Page 6 - 1RHA 2024

1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
A Battery
(The Chestnut Troop) Lieutenant RA Vanbeck RHA
This has been an incredibly busy year for The Chestnut Troop, dominated by the preparation for, and deployment on Op CABRIT 14. The Tac Group deployed for 6 months, and the Gun Group have completed the last three months of CABRIT 14 and will stay in theatre until the conclusion of Op CABRIT 15, totalling a nine-month period. A split deployment has meant that, for a large portion this year, The Chestnut Troop Tac Group and Gun Group have been working on different timelines, and as such have often been separated. Despite this, The Chest- nut Troop has had an incredibly successful year, and the fruits of their labour have been shown on operations.
The last quarter of 2023 saw the Tac Group deploy to Germany on Ex IRON CYCLONE and CABRIT TEMPEST, followed by CSTTX validation in the New Year alongside the 5RIFLES Bat- tlegroup. Taking over the Land Readiness Fleet in Sennelager, the Battlegroup broke new ground in the CYCLONE training event, as part of the future land training model. Overcoming the signifi- cant challenges of preparing a well-used fleet for hard fighting on the Sennelager training area, the Tac Group completed mounted ranges, a BCS concentration and was validated at training level Echo (combined arms sub-unit in a BG context), achieving top marks across the board. After a much-needed break over Christ- mas, they returned in January for Battlegroup validation in the simulator, again taking advantage of the concentrated training environment (and a welcome break inside from the cold of North Germany!).
Whilst the Tac Group were finalising their mission ready training (MRT) the Gun Group was in the initial stages of their own MRT. Two AS90s, two Bulldogs and 20 members of the Gun Group deployed to Castlemartin Training Area alongside the Queen’s
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Royal Hussars (QRH) in order to conduct pintle mounted ranges. These ranges afforded the opportunity to integrate with the QRH who would form part of the 5RIFLES Battlegroup on CABRIT 14. The range package concluded with the Annual Crew Test fol- lowed by a social to relax after a worthy week away.
As the end of the year drew close, the Christmas season beck- oned and to start off the final week, 1RHA gathered together at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to commence the CO’s chal-