Page 53 - RSDG Year of 2022 CREST

EAGLE AND CARBINE 51 THE CORPORAL’S MESS
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As 2022 for the Corporals Mess began it looked to be one of the busiest in recent years. Because of this our annual, and arguable biggest night of the calendar, Burns Night, had to be cancelled. With so much going on there was no way to fit it in comfortably for the members. C Squadron kicked things of early in the new year with a Tpr Army Leadership Development Programme (ALDP) Foundation course led by the Squadrons JNCOs passing on their knowledge and skills. B Squadron who deployed on operations in May with the Royal Irish task group had their own ranges to contend with, qualifying commanders and gunners alike, with everyone returning at the end of November to take part in ranges to meet the requirements of the following year. They followed up with troop days out, Christmas festivities and then some much needed extended leave over Christmas and New Year.
A Squadron, having missed out on Ex Diamondback in America, switched focus to ranges and exercising in Dumfries and Galloway. This time was used to allow the JNCOs to utilise their qualifications on ranges and skills sets on exercise before gearing up for pre-deployment training ahead of six months in Mali on Op NEWCOMBE with the SCOTS DG battle group, taking over from B Squadron in December.
With B Squadron away, those left behind started the move to the new Mess premises. Since Covid in 2020 the Cpls Mess has not had a building to call
home. The new mess, attached to the main building of the cookhouse, is now up and running thanks to Cpl McCainsh and his band of merry men that made an empty space into a functioning mess where mess members now have a place to hold mess meetings and have a few sociable drinks.
HQ and A Squadron switched focus during this time to exercise in Salisbury Plain followed by mounted ranges in Castle martin. Those left behind enjoy some Champions League football nights in the new mess with messing organised by Cpl Dryburgh.
The new Mess was also utilised after the Remembrance Sunday service, something which those who attended were keen to see happen annually. The Mess Christmas party was organised by PMC Cpl Miller and a small selection of mess members still in station, giving B Squadron Mess members their first chance to enjoy a few beers after the deployment to Mali in the new mess.
As with every year people move from place to place to that end the mess saw several members promoted, posted out or leave the army. From all mess member of the Cpls mess good luck in your future endeavours: hopefully 2023 will see some stability and a return to mess life.
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