Page 13 - Bugle Issue 19 Spring 2022

Rfn Walker and LCpl Thapa abseiling at Cape Greco
Rfn Blue Chard-Malone taking aim on the range
LCpl Myles O’Reilly and LCpl Louis Roberts preparing for the days training
Lt Taub hosting a visit from the US Embassy Nicosia security detail
TRATT
The TOSCA Regimental Adventurous
Training Team (TRATT) deployed to Cyprus in September 2021
with the remit of providing challenging adventurous training to the Riflemen deployed on Op TOSCA. The team consisted of an OC, Chief Instructor and eight AT instructors who had all attended the 15-week development courses at JSMTC Indefatigable, Snowdonia, enabling them to provide mountain biking, climbing and kayaking disciplines for the tour. The team is based in Dhekelia in the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.
All Riflemen deployed on Op TOSCA take part in a week long AT foundation course based on one of the three disciplines. Corporal Jacob Koen, Lance Corporal James Proe and Riflemen Billy Gray lead the Riflemen in kayaking to some of the most breath taking surroundings Cyprus has to offer, with many Riflemen exceeding the basics and completing roll training and basic incident management on the water.
Corporal Ian Skirpan and Rifleman Paul Strom lead the mountain bike discipline, pushing the Riflemen out of the comfort and well into the stretch zone. This enables the Riflemen during the week to take on the infamous Red Bull route, a world famous downhill MTB route.
Rifleman Gary Walker leads the climbing discipline ably assisted by Corporal Adam Stone. Some of the biggest ‘fears of heights’ have been overcome by their unique teaching styles and sense of humour, all leading to smiling faces and a week of immense achievement for the students.
1 RIFLES
Nordic Skiing
In November 2021, nine Riflemen deployed to Idre Fjalls, in Sweden, for the Infantry Nordic Skiing training camp. In preparation, several members of the team had previously been roller skiing in Scotland, a week that concluded with a five mile ascent of a particularly steep mountain in the Cairngorms.
With four members of the
team having never skied before, the learning curve, as well as
the gradient of the track that we were training on, was inevitably going to be a steep one. However, the challenge of mastering the technique, improving their fitness and learning to shoot after they had just sprinted around a world cup track, was one that every single team member took in their stride. Lance Corporal Louis Roberts, Rifleman Samuel Barker and Rifleman Blue Chard-Malone all took to Nordic very impressively. The four weeks spent on snow consisted of an average of two training sessions per day including time spent on the 50m biathlon range aiming at a target the size of a golf ball in temperatures that dropped as low as -18C. In the final week of the exercise the team took part in The Infantry Championship races. Across all of these, the 1 RIFLES team came first with Corporal Oscar Wiseman winning each race.
Welfare and Families
The Welfare team has had a very busy period over the last six months. Thankfully as a result of the COVID restrictions being relaxed in July, the team has been able to do a lot more community engagement and activities with the families and friends of the Battalion.
This greater freedom came just in in time, allowing the team to lay on some substantial events for everyone to enjoy, as we started to escalate the support for the Op TOSCA deployment to Cyprus. Prior to summer leave we all come together for the first time in many months to celebrate Salamanca Day. The event was a real success, and recognition must go to Major Pat Hyde MC, the QM, as well as the wider QM’s and Welfare teams, who came together to make something quite special happen. It was even a hot sunny day, we couldn’t have asked for more!
Since the summer the Welfare Team have planned and delivered more than a dozen large activities, including trips to London and Drayton Manor. The Comedy Hypnotist was a funny evening, but I think the Halloween Party was by far the most enjoyable event for all.
Not all our focus has been on activities and events. The team has worked tirelessly to support those in need, especially whilst we have a large portion of the Battalion deployed. We are humbled to understand that our efforts have helped many Riflemen and families, for many different reasons, which makes our job very worthwhile.
RIFLES The Bugle 13