Page 31 - Light Dragoons 2022 CREST

2021 was all about operations, both in Mali and Poland. However, after any year on an operational footing there’s a year of playing catch up and recovery before a busy winter on validation. This has been the QM’s department’s main output, sup- porting a lot of regimental activities and the dreaded assurance regimes that have been the bulk of this year’s work. Our feet hadn’t been back on UK soil for long before it was straight into the assurance regime and the dreaded LSA&I. The team worked tirelessly for long periods and some unso- ciable hours to ensure we were green across the board. This then set the conditions for validation on Ex Wessex Storm.
Mike Ashley’s time at Newcastle Utd was comparable to WO2 Richardson’s time in post as RQMS. However difficult to remove, Mr Richardson was a lot more successful in managing to bring silverware back to the Regiment than Ashley to the Toon. He must hold the record for the long- est ever serving RQMS with 42 months at the helm. It was sad to see him go but we are delighted he took up the role of RSM and we wish him all the very best. During
his tenure he had seen more ammunition demands than Kineton and more requests for boots on the EPC card than Clarkes for ill fitting shoes. Out with the old and in with the new. We welcomed back into the fold WO2 (RQMS) Pennicott who arrived back from his native Scotland, where he said goodbye to the SNIY. Straight off the bat he had the difficult and complex tasks of navigating the QM’s through a very hectic schedule on Ex Steel Dragoon in Castlemartin, followed by the Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise on Ex Wessex Storm on Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA). The Battlegroup fired every nature of ammunition including Javelin missiles, NLAW, HMG, GMG UGL along with copious amounts of 7.62mm and 5.56mm.
During Ex Wessex Storm, the QM’s reverted to its operational roles as B Echelon and was situated out of Knook Camp. It was like arriving back home as we had become well acquainted with SPTA 12 months before on Mission Rehearsal Exercise. The QM’s role was to provide the Battlegroup with G4 support across all aspects so they could validate during extremely arduous condi-
tions. The catering team produced fantastic food with Sgt Gurung and Brown heading up Catering Teams respectively, supporting over 600 personnel. The B Echelon drivers were quickly fed up of seeing the A34 as we clocked up over 8000 miles in 6 weeks to keep the BG on the road with spares and collections daily. In total over 3000 items had to be collected from all corners of the UK; a monumental effort from the soldiers to support the deployed Sabre Sqn’s.
We now switch focus to supporting C Sqn in their upcoming deployment to Poland on Ex Defender. This will see the fleet deploy on a road move to the eastern flank of Poland and take part in a NATO exer- cise. G4 never stops as those who have been involved in it can certainly vouch for. In a time of uncertainty, we need to ensure we are ready, committed to deliver the required output and this has certainly tested us across the board. In these uncer- tain times and events unfolding in eastern Europe, we need to be ready for any even- tuality and after the last 12 months the QM’s are in a great place.
LS
The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
Quartermaster’s Department
Quartermaster Technical’s Department
We naively thought that 2020 was a busy year for the QM(T) Dept, see- ing us heavily involved with the inaugural deployment of Op Newcombe whilst con- currently running an Op Cabrit(P) deploy- ment. Who were we kidding to think that the pace of life would slow down in 2021?
Capt Bell resumed the role of QM(T) in January 2021, after Capt Simpson’s stint in the seat. Capt Simpson was a relieved man and could now concentrate on deploying to Mali as OC NSE, meaning Capt Bell would be double hatting as both QM & QM(T) until Capt Simpson returned later in the year.
The G4 ship was steadied by our robust team of SME’s as they offered direction and guidance to the ROG as to how the Task Group was to be recovered in May/ June, as well as how we were going to recoup the vehicles, kit and equipment that we had given from our own EE to the Mali OEE. WO2 Fyfe was now well versed in the RQ(T) role and SSgt Leslie controlled a rather undermanned 1st Line Optimisation team (1LO).
By April 21 we had a HMTV Basic Unit Fleet (BUF) of only 3x Jackal, so the work started to try and get hold of more of these platforms for the Sqns to conduct train- ing. This wasn’t a simple task as it quickly
became evident that more and more non- Light Cavalry units wanted to ‘play’ at being Light Cav by rerolling on these platforms, meaning competition was fierce to secure these vehicles for our own use. Things slowly picked up and we started to see an influx of Jackal into the regiment. Some of these had ‘Black Comms Fit’ or absolutely no CIS fit what-so-ever; train- ing in role would therefore prove be a bit of a bugger. However, in the age-old tradition we “made it happen”.
Before the dust settled on the Mali rede- ployment the regiment was getting ready for another winter Ex Wessex Storm on Salisbury Plain Training Area! Vehicles, kit & equipment was, Army wide, in very short supply, so we found ourselves beg- ging, borrowing and stealing any kit and equipment we could to get us out of the door for the exercise in Jan 22. In total the regiment had to visit 14 separate unit loca- tions from Lulworth to Inverness to take over enough platforms, kit & equipment to deploy on this exercise. This was Whole Fleet Management at its best!
September saw the CO & QM(T)’s pensions on the line when the Land Equipment Audit Team (LEAT) visited us to con- duct their annual Land Equipment Audit (LEA) on the regiments vehicles, kit, equipment, EC policy & procedures (what
used to be called an ECI). Considering the ferocious turnover of the amount of vehi- cles, kit & equipment we had to deal with over the past year the QM(T) had every confidence in his team and rightfully so; we came out with a very good report and our hard earned reputation still intact. This was testament to the whole G4 team, REME and all the Sqns who engaged tire- lessly at every level to ensure that we didn’t fail.
On the sports pitch congratulations go to WO2 (RQMS(T)) Fyfe who won numer- ous awards in various Triathlon competi- tions, Sgt Rowson for being selected for the Army fishing team and LCpl Matamosi who was the runner up at the RLC Sports Awards for his contribution to Army & Corps rugby league.
Thanks must go to Capt Bell for his work over the past 16 months as he leaves regi- mental duty to be posted as QM(T) to Bassingbourn, only an hour’s drive from his home. Capt O’Connor couldn’t wait to take over! Congratulations go to WO2 Fyfe and Sgt Rowson on their promotion. WO2 Fyfe promotes to WO1 and will move on to become the RSM of the SNIY and Sgt Rowson on promotion has moved into the JAMES SNCO hot-seat.
KB
29