Page 98 - Light Dragoons 2022 CREST

The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
The International Training Development Course 221
We have also been running bespoke instructor courses and leadership devel- opment courses, both overseas and here in Sandhurst. Some of our deployments have been incredibly varied with just one or two instructors deploying to a remote part of a country and bedding in with that Army. Other deployments have been lone visits to discuss how we can best sup- port other countries as they develop their own systems of leadership training. The demand is in part due to the 5000 plus overseas Officer Cadets that RMAS has trained so far, who go on to senior military and political positions, as well as members of ruling families. The experience they have of Sandhurst means it will always be an important part of the Army’s and the Government’s offering to its partners and allies around the world as part of Global Britain; Marne Company simply furnishes that demand as it comes.
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Enemy debrief after a Platoon attack in the jungle
QM, The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry
My arrival at SNIY in Edinburgh in late July 2021 was just in time to see the Scottish summer in its full glory, the sun was shining and the tempera- ture was in the mid-twenties! Result I thought, but as you can imagine it didn’t last. I was welcomed by a friendly LD face in the form of WO2 Pennicott who was coming to the end of his tenure at the unit as the Training Warrant Officer.
The SNIY QM department is a small group covering both technical and main. I found myself as the only regular with an FTRS RQMS who, luckily for me, is ex QDG and has been in post for 6 years, an FTRS ESWO, an Armourer and two civil- ians. My idea that this posting was going to be a nice relaxing affair where I would be left alone was soon shattered as I was soon to find out that the SNIY, although a Light Cav Reserve unit, were every bit as busy as the Regulars, especially when it comes to G4. Audits, frequent exercises to plan for and the normal mundane G4 stuff that ‘just doesn’t happen’.
During my handover and after a quick visit to the sub units which are spread
across Scotland, with B Sqn in Belfast, it was back over to Magilligan Training Centre (MTC) in Northern Ireland for the 2 weeks annual camp. I was last at MTC in 2008 conducting an RWIMIK Comd course in preparation for deploy- ing on Op HERRICK 10 and needless to say the camp has not changed one bit. The unit conducted mounted and dis- mounted ranges, comfortably getting up to section attack at night.
Surprisingly for me, ceremonial events have been a prominent feature in the last 6 months. In Autumn last year, the regi- ment marched through Edinburgh as part of the 250th Sir Walter Scott anni- versary parade, and as I write this, we are a few days away from parading through the streets of the Scottish capital once more as the SNIY will be granted the Freedom of Edinburgh, a high privi- lege indeed. Looking ahead there is the ‘Hitler Line’ parade in NI in the sum- mer and a further parade in Edinburgh for the 225th Scottish Horse anniversary.
The main event for this year is an Overseas Training Exercise in Cyprus
in September, conducting a dismounted exercise around Episkopi, followed by a bit of AT and finishing with live ranges at Dhekelia. All in all a busy G4 time, with the added bonus of some sun and maybe the odd round of golf. Not much changes!
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