Page 88 - KRH Regimental Journal 2022

86 The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars
It is a unique privilege to be in a position of influence in the daily running of the organisation. The Executive Officer was regret- tably absent for six months in 2022 and so I stepped into his espe- cially large shoes, which mostly involved running a multitude of MS Teams meetings and juggling many competing priorities. As there is no regular Operations Officer, I deployed personnel on operations with regular counterparts in Mali and Poland, Op INTERFLEX in the UK, exercises in Kenya and various MACA tasks. The Regimental main effort to deploy a dismounted squad- ron of 120 soldiers to Cyprus on an overseas training exercise was a success. Other events that have kept us busy in RHQ were the Sir Walter Scott Pageant, the Freedom of Edinburgh Parade and the 19th Light Brigade Resubordination Parade.
For my part, I have tried to make the most of every opportunity that presented itself. With the CO dislocated from RHQ I have represented the SNIY at various Brigade conferences and the Melrose Rugby Sevens Hall of Fame Dinner – hoping to speak to Jonny Wilkinson (he didn’t attend). I completed the Jackal PWO qualification in Magilligan and later a Spurs
Course with the SCOTS DG to prepare me for mounted parades (I remain unprepared!). I am grateful to have
had the opportunity to represent the SNIY at the Combat Arms Sailing Regatta and sail for the Army Offshore Sailing team in the RORC Myth of Malham race and Cowes Regatta.
A particularly memorable and poignant time was working in the Ops Room during Op UNICORN, the Scottish aspect of Op LONDON BRIDGE. For this work I was later invited to dine with the Royal Company of Archers (King’s Bodyguard for Scotland) alongside CGS and GOS. I assisted in the visit of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Defence Ministers where I met the Defence Secretary, and I attended the St Andrews Day Dinner in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle. To top it off, my time as Aide De Camp to the Lord High Commissioner entitled me to a room in Holyrood Palace for a week as I performed my duties for Her Majesty the Queen’s representative in Scotland.
This is a job that I would heartily recommend to any keen sub- altern coming to the end of their time at Regimental Duty. You must be willing to work to an unusual schedule, seize oppor-
tunities as they arise and drink lots of whisky!
AN