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4th Regiment Royal Artillery
Climbing in the mountains
weaved back through the dust and desola- tion of the desert and returned to RSV.
Concurrently to this, the TACP was on Ex MAGIC CARPET. This saw them dropping live ordnance by way of Paveway4 500- pound bombs and 27mm gun strafes. They exchanged tactics, techniques and proce- dures with both the RAF and Kuwaiti Air Force and enjoyed immensely the oppor- tunity to turn some of the sandy desert into glass.
PHASE 4 – ADVENTUROUS TRAINING
The Tac Group enjoyed an ambitious AT package in the northern reaches of the sultanate at a place called Sifah. Here we spent a week sandwiched between sea and mountains in a comfortable camp of teepee tents and generous buffet meals.
The week involved various activities. First we trekked up a wadi, passing goats and caves to a high point before descending back to camp. Afterwards we mountain biked, getting up some speed and tackling obstacles that pushed people outside their comfort zone. Finishing with a time-trial on
Base camp for Adventure Training
Teaching the Omanis on the STTT
an improvised racetrack, we set a blister- ing team time and beat any other rivals by an order of magnitude.
Our second day was sailing. Aboard a smart catamaran we travelled to a cove and swam on a reef, resplendent with schools of colourful fish and turtles. Our third day was a trip to a wadi where we walked, waded, paddled and swam, jump- ing into pools and slipping into Aladdin- caves. Afterwards, we visited a local village and, led by our guide Ibrahim, explored some traditional elements of Omani cul-
Training the Omanis on the STTT
ture, quizzing him relentlessly about popu- lar sports, the price of camels and just how many wives a man is allowed (4, it turns out). After a tea of dates and local coffee we returned to Sifah.
Chalmers Troop pose having hiked up the mountains overlooking the AT camp
Sampling the local culture
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