Page 24 - RSDG Year of 2022 CREST

22 EAGLE AND CARBINE
At this point the team turned its attention to the upcoming deployment. Command Troop as we know and love, split into three parts: Rear Operations Group Command Troop headed up by Sgt Dornan, Task Group Headquarters G6 Team and CO’s TAC featuring SSgt Barrett and Cpl Bell.
The teams began their respective training with Ex WESSEX EAGLE 2 on Salisbury Plain. Comms booming at every stage, the G6 team found other ways to entertain themselves, with WO2 Mullan keeping a watchful eye over proceedings. SSgt Barrett, Sgt Stodart, Cpl Bell and Cpl Mather underwent driver training and numerous range packages in preparation for the team’s deployment to Mali. Cpl Mather in his new role as the RSM’s driver, got off to a great start when he managed to ‘bog’ in his vehicle on his first outing.
Now fully into the Pre-Deployment Training for Op NEWCOMBE ROTO 5, all headed across to the green flat plains of Norfolk for the Mission Rehearsal Exercise. With output from the RSO and unprec- edented crossword skills from the WO2 Mullan, SSgt Weatherston decided to make his own game of “Guess who?” featuring TGHQ staff. All this, however, would not have been possible without the fourth man in the TGHQ G6 Team – Cpl Grimes.
Whilst Team G6 were manning the fort back in Bodney Camp, CO’s TAC was out on the ground keeping the peace and meeting royalty. Rumour has it that His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent asked whether it was possible to award a bar to an Archer Award, to which Sgt Stodart informed him that he “hoped so”. With the Cpl Mather’s eyes on the exercise and heart back in his allotment, he maintained his high standard of driving lasting several hours into the MRX before breaking down. SSgt Barrett turned into the squadron SQMS and earned the name ‘Pablo Elf Bar’ after maintaining moral with Elf bars from an unknown source.
The real graft was happening 453 miles to the north as Sgt Dornan took on not only the work of the G6 team, but also of Command Troop alongside the serial
Capt Pring takes a well-earned rest from his 3 hours on miniCAST.
grafters: LCpl Lynch, Tpr “Feral” Friel and Tpr “Tex” Miller, immersed themselves in the maintenance of the fleet and signals store in preparation for the next instalment of Ex WESSEX STORM. Keen to get out of the Command Troop hangar, LCpl Lynch attended Mud Master 2022, navigating across difficult terrain to reach check points in a mounted capacity – basically a BATUS. Tpr Gemmel was selected for Op REIMAGE, protecting the nation one ambulance shift at a time, while Tpr MacDonald enjoyed his cruise (read arduous sailing expedition) around the Canary Islands. Just as sunny but with fewer refreshing beverages, over on the African continent, once again WO2 Mullan saw his opportunity for a power grab as Capt Peppiatt tried to get out to Mali. On his eighth attempt, the RSO finally made it out to Africa again and took back the reins.
2022 has been a year of mammoth tasks for a busy regiment, and one that has seen Command Troop show its class at every turn.
The forward element of 2022’s Command Troop.