Page 146 - RSDG Year of 2022 CREST

154 EAGLE AND CARBINE
OFFICERS VALETE
Major Alasdair Maclaurin
With a name like Alasdair Maclaurin you would expect him to attend Sandhursts Regimental Selection Board with a Scottish Regiment. Ali’s first choice, the 3rd Birmingham Pals Battalion unfortunately disbanded not long after he left school, so in 2011 after impressing the Colonel of the SCOTS DG with his master’s
degree in Fish Farming and passion for University Rugby OCdt Maclaurin marched up the steps of Old College and commissioned into the SCOTS DG. He learnt his trade as a CHALLENGER 2 tank commander in familiar country before arriving at regimental duty in Fallingbostel in 2012.
Ali was a Troop Leader in C Squadron, those halcyon days saw him go to BATUS in Canada to be with the SCOTS DG BG and “despite what the 2012 Eagle and Carbine says, let the current record state that it was in fact Cpl Quinn and 2Lt Maclaurin’s tank that fired the last live round from a SCOTS DG Challenger 2 tank, not that of John Stone”. Having learnt to Tank Command he then learnt to ski in Alpbach with the ski team, which is where I first got to know him and we shared a room at Kathi’s when we didn’t misplace the keys. A determined and hardworking sportsman he refined his skills and at the Divisional Championships he was the fastest Novice on the Super G, before his capability tripped his ambition into the netting half way down the Downhill.
2013 was then dominated by Op HERRICK 19 where Ali deployed to Afghanistan as a Troop Leader with Sgt Stevie Broon and Cpls Jarret and Humphries. Bookending the operational tour with sport the rugby season saw Ali play in teams that won the Army 7s Champions and British Army Germany Championships before joining the ski team in Alpbach for a second season, Ali challenged Physics in an attempt to get faster and Ali’s knee lost.
After rigorous ACL rehabilitation and lots of careful navigation of an icy tank park on crutches. Ali took over as C Sqn 2IC in 2014 and commenced the Light Cavalry re-role. Re-roleing and re-basing back to Scotland simultaneously was a punchy task and Ali volunteered to be involved in the planning for the “coming home” Waterloo 200 parades and moved to Edinburgh in December to assist the team in Home Headquarters.
This helped to smooth the move to Leuchars in 2015 and Waterloo 200 was a huge success with regimental representation across Scotland and Europe. His final stint in Edinburgh Castle was working with the Tattoo Support Group and developing a network and presence for the serving regiment in Edinburgh. 2016 saw a short highlight in Ali’s rugby career as he started for the Army 1st XV vs Oxford Uni which was followed by a move straight into Regimental Head Quarters where he was in and out of the Commanding Officers office and planning the culmination of the Light Cavalry conversion planning and conducting Ranges in Warcop and Headquarters Training (CAST) in Sennelager as Ops Bravo then Ex WESSEX STORM as ‘defacto Ops’ before taking over as Operations Officer in the Autumn. 2017 was a bumper year gathering airmiles on the Inaugural Ex DESERT FALCON in Oman, Ex MESSINESS in Australia and then mission specific training for Op TOSCA in Cyprus. During which Ali developed hugely beneficial relationships with the Media and local businesses as part of the planning of the Presentation of the New Standard in 2018. After endless meze and a lot of time in the gym Ali success- fully didn’t hand over Ops Officer to Alex on the drive back from Cyprus with Gordon and I in our Cypriot taxi “Emelia”.
The Colonel in Chief was so delighted with the way that PONS went that Ali received a personal letter of thanks before leaving Regimental Duty to Platoon Command at Sandhurst, as the regiments first platoon commander since Lt Col Will Leek. On selection for promotion to Major, Ali was also selected for the Battlefield Technology Course. On completion of the BTC he started the Intermediate Staff College in 2020 weeks before COVID-19 immobilised the UK. The course were reemployed as Military Liaison Officer’s to the NHS, Ali was fortunate to return to Leuchars where he was commended for his sage advice and liaison to NHS Fife whilst living in the welfare house with his now wife Steph.
Once restrictions lifted, most of the roads in Fife were cycled before Ali and Steph headed South where Ali worked for DSTL as SO2 Special Projects, Surveillance and Close Battle. For 2 years he wore approach shoes and stuck stuff on drones. In December 2021 Ali and Steph got married before he left the Army in March 2022 without regimental sports colours and moved to Glasgow with Steph where he now works in Crisis Management for Morgan Stanley.