Page 40 - KRH Regimental Journal 2022

38 The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars
Motor Transport
You could quite easily sum this year up with white fleet, fuel cards and baggage trucks; all have proved sticking points throughout the many activities the department has supported. Yet again, despite the team being separated across the UK and Europe for the majority of the year, it has delivered. 2022 would find the department’s primary focus being on Ex DEFENDER22 (DE22), Op CABRIT 11 whilst also maintaining a rear operation group (ROG). Every member of the MT department was required to step up significantly; the commitment of all its members has been impressive and because of them the Regiment has profited.
The team sheet would still have Capt Walton as MTO for a third year, WO2 Kennedy as MTWO and Sgt Judge as the new MT SNCO. Cpl Roberts would be front of house as the Tp Cpl with Cpl Parr and LCpl Wilton heading up driver training. On a deployed footing the A1 Echelon would be supporting a completely dif- ferent battlegroup formation; 3,0,1. Three tank Squadrons, one Danish (on Leopard), and an Anti-Tank Company from the Scots Guards on Mastiff.
The first significant activity for the department would be setting the conditions for DE22 with the vehicle activation party deploy- ing to Sennelager and Monchengladbach Germany. One would think that getting workforce to support this activity would be simple, but Field Army priorities made resourcing this endeav- our extremely challenging. Tpr Jones put in a great shift and, despite a badly timed German bank holiday, the battlegroup was furnished with an impressive looking fleet of cars to support mul- tiple locations in Germany and Poland.
Concurrently to this the department would support the move- ment of vehicles, equipment, and freight from Tidworth to Marchwood and onwards to Poland, whilst simultaneously sup- porting the movement of people by road and to meet various flights to Germany and Poland. The MTWO and Sgt Judge exe- cuted this task flawlessly and in doing so played a significant role in ensuring that the battlegroup was ready to start DE22 on time and, most importantly, in Poland. The exercise itself really tested the A1, with multiple medical, C-Pers and battle resupply serials rapidly playing out. A1 had been bolstered with a Med LO, Lt Hatcher and RMP LO, Lt Hollis and was well placed to man- age. Cpl Mitchel, as always, produced a gold-plated Unit Holding Area and, with a Unit Aid Post bolstered with additional Med assets, valuable training was achieved. The exercise was fast paced and an enjoyable challenge for all.
‘That tree was definitely that angle before I got here...’
On completion of DE22 Vehicles, equipment, and ISOs moved out via road, then sea (reasonably) seamlessly with HQ SSM, WO2 Thorpe now well versed in heading up the Port and Task Group. The coaches were less simplistic; let’s call it a misinter- pretation of the ask for baggage lift! Nevertheless, due to some dedicated drivers and some fortunate foresight in the MT depart- ment’s planning, baggage was shuttled from Poland back to the various locations in the UK using LUTON vans held by the bat- tlegroup. Particular praise must go to of WO2 (RQMS) Dyer who had to formulate a load list for each shuttle of baggage for the German customs control. Due to a colossal team effort across the entire battlegroup all people and equipment arrived home in time for some well earnt summer leave.
Post Summer leave the MTWO; WO2 Kennedy left us to embark on a new role with the Army Trials and Development Unit (ATDU) in Bovington. We wish him the best of luck and thank him for the impressive shift he put in as the MTWO. His replace- ment, WO2 Oakes, would head the ROG, not only as SSM but also as MTWO supported by Cpl Matthews drafted in from the RDS, along with a small team. The MTO and Sgt Judge were on the log for Op CABRIT 11, comprising a small detachment of LCpl Freeman, Tpr Evans, Tpr Culi and our adopted guards- man LCpl Hill of B Coy, 1SG. With manning thinly stretched between two locations, September 22 would see the MT depart- ment spread across Europe again.
Op CABRIT 11 was like jumping on a treadmill already at full speed, as soon as we landed the exercise pipeline began. Ex BOLD JUNIPER saw the MTO and Tpr Evans deploy to Johvi for a CPX whilst Sgt Judge got to grips with the department’s office in Tapa, with LCpl Freeman heading up the front desk. Ex BOLD JUNIPER gave an opportunity to start working alongside