Page 33 - QDG Year of 2022 CREST

HQ Squadron
One of the most inspiring quotes I’ve read is from Winston Churchill, he said, “To each, there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figura- tively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing... what a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared for that which could have been their finest hour.” Churchill also often remarked, “If you want some- thing done well, find a busy person to do it”. I am sure that when our taskmasters in Army HQ need a job doing well, they turn to a trusted and ‘busy’ unit, so QDG often receives the ‘tap on the shoulder.’ It is Headquarter Squadrons job to make sure the regiment is always prepared for our ‘finest hour.’
For HQ Sqn 2022 was a year of two very distinct halves. Firstly, from Jan to Jun HQ was the Rear Operations Group (ROG) for Op Newcombe 3. Under normal circumstances, a ROG consists of a skeleton crew left to hold the fort whilst the regiment is deployed, however, QDG elements of Op Newcombe 3 consisted of A Sqn, some enablers from HQ and RHQ. The above left the lion’s share of the regiment (HQ Sqn, B & C) under command of the ROG led by OC HQ, Maj Rob Mansel. Secondly, from July to Dec, HQ, and the Sabre Sqn’s (all now recovered from Op Newcombe) were focused on recovery and rebuilding. This was the first time the regiment had been together in one place for an extended period in a few years, and was marked by parades, adventurous training, courses, a new Commanding Officer, and resubor- dinating to the 1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team (1 DRS BCT)
The beginning of the year saw activi- ties you would expect to see to support dependants of deployed service personnel, including Sunday lunches in the regimental restau-
rant and Messes, BBQs, and functions. This support continued throughout the deployed period, firstly under the guidance of the Unit Welfare Officer (UWO), Capt Gaz Pearce (until Apr) and continuing with the new UWO Capt John Davies. Gaz moved on to take the post of Ground Liaison Officer with
the new F35 Lightning Sqn in RAF Marham, we wish him and his family all the very best of luck
and we welcome John and family with warm congratulations on successfully gaining his Late Entry Commission.
January also saw the QM and MT departments switch support focus, in short order. From B Sqn attending an Overseas Training Exercise (OTX) in the USA, to a change of task in Africa (Sierra Leone) to conduct a Short-Term Training Team (STTT) task, showing good demonstration of the adaptability of the team with minimal staffing (under the direction of RQMS Dale Thomas and QM(T) Butch Davies). HQ Sqn operates in a continual plan and execute cycle, at the same time as executing the events taking place in Jan, there was a requirement to ensure the regiment was prepared for events in six months in time. It was during this period that the planning and Recce’s to Wales and the Border Counties were taking place for the homecoming parades in July (Ex
Eagles Return).
February and March were months
marked by change and a sprinkling of fun. Robertson Barracks perimeter fence encompasses the working camp and Service Families Accommodation (SFA), however, during Feb, HQ Sqn in conjunction with Defence Infrastruc- ture Organisation (DIO) managed the division of camp and SFA with a new fence line and front gate, which was a big change for many (with lots of hurdles to overcome). The work involved HQ enablers liaising with DIO and contrac- tors and the Welfare team keeping families up to date with information. All of this was to facilitate the start of handing back housing and the first step on the road to the closure of the camp. Concurrently, we hosted the team from Army Basing and the civilian engineering company charged with designing and
building our new camp in Caerwent,
1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
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Ops,Adjt & Chater