a nomi-
The lesson here stands true at all points during your time at Sandhurst; anticipate change and be prepared
to adapt!
rolling terrain they started to struggle. Quickly realising the importance of communication, physical effort became imperative as Section ICs and nominated runners moved across the area of operations to pass information up the chain of command. The lesson here stands true at all points during your time at Sandhurst; anticipate change and be prepared to adapt!
Overall, Browning Storm was a fast paced, chal- lenging exercise which provided plenty of good opportunities for our platoon to develop as a team. On reflection, if I had to choose two key pieces of advice to pass on to future Reserv- ists, it would be to never stop working for each other and take time to think about how you can communicate effectively in complex, dynamic environments.
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